Book Chapter by Research Assistant Yunus Yeşil Published in 'Being Muslim in the Digital World'

The study titled “A Hybrid Performance Space Between Digital and Physical: The Spatial Transformation of Üsküdar Uncular Street and New Muslim Youth Practices”, authored by Yunus Yeşil, a Research Assistant in our department, has been published in the book “Being Muslim in the Digital World” edited by Asst. Prof. Mehmet Ali Başak from our School of Islamic Studies, by Eskiyeni Publishing on february, 2026. Focusing on socio-spatial transformation and religious practices, this work traces the emergence of new Muslim subjectivities within the public sphere in an increasingly digitalized world.

In his research, Yunus Yeşil provides an in-depth examination of the transformation over the last five years of Uncular Street, located in the Üsküdar district, a region synonymous with Istanbul’s historical and spiritual fabric. The study analyzes the street's evolution from a traditional commercial hub into a hybrid public space where third-generation coffee shops and Islamic non-governmental organizations coexist. This shift is defined not merely as a physical renewal but as a “post-Islamist construction of space”, manifesting the new relationship religious youth have established with modern consumption culture, digital performance, and public visibility.

The multi-sited ethnographic approach, which forms the methodological basis of the research, synthesizes 22 interviews with the street’s regulars and employees, participant observations spanning one year, and a discourse analysis of digital data collected from the X (Twitter) platform. The findings reveal that Uncular Street transcends its physical boundaries by integrating with digital media, serving as both a “safe zone” for religious youth to escape secular public spheres and a “performance stage” within their own community.

One of the most original aspects of the study is the transformation it identifies in the practices of socialization and partner selection among religious youth. The research highlights how “conservative dating” or marriage meeting rituals, conducted in public and fueled by digital interactions (such as following, “mentioning”, and “stalking”), are replacing traditional, family-supervised models. The narrow physical structure of the street and the digital surveillance networks on social media, referred to as “Conservative Magazine” (Muhafazakâr Magazin), offer a prime example of “phygital” publicness where youth observe one another and negotiate modern dating methods within a framework of religious legitimacy.

In conclusion, through the lens of the Uncular Street experience, Yunus Yeşil opens a sociological discussion on how religiosity in Turkey is negotiated with modernity, capitalist consumption practices, and digital identity performances.

We congratulate our research assistant on this valuable contribution to the field and wish him continued success in his academic endeavours.