Defining the Urban Environment of Aydın in the 20th Century Through the Memoirs of Zeki Mesud Alsa

The intention in this article is to provide an understanding of the urban environment and daily life in Aydin in the period between 1890 and 1905. By drawing upon the memoirs of Prof. Dr. Zeki Mesud Alsan (who used the first name ‘Mustafa’), entitled ‘Mustafa’nin Romani: Memleket Cocugu’ (The Story of Mustafa: The Child of Hometown), the lost urban memory of Aydin from the end of the 19th century will be re-discovered. In the first volume of his memoirs, Mustafa recalled his childhood observations and experiences in Aydin, up until the time he entered the Preliminary School of Izmir (Izmir Idadisi) (Alsan, 2002).