Inheritance without the heritage: fig trees and the ecological effects of imaginative attachments to fetih (conquest)

This study reveals that the concept of 'fetih' (conquest) serves as both an imaginative framework for heritage-making and a tool for ecological destruction, particularly in the context of Istanbul's historic Balat and Fener neighborhoods. It demonstrates how new inhabitants reinterpret and attach themselves to the area's native fig trees through this imagined heritage, while simultaneously contributing to its ecological degradation. The research connects ethnographic data with the interplay between cultural and ecological heritage, challenging traditional notions of heritage as solely human-centric. By analyzing these dynamics, it questions the social boundaries of heritage and highlights the consequences of neoliberalism on material and immaterial heritage in post-empire nation-states.

Sehlikoglu, S. (2025). Inheritance without the heritage: fig trees and the ecological effects of imaginative attachments to fetih (conquest). International Journal of Heritage Studies, 31(9), 1207–1225. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2025.2496873