Rustles and sparkles with fires of İstiklal - the business and cultural centre of Istanbul, but only some people knows that in hundred metres slums of Tarlabasi are located.
In a 19-th century the area Tarlabasi was a respectable place with the Greek and Armenian merchants. Here till now buildings representing historical value have remained dated from 1800 to 1850-th years of the last century it there was a prospering area. After series of Armenian and Greek Pogroms has compelled inhabitants to leave Tarlabasi. Soon empty buildings have begun
to occupy by gipsies, and later Kurds came to joint them, escaping from poverty and military men
actions in the country southeast, illegal emigrants from Africa and transsexuals.
Today, Tarlabasi is place for people with very low level of the income or people who desperately need work.
The basic employment of inhabitants of Tarlabasi is a gathering of garbage. In good day it is possible to earn thirty Turkish lyres that corresponds to fifteen dollars.
Таrlabasi is area with bad reputation, forbidden territory, a ghetto.
Low standard of living not a unique problem of Tarlabasi. Drugs, a crime and prostitution, here eternal companions of slums.
On June 12th, 2011 Bejoglu municipality took decision on compulsory eviction of inhabitants of Tarlabasi in connection with area reconstruction. By 2014 Tarlabasi plan to transform into Turkish "Champs Elysée"
The houses compel to sell many inhabitants for nothing and to move on city suburb. Meanwhile, in the near future in accordance with estimations of experts, the prices for habitation in this area will jump up many times over and the apartment or office in Tarlabasi become accessible only for well-off people
The housebreaking has begun in 2012. Many streets are transformed into streets - phantoms where children play in ruins, prostitutes serves the clients and the homeless sleeps.
Usual and joyless life of many people is destroyed.
But despite of everything, inhabitants of Tarlabasi continue to live.
To live on fragments, to live under a sound of jackhammers.
