Investigating Remnants of the Past to Look Toward the Future: City Gates and Fortification Walls in Erzurum, Türkiye

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of historical fortifications on contemporary urban layout. The city was historically enclosed by four defensive walls: the frontier and inner walls, which defined the city's core, and the third and fourth walls, primarily made of soil, which extended its boundary. Eight gates were strategically positioned along these walls, shaping both the historical and the modern road networks. The Erzurum Gates (Erzincan, Yeni, Gürcü, and Tebriz) and the Gates of Muttaslla (Istanbul, Kars, Kavak, and Harput) played a crucial role in defining the city's spatial structure. While previous research acknowledges the influence of historical infrastructure, the extent to which these elements continue to shape urban movement patterns remains underexplored. Addressing this gap, this study contributes to sustainable urban development and adaptive heritage planning. This research employs a multitemporal spatial analysis by superimposing historical (1840, 1960) and contemporary road networks in QGIS (version 3.28) to examine morphological continuity. Additionally, space syntax analysis is applied to quantify the influence of the historical gates on spatial integration and accessibility patterns. This methodological approach integrates urban heritage with spatial network analysis, providing empirical insights into the enduring impact of fortifications on modern mobility. Despite demolishing Erzurum's, Türkiye, outer fortification walls, the historical gates remain prominent in the urban fabric. Space syntax analysis reveals that areas surrounding the former gate locations exhibit higher integration values, with some showing an increase of 62.95% in integration compared with peripheral streets. The study demonstrates that road networks have expanded along the paths of the original walls and gates, reinforcing their historical influence on movement patterns. This study offers an approach that combines historical GIS mapping with space syntax analysis to assess heritage continuity in urban layouts quantitatively. The research aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 by linking historical infrastructure with contemporary spatial patterns, promoting heritage-based urban strategies that balance historical significance with modern spatial demands. © 2025 American Society of Civil Engineers.