Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç SoyerAfter Yıldız Cinema and Bıçakçı Han, which were expropriated and brought to the city by . Izmir Metropolitan Municipality demolished the building it bought from the Treasury and included it in the special project area. A green area will be built in place of the demolished building and transportation to Bıçakçı Han will be facilitated. With the leverage project for the historical Basmane district, the 7 thousand square meter area determined as a special project area will be turned into an island of culture and art.
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, which bought the historical Bıçakçı Han and Yıldız Cinema in Basmane and brought them to the city, also expropriated the old Social Security Institution building, which was idle at the entrance of the region. The building was demolished after the approval of İzmir No. 1 Cultural Heritage Preservation Board. The land where the building is located will be transformed into green space. Thus, it will be easier to reach Bıçakçı Han, which has become visible on Gaziler Street. With the leverage project for the historical Basmane region, the area where Bıçakçı Han, Yıldız Cinema, four shops on Gaziler Street and the old SGK building are located, which was determined as a “special project area” in the zoning plans, will be transformed into a culture and art island.
It will be a new production area
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality bought Yıldız Cinema and Bıçakçı Han, which left a mark in the city's recent past, in 2020. Taking action to reintroduce the two buildings in Basmane to the social and cultural life of the city, the Metropolitan determined the area as a “special project area” by including the shops on Gaziler Street and the old SGK building, which is idle. Within the scope of the Restoration and Renovation project of Bıçakçı Han and its Surroundings, the 6-storey old SGK building was purchased from the Treasury for 16 million liras on February 2022, 13 and expropriated and demolished to facilitate access to Bıçakçı Han.
Efforts are underway to turn Yıldız Cinema into a hall where many events from cinema to congress are held. Bicakci Han will continue to host cultural and artistic events. With the project, the Metropolitan aims to turn the region into a sociological meeting point that includes the back quarters and also to transform it into a new production area for culture and art actors.
Two landmarks in the history of the city
Yıldız Cinema was converted from a summer cinema to a closed cinema in 1953. Rebuilt in 1957, the cinema opened its doors with a Zeki Müren concert. Many different artistic events were held at Yıldız Cinema, from magician shows to concerts, from operettas to theaters. Yıldız Cinema, which even hosts the competitions of the Turkish and Swedish national wrestling teams, was also used as a football field.
Bicakci Han was built for the accommodation of caravans. Until the 1950s, it was used as a “family house” for the storage of goods coming and going to the city, and for a while, where the low-income citizens were accommodated. Recently, it has served as a warehouse.
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