Gaziosmanpaşa

Wi a population o 400,000 plus, it is ane o the maist populous destricts. In 2009 Gaziosmanpaşa destrict wur the dividit tae three destricts: Gaziosmanpaşa, the central; Sultangazi, the northren pairt an Arnavutköy, the northmaist pairt. Esenler an Bayrampaşa are at wast, Sultangazi is at north an Eyüp is at sooth an east o destrict.

This wis empty, stany pastur till the 1950s whan immigrants frae the Balkans (especially frae Bulgarie, Yugoslavie an Wastren Thrace) wur settled here. Hintle o their hoosin wis illegally built, primitive tiny cottages. Gaziosmanpaşa expanded rapidly durin the 1970s an 80s due tae migration frae eastren Anatolie. The population is still growin wit hauf the fowk unner 20 year auld.

The centre o Gaziosmanpaşa is still inhabitit bi the stryndents o the 1950s an 1960s Balkan immigrants. Nou maist o the oreeginal illegal hooses are bein pulled doun an replacit wi semi-legal blocks o flats, tae hoose the childer an grandchilder.

Ither auries, aften isolatit commonties far oot o the ceety, are dominatit bi populations o migrants from Anatolia. These auries are an ethnic, releegious an poleetical meltin pot. In pairticular, ane aurie o Gaziosmanpaşa haes a substantial population o migrants frae Tunceli Province, a province mainly populatit bi fowk who claim baith Kurdish an Zaza identities. The mixtur o fowk plus the number o young fowk in the commonties haes at times gien Gaziosmanpaşa the unfortunate reputation for bein the centre o creeme an o left an richt wing violence in Istanbul, wi mony Istanbul fowk referrin tae the aurie as 'little Colombie'.

The ceety cooncil is tryin tae spend its wey oot o this situation bi puttin in sports facilities, theatres, shopping centres an better transport tae the ceety. But still mair an mair hoosin is bein built. As the aurie haes grown athoot sufficient control or regulations the ceety is still strugglin tae put in schuils an ither infrastructur throuoot Gaziosmanpaşa tae support the population, while industrial development is takkin place an awo.

The aurie itsel suffers frae unemployment despite the industrie comin in, an the main employers are sma wirkshops producin licht fittins, electrical guids, clothin, lathe an metalwirk an caur repairs.

The destrict wis namit efter Gazi Osman Pasha, a prominent Ottoman general who haed been active in the Balkans.