Geç osmanlı döneminde Mersin Latin Katolik Kilisesi yerleşkesi.

The 19th century was a period of transformation for the Ottoman Empire as it began to implement processes of modernization in almost all fields including the integration into the international networks of commerce. This resulted in significant construction activities in especially its port cities in the Mediterranean, which increased their population of a cosmopolitan character. Mersin, which used to be a small fishing village affiliated to Tarsus in the first half of the 19th century, similarly underwent a great transformation and became a newly established cosmopolitan Ottoman port city in the Mediterranean in a couple of decades. At the beginning of the 20th century, the city of Mersin stood out with its modern appearance, multicultural identity and dynamic social and commercial life. The study examines this process of transformation in the case of the Latin Catholic Church settlement that was located at a key point in Mersin and was an important contributor to the cityscape with its buildings, also influencing the social structure of the city with its schools built to promote and spread the teachings of the Capuchin community. Examining the settlement in relation to the contemporary urban and architectural context of Mersin as well as to the actors involved in its transformation into a multicultural center via socio-political and economic processes, this thesis aims to contribute to a better understanding of the history of the city of Mersin in particular, and the urban and architectural developments during the late Ottoman period in general.M.A. - Master of Art