Şişhane today is a small but extremely dense district in Istanbul (Turkey) specialized in light and electricity, it’s location is close to the landmark Galata tower. Şişhane was an old commercial centre in pre-Ottoman and Genoese times. Due to its proximity to Galata Port, which was the main customs gate of the Ottoman Empire where all modern goods from the Western world entered the Empire, a 19th century type ‘Silicon Valley’ developed in the district. In 1857 Beyoğlu (of which Şişhane is a part) became the first municipality of the Ottoman Empire, and in 1859 the first street lights appeared here. At the Beginning of 20th century technology based companies and shops became more important than other sectors in the district. During the 1920’s the need for new technology in society increased the importance of the electrical and lighting shops to the extend that the area became nationally known and it’s name synonymous with lighting products.

Pre-capitalist and capitalist cultures mix in Şişhane
It is usual that when a customer requires an item that the shop does not have on sale, a person from the shop goes out and takes the item from another shop in the district, in the meanwhile the customer is served free tea or coffee. Upon return, the shop-keeper who ‘borrowed’ the requested item from the other shop, sells the item to the customer. Later in the day an apprentice of the other shop visits all the shops that ‘borrowed’ products for clients and either retrieves the money or the product. Sometimes the owner of the shop even closes his shop and walks with the customer to another shop where the item is for sale. Shopkeepers sometimes tell customers that they should go to another shop where the item they want is cheaper, or give unasked negative advice about items they themselves have on sale in order to build relationships based on trust. Whole streets are lined with similar looking shops and the shops are not only on street level but all the way up to the 10th floor of buildings, most of which were originally houses.

The challenge of small scale production regions within Istanbul
Small scale production regions within Istanbul are currently threatened by a rapid clearance due to the consumption oriented tourism development. However, these regions, with their rich and flexible production infrastructure, have the potential to realize unique design ideas and to respond to the local design needs. If this potential is valued and developed, these regions can go through an urban development process which evolves from their inner dynamics. This is the reason why Made in Sishane project wat set up in 2006.