Qibla Wall of Sultanahmet investigates the forgotten landscape in front of the Qibla façade of the Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque through archival research, archaeogeophysical surveys, historical cartography, and botanical evidence.

The research began with a simple question: what remains of a landscape after its visible form disappears? Historical descriptions, Ottoman miniatures, aerial imagery, scientific data, and archival documents were brought together the site's changing spatial and ecological conditions.

Historically, qibla-facing landscape is characterized by a green ground plane, partially ordered tree alignments, scattered tomb structures, and a layered composition of domes at multiple scales. Hard surfaces appear intermittently, creating a spatial condition that oscillates between structured architectural framing and more organic landscape formations.

The research draws inspiration from historical interpretations of Ottoman/Turkish garden traditions, where gardens were conceived as spaces of tranquility, shade, and ecological richness. As noted by Nurhan (2002), Ottoman gardens—like other Islamic gardens—sought to evoke a paradisiacal environment through trees, flowers, water, and cooling greenery. They often combined functional logic with a restrained aesthetic sensibility, prioritizing usability and spatial harmony (Aslanoğlu Evyapan, 1974). Semi-organized spatial understanding frequently operated between structure and informality, forming environments that architectural composition with natural growth (Tazebay & Akpınar, 2010).

Existing vegetation, traces beneath the ground, forgotten planting traditions, and historical water systems are read as interconnected layers that continue to shape the site.

The proposal reimagines the former garden through a planting strategy informed by historical species, spatial rhythms derived from archival evidence, and a relationship between water, topography, and public ecological common experience.