ABSTRACT
Miniaturk, Turkey's first nation-themed park of miniature models, opened in 2003 and is part of the latter phase of this urban regeneration campaign, which focuses on culture-led revitalization. There had been an earlier proposal in 1989 for an entertainment-oriented miniature Istanbul model presented to Istanbul's mayor by renowned architect Cengiz Bektas, to be located on the nearby Golden Horn (Bahariye) islands, but this proposal was not taken up by the municipality at that first phase of waterfront regeneration. This chapter examines why a miniature Turkey appeared in 2003 and why it has been received with enthusiasm across the political spectrum. It argues that understanding the place and significance of Miniaturk in the popular historical landscape can shed light on the public reaction to other building projects in Istanbul. The park can also be seen as demonstrating a turning point in Turkish politics, as the "vernacular politics" of Islamism moved to the center, into party politics.
