We are pleased to announce that Fokke Gerritsen has received a Vrije Universiteit (VU) Connected World Social Impact Award for the Water Memories project that aims to unlock Istanbul’s water heritage through a walking app. This project is a partnership of VU, NIT, Radboud University (Mariëtte Verhoeven), and the Hrant Dink Foundation, building on the water heritage related programs that NIT has been involved in since 2022.
As the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, Istanbul is particularly rich in aqueducts, cisterns, water towers, fountains, and other witnesses to the historic water supply through the ages. The best way to experience this heritage is by exploring it on foot, as it gives a sense of how these monuments are connected in space and time.
At the same time, a key question is how this heritage can contribute to issues of sustainability, livability and social cohesion in today’s city, where a water crisis due to population growth and climate change is drawing close. A heritage walk that will be included in KarDes, a popular mobile app developed by the Hrant Dink Foundation, can increase public awareness and appreciation of water past in present.
The Water Memories project is scheduled to run through 2024 and the aim is to have the walk online by the end of the year.
Photo: Ottoman aqueduct (Uzunkemer) in Istanbul. Photo: Mariëtte Verhoeven.