Tracing the remnants of an ideological struggle on space :

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Thesis Type: Postgraduate

Institution Of The Thesis: Middle East Technical University, Turkey

Approval Date: 2014

Thesis Language: English

Student: Paria Valizadeh

Co-Supervisor: GÜVEN ARİF SARGIN, MUSTAFA HALUK ZELEF

Abstract:

Space cannot be considered without its own social relations and political incentives. Drawing on this conception of space as the main standpoint of the thesis, the urban transformation of Julfa district in Isfahan, which from its advent was designated for settlement of the minority Christians within a Muslim-majority country of Iran, will be studied. Indeed the main aim of this study is to demonstrate how the state-minority relations have influence on the spatial transformations of the case of Julfa. In this sense, the study analyzes Julfa’s socio-spatial transformations in relation to different political ruling powers and their ideological tendencies. While it is expected to raise a concern over an identity of their district tied with themselves. The identity, which due to the ideological tendencies of changing ruling powers during years, encounters threat of demolition.