Historical origin and development of shipyard in Istanbul
Ships and shipyards are a very old tradition in Istanbul (Cvikel & Kahanov, 2013). The pioneer shipyard was designed in 1390. The shipyards developed quickly and as early as the 16th century, Turkish shipyards were leading globally (Grant, 2005). Traditional shipbuilding techniques in combination with modern technology have helped the shipbuilding industry develop as an international recognized trademark in shipping industry since the beginning of 1990's. In Istanbul, shipyards perform various functions ranging from creating a variety of ship models such as yacht both big and small. Repair and maintenance of the different vessels are also done in these shipyards.
During earlier years, several vessels were built using wood. With advancement in technology and improvement in education levels, sheet iron was later developed to replace the wooden architecture. The initial aim of the construction of the shipyard 600 years ago was to sustain the Turkish Naval Commerce fleet. However, as a result of technological advancements, this sector has accumulated significant influence in the export of products globally. As a consequence of the massive improvements in the Turkish shipyard capabilities, it was ranked 5th in shipbuilding behind Germany in 2009. During the period between late 2005 and 2009 Turkish shipbuilding capacity increased by an outstanding 65%.
The building of local fleet and ships needed by defense industry along with ships used for public service is the most important projects in Istanbul shipyard. Ships used by naval forces are also constructed in the shipyards. Landing platforms for the ships are also designed in these shipyards. The current era that is characterized by high technology allows for the design of more sophisticated ships including; frigates, submarines, fast patrol boats, coast guard vessels and naval vessels.
This paper looks into the historical origin and development of Istanbul's shipyard giving insight on various architectural and artwork used in the different phases of development.
Istanbul Historical shipyard origin
Recent archeological excavations have shed light on Istanbul shipping industry. The archeologists excavated 37 shipwrecks from the Byzantine Empire (Onar et al., 2013). Sites such as the Yenikapi recorded a significant number of shipwrecks because it was the port of the ancient Constantinople city. The shipyards in Istanbul date back the fifth to the eleventh century.
The shipwrecks provided variety information on the design of ships at earlier stages indicating the complexities of earlier ship builders. Two shipbuilding methods were determined. The first method involved building the shell of the ship first while the second approach involved the construction of the ship's skeleton first followed by attachment of planks. The transition from shell first to skeleton first took place during the seventh century.
Two types of ships were designed in the shipyards during the early seventh and eighth century. The round ships, which were propelled primarily by sail. These ships had a length ranging from 26 to 49 feet and had a width between 8 and 16 feet. The other type of ship in this time frame is the galley. This ship was long and oared with a length of 100 feet and width of 13 feet. The period also constructed small row boats, fishing boats, utility vessels and naval ships. The primary material used in the construction of these ships was timber or wood that was suitably crafted to bring a high degree of stability in water.
The early methods of shipbuilding depended on verbal communication of the procedure from master shipbuilders to the apprentices (Simpson, 2006). The master ship builder would construct a model of the ship and then relay the information in a stepwise fashion to the workers who assisted in building the ship. Due to lack of paper at this period many shipbuilders had slower communication channel, hence building a ship took many days. During this period ship could be preconceived and redesigned by a group of engineers. Most ships of this time composed of wooden beams connected forming the massive object. Most shipyards were used to build new vessels and undertake repair and maintenance of ships that were damaged during traveling. The shipyard had little equipment and was less complicated as most inventions in shipping industries were not yet established. The ships made during this period had little decorations, and the internal arrangement of such ships was a vast space that was used in the transportation of food and other trade commodities from Egypt to Istanbul.
The design of old ships was less complicated and depended wholly on manual labor from various workers. No automated machinery is used in the construction and repair of the ships, unlike the modern age where every aspect of the development is automated. The ships during the early years were of low quality using cheap and readily available materials in their construction. Most ships were designed to facilitate trade and transport goods and people to various locations across the Mediterranean Sea. Also, naval ships were also constructed to offer protection to the city against external aggressors.
Reasons for changes of shipyards from earlier versions of modern industry
The ever increasing competitive environment in the shipyards has made Istanbul ship industries to readjust its products to meet the high standard of competitive firms. As a result of the enormous competition, the need for improvement in the shipping industry hugely demands in the society. By upgrading their production system, shipbuilding industries are assured a competitive power globally. Unlike the earlier years when ships were not commercialized and served as local transport mechanisms, current economy focuses on imports and exports of ships hence the need for high-quality products.
As a result of technological improvements over time, engineers can now design the ship model using different software and presented the schematics to the various apprentices who finalize the modeling of ships. Furthermore, as a result of the massive technological innovations the ship building technology has become more accurate leading to the production of high-quality products. Optimized production techniques and simulation are used in the construction of modern ships.
Historical development of shipyard in Istanbul
Shipbuilding in Turkey has transformed from old traditional activities to an international recognized institution since the beginning of 1990's. The industry has developed into modern, quality certified shipyards that build ships, yachts and sailing boats and also undertaking repair and conversion works. Shipyards in Istanbul, Turkey, have developed into dynamic shipbuilding centers. The emerging Black Sea and Mediterranean regions have boosted shipyard investment in the area. The ever growing participation of Turkey in international trade in new ships has resulted in massive changes in the shipbuilding industry throughout time. Furthermore, the development of the marine equipment manufacturing sector has also boosted the changes in shipyard industry. These changes occur because of the strategic location of Istanbul yards, the experienced workforce, and quality of production.
Istanbul shipyards were traditionally characterized by yachts and smaller commercial vessels. Recent Istanbul shipyards have increased their ability and competitiveness in the construction of larger ships. There are now shipyards in Istanbul that is capable of building a wide variety of commercial vessels including petroleum and product tankers, massive freighters and multipurpose container. In addition to these developments, the modern Istanbul shipyard can produce other significant market vessels, including; fishing boat, research vessel, mega yacht and supply vessel.
Modern shipyards use steel as their primary material in the construction of ships (Eyres & Bruce, 2012). This move is different from the traditional setup that used wood as the major material for shipbuilding. Computer aided design gives the various shipbuilders' tools to analyze, simulate, diagnose, manufacture and repair ships with a degree of precision and quality.
Istanbul shipyards have also indulged in the production of high-quality personal ships that are sold globally. These ships are crafted with high-quality interior decorations and are extremely spacious to suit every need of the various international clients. A combination of well-crafted wood pieces and steel is used in the construction of these precious ships. Construction of these ships requires a high degree of precision and knowledge in design and modern technology ensure the realization of these unique features in the ships. Furthermore, in modern shipyard several ships undergo numerous researches and testing before they are released to the client. Through these tests, the quality and reliability of the ship can be estimated leading to prevention of accidents that may result from the improper design of these ships.
It is evident that the modern shipping industry has considerably changed from traditional setup. With the advent of new technology and a new raw material for shipyards, the production of high quality and lucrative ships can be realized. Modern ships were designed with a high degree of accuracy using various computer aided design software, unlike the earlier models that bases on ship builders’ prowess. Modern shipbuilding procedures have a limited number of errors during construction as a result of the numerous tests the ships undergo during their development. Advanced shipping technology has enabled Turkey to develop as a one of the best shipbuilding nations in the word.
References
Cvikel, D., & Kahanov, Y. (2013). The 19th‐Century Akko 1 Shipwreck, Israel: hull‐construction report. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 42(1), 167-187.
Grant, J. A. (2005). Rethinking the Ottoman" Decline": The Military technology diffusion in the Ottoman Empire, fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Journal of World History, 10(1), 179-201.
Onar, V., Alpak, H., Pazvant, G., Armutak, A., Gezer İnce, N., & Kızıltan, Z. (2013). Bridge from Byzantium to modern day Istanbul: An overview of the animal skeleton remains found during Metro and Marmaray excavations. Journal of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University, 39, 1-8.
Simpson, E. (2006). Apprenticeship in western India. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 12(1), 151-171.
Celik, M., Kahraman, C., Cebi, S., & Er, I. D. (2009). Fuzzy axiomatic design-based performance evaluation model for docking facilities in shipbuilding industry: The case of Turkish shipyards. Expert Systems with Applications (Figure 1), 36(1), 599-615.
Hummels, D., & Skiba, A. (2002). Shipping the good apples out? An empirical confirmation of the Alchian-Allen conjecture (No. w9023) (table 7). National Bureau of Economic Research.
Herrera-Echeverri, H., Haar, J., & Estévez-Bretón, J. B. (2014). Foreign direct investment, institutional quality, economic freedom and entrepreneurship in emerging markets. Journal of Business Research, 67(9), 1921-1932 (chart 4)
Figure 1 illustrates the distribution of shipyards in Turkey region (Celik et al., 2009)
Chart 4 represents Turkish government foreign direct investments of 2009 to illustrate expenditure on shipping industry (Herrera, Haar & Estevez, 2014)
