november 2020
41°0’34.68”N 28°57’54.592”E
how much history can you cram into a single city? - a redundant question, i am aware, but nowhere else does history come to life as it does in Istanbul. perhaps i have not yet experienced enough of the world, yet nowhere else have i felt as if i were rubbing elbows with generations upon generations of citizens - of Istanbul and, to go further back, of Constantinople. for those willing to look, treasures abound - every nook and cranny holds almost tangible historical charge. Istanbul is not just an open air museum, carefully curated and kept for the viewing pleasure of tourists. instead, it’s a living, economically active city, even within the boundaries of what used to be the walls of the Byzantine capital.
on the flip side, the historical complexity of the city makes for a steep learning curve. certainly, one can tour the reasonably signposted historical attractions, but lacking context, i would argue that travellers miss out on the things that really make Istanbul astonishing. i may be wrong here (or just insufficiently knowledgeable), but you’d need to study rigorously if you wanted to place the wealth of mosques, churches, palaces, bathhouses etc. in an imaginary historical space where their true value comes to the fore. you will inevitably love Rüstem Pasha’s mosque or the Topkapı complex, yet without a degree in history, you are left with enjoying the aesthetics.
… and that on its own is likely enough to keep you busy for weeks. as a “tourist with a camera”, i have had trouble structuring all that visual information - from the colourful tiling of Istanbul's mosques, to the television static-like agitation of the Grand Bazaar, i was swept away by a gigantic wave of stimuli. only as i was boarding my flight home did i feel like i had been washed ashore.
almost needless to say, the pandemic has clearly left a mark on the city - numerous sites either worked on a restricted schedule or had been partially closed off for restoration. restaurants could only operate as takeaways and some appeared to have closed their doors for the rest of the season. compliance with the covid prevention measures appeared to be reasonably good, though i suspect all the policemen brandishing rifles… helped and boy, there were plenty of them.
this isn’t to say that I did not feel at ease walking the streets of Istanbul. i was so taken with the visual diversity of the city i effectively forgot to photograph the highlights. instead, i’m putting forward a set of photographs i “made in the editing room” - all i did was to select a few and come up with an ordering logic. but the reader may have already figured out this is nothing but an excuse to return to Constantinople as soon as humanly possible.
november 2020
41°0’34.68”N 28°57’54.592”E
how much history can you cram into a single city? - a redundant question, i am aware, but nowhere else does history come to life as it does in Istanbul. perhaps i have not yet experienced enough of the world, yet nowhere else have i felt as if i were rubbing elbows with generations upon generations of citizens - of Istanbul and, to go further back, of Constantinople. for those willing to look, treasures abound - every nook and cranny holds almost tangible historical charge. Istanbul is not just an open air museum, carefully curated and kept for the viewing pleasure of tourists. instead, it’s a living, economically active city, even within the boundaries of what used to be the walls of the Byzantine capital.
on the flip side, the historical complexity of the city makes for a steep learning curve. certainly, one can tour the reasonably signposted historical attractions, but lacking context, i would argue that travellers miss out on the things that really make Istanbul astonishing. i may be wrong here (or just insufficiently knowledgeable), but you’d need to study rigorously if you wanted to place the wealth of mosques, churches, palaces, bathhouses etc. in an imaginary historical space where their true value comes to the fore. you will inevitably love Rüstem Pasha’s mosque or the Topkapı complex, yet without a degree in history, you are left with enjoying the aesthetics.
… and that on its own is likely enough to keep you busy for weeks. as a “tourist with a camera”, i have had trouble structuring all that visual information - from the colourful tiling of Istanbul's mosques, to the television static-like agitation of the Grand Bazaar, i was swept away by a gigantic wave of stimuli. only as i was boarding my flight home did i feel like i had been washed ashore.
almost needless to say, the pandemic has clearly left a mark on the city - numerous sites either worked on a restricted schedule or had been partially closed off for restoration. restaurants could only operate as takeaways and some appeared to have closed their doors for the rest of the season. compliance with the covid prevention measures appeared to be reasonably good, though i suspect all the policemen brandishing rifles… helped and boy, there were plenty of them.
this isn’t to say that I did not feel at ease walking the streets of Istanbul. i was so taken with the visual diversity of the city i effectively forgot to photograph the highlights. instead, i’m putting forward a set of photographs i “made in the editing room” - all i did was to select a few and come up with an ordering logic. but the reader may have already figured out this is nothing but an excuse to return to Constantinople as soon as humanly possible.
