The Galata Tower is perhaps the most iconic feature of Istanbul, but maybe that’s only because it is more static than the flocks of birds that I forever associate with this city.
This photograph is a few visual clues away from 1923. What would Atatürk say to Erdoğan if they could chat today?
For hours and hours, footsteps carried us up and down the banks of the Bosphorus. In a coffeeshop that might’ve felt like halfway, despite our feet finally resting motionless, the conversation still carried us around.
Even locals are tourists when you travel through time. Impressive landscapes and buildings have marked the tip of this peninsula for centuries.
Striking streets, pretty mosques diversifying the horizon, and birds. A cross section of Istanbul seen in this vertical urban landscape.
The Blue Mosque seen here in black and white. Subtle light and grandiose architecture help to embellish the perceived power of Allah in the spirits of men.
Deniz and I took a day trip north to the Black Sea. This seemed fitting, given that the name Deniz in Turkish means ‘sea,’ We ate fresh fish and waited patiently for two fighting bulls to settle their differences and clear the road on our walk back to the bus station.
This dog didn’t have anywhere important to be, and neither did we.
The Bosphorus is the heart of Istanbul. Some days you can see endless billions of jellyfish floating beneath the surface. I disagreed with a friend about the white shapes in the center.
Walking home through undiscovered neighborhoods, unknown buildings glint from behind unnamed trees. I know the time though.
Some aspects of Istanbul culture are very familiar: American Pop music, the English language, and the tea fetish. What I was not expecting was the first time I saw a 60s Mustang on the side of the road. Exciting!
This was the first photo I took after landing in Turkey on a one way ticket to a new lifestyle. I had a lot to figure out, but I tabled it all until I had a tasty meal under my belt. Highly recommend both Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Lipton iced tea.
From top to bottom: Beyoğlu, the golden horn, Sultanahmet. Big hunk of land, river, peninsula. More modern Istanbul, shipping lane, Old Stamboul. Flying in again in two days. Already waiting for the wheels to touch down.
Sometimes photos turn out better than the experiences though which they were born. This isn’t one of them. I don’t have many of those, and as a photographer I think that’s frustrating, but as a human I’m so grateful.
Thanks for the photo Beste