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Travels to Turkey

Istanbul, Crossroads of the World

by Joe Marvullo

“Queen of cities, Empress”... Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul - the three faces of greatness. The perennial epithet of this fabled cosmopolitan crossroads which is in modern day Turkey bespeaks the magic of the place, an enchanted city of romance and mystery.

The site, uniquely situated on a peninsula, is bounded by three equally famous bodies of water which have had strategic importance throughout the ages: the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the rich Golden Horn. In the fourth century AD, the ancient Greek colonial town of Byzantium was erased and a fabulous new city was erected t by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great to be the jewel of the Eastern Empire. Like Rome, which it was to rival and then eventually replace as the capital of the Roman Empire, Constantinople was built on seven hills.

The “city,” as it was known, was decorated with municipal buildings, great churches, amphitheaters and stadia constructed of peerless marble imported from Rome and the rest of the empire. The new metropolis was an architectural masterpiece. It included within its impregnable walls the grand Hippodrome, an immense stadium made for chariot racing and spectacles. The invincible walls of Constantinople were its awesome signature of imperial power, and today, the remnants of these massive structures still stir the imagination.

It was the last great city of the ancient world. In time, the Byzantine Greek culture eventually superseded the Latin tradition and the city became a thriving center of commerce and trade as the seat of government of the now powerful Byzantine Empire. The city’s inhabitants, however, still considered themselves Romans even though the language of choice was Greek. It was as it is presently at the turn of the next millennium, a complex town with a mixture of cultures and a diverse outlook on life. Due to the influence of the Church, much of the emphasis on art and architecture revolved around the Greek Orthodox religion. Modern churches with unsurpassed frescoes and gilded icons were introduced into the cityscape reflecting a lavish style of pomp and extravagance which was unrivaled until the late middle ages.

After the fall of Constantinople to Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, it became the lavish capital of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. A total transformation of the character of the city took place from Christian to Moslem. Mosques were erected on a grand scale and many churches, including the magnificent Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), were converted into Moslem mosques and shrines. Covered bazaars and oriental buildings predominated, and the “city,” Istanbul, became the dominant center of culture and power of the Turkish realm. It was a sight to behold, the heart and pulse of the Islamic world, a precious jewel of both architecture and civilization. By geographic position and historical tradition, this is the only city in the world that borders two continents, Europe and Asia. For centuries, the waterways and bridges that couple the European and Asian sides of the megalopolis have truly molded Istanbul into a marriage of east and west, a flamboyant personality that is both exotic and familiar to western eyes

How to photograph this multi-layered city with its winding streets, covered markets and chaotic traffic, bustling waterways filled with zigzagging ferries and steamers, magnificent mosques whose many minarets puncture the skyline in every direction? Istanbul is a sprawling metropolis where public ground transportation is at best frustrating but private taxi fares and guides with cars can be reasonably negotiated. They fly in and out of the narrow streets and are completely knowledgeable about the sights and how best to get there. Plan also to do a lot of walking with your cameras since most of the structures and sites can only be approached by foot. This is the only way to get the angles for pictures that are dramatic and unique as opposed to the standard “postcard” view of the town’s splendid and historical wonders. English is spoken moderately, as is French, Italian and German.

A guided city tour is the quickest way to see the sights and get your bearings as to the location of landmarks and great cultural attractions. Since many of the neighborhoods are close, a photographic itinerary can be set up by area that would concentrate your time most productively. You can always return to locations for more detailed photographs after you have seen them at a fleeting glance. Where the sun strikes at particular time of day, where it rises and sets, the best position and lens to use for the best exposure possible can be studied when you take the guided tour. As the old Moslem saying goes “keep your eyes open,” it works in travel photography as it does in life. A good place to start to get familiar with Turkish culture and customs is a walking tour through the Topkapi Palace and the wonderful courtyards and pavilions of the Sultan’s Harems. These museums house the accumulated treasures of the Sultans, one of the world’s great collection of emeralds and diamonds, golden thrones and priceless artifacts as well as relics of the prophet Mohammed.

The view from atop Topkapi Palace gives a splendid panorama of the Bosphorus with its endless profusion of water-borne traffic. You can see the fabled “Golden Horn” part of the bay from here. By means of this vantage point you can get a good telephoto shot of the Suleiman mosque in the distance. It’s a good spot to setup a tripod and spend a couple of hours as the light changes and capture the beautiful sea view and city scapes. Located on a balcony nearby is a classical Turkish restaurant where you can break the time you spend at this location by having lunch or some Turkish coffee while you keep a look-out for new subjects for different types of photo ops. The museum at the Topkapi complex, as most museums and sites in Turkey, allow you to use flash inside unless otherwise posted.

You must buy a pass for this when you purchase your admittance ticket. Permission for use of a tripod must be obtained in advance. It is easier to be an amateur than a pro when dealing with the local custodians so drop all pretenses. Since you need a visa to travel to Turkey, you can purchase a photographic pass in advance at home. If you don’t have a visa when you arrive at customs you can get one there but you will have to deal with each museum’s photo policy separately. The process is simple and the guards are courteous; in fact they are always asking questions about what’s a good camera or what film is good for taking their own pictures. This is a people very aware of the visual beauty they have inherited and appreciate your photo interest in it.

A walking tour would continue through the centuries old working class neighborhoods where wooden apartment houses are being restored . These restorations of typical Turkish architecture make for graphic shots and give the photographer a chance to encounter the people in their local environment. Photographing the children of the city or Turkey in general is a great pleasure, they are outgoing and very photogenic. On the same day a visit to the world famous Hagia Sophia is a remarkable visual experience.

This basilica was finished in the sixth century of the common era by the Roman Emperor Justinian and was designed to make worshipers feel “closer to heaven.” This was accomplished by the use of a massive dome punctuated with forty windows which flood the interior with a beautiful light that plays off the exquisite marble columns and intricate mosaics. A wide-angle lens with medium or high speed film (Kodak E-200 or Fuji variable speed types for transparencies or Kodak variable IS0 800 negative film is recommended) will yield gratifying hand held photos of this enormous enclosure and its ornamentation. A flash can be used on certain mosaic paintings of icons. Outside, a walk though beautiful cultivated gardens studded with ancient columns and sculpture lead to the stunning Sultan Ahmet mosque, also known as the “Blue Mosque” because of its incredibly tiled interior and stained glass windows.

In a city with 247 large mosques and 664 smaller ones this is the only edifice to have six minarets; it is spectacular and hours can be spent photographing both it and the Hagia Sophia which is across the way through a flowered garden path. This is the heart of Istanbul. The variety of hawkers of souvenirs and rug merchants that crowd this area make for great people pictures. In the covered bazaar which is nearby, excellent bargains (you have to haggle) on gold, rugs, ceramics and local crafts can be had as well as moody photographs of light streaking though the labyrinth of covered stalls. A fast wide-angle or short zoom lens is recommended for this kind of interior reportage photography.

One of the most rewarding excursions a photographer can take is on a steamer that leaves from a downtown dock near the “Pigeon” mosque and makes calls on both sides of the Bosphorus. Once you have assured yourself a good position at the back (aft) of the ferry, numerous photo opportunities will present themselves on this half- day trip along the waterway lined with beautiful villas, restaurants and the incomparable summer residence of the Ottoman Sultans, the Dolmabache Palace.

The shoreline at times reminds one of the Grand Canal in Venice. This trip has stopping-off points where the photographer’s discriminating eye can take leisurely walks through the back streets which abound with local life and photojournalistic opportunities. One can also sample the fresh seafood specialties of the seaside cafes. The cuisine in Istanbul as in most of Turkey is excellent. The food is mildly spicy but is prepared with fresh vegetables, fish and meat. Salads and baklava deserts accompany most meal as does the famous “Turkish” coffee. Other striking attractions along this route include the Rumeli Hisari fortress, a fine remarkably preserved standing example of 15th century Ottoman design, a climb to the top affords a breathtaking view of the Bosphorus.

The bay of Tarabya offers modern resort facilities as well as a picturesque fishing port where small colorful boats and swimming children add to the overall ambiance of the scene. For a much more intimate and close-up view of the waterways, a small boat and captain can be hired for a several hours for a remarkable rate (about $US 20-30) in order to get interesting and unusual angles close to the water of boats passing by as well as to help to record the earthy impressions of daily life along the waterfront. A small boat like this will enable the photographer to line up strategically at the right time to capture a sunset over the city skyline of a particular architectural monument. A telephoto lens of 180 mm or a zoom lens with a 200 mm focal length or longer, a medium tele lens in the 85 to135 mm range and a wide-angle in the 28 to 35 mm ranges are recommended to capture the scene while afloat on a small moving craft. Medium and high speed films are a necessity for creative control for the changing light and motion of the volatile living scene. The picture results will be rewarding aesthetically and will excel as technical photo documents.

Back on land, a superb spot for capturing skyline views and river traffic is from the top of the medieval Galata Tower, a watchtower built in the former Genoese colony of Pera along the fabled Golden Horn. A must for photographers is a walk across the reconstructed Galata bridge which spans the waterway between Asian and European sides of the city. People of all types, from all over Turkey, women with veils, fisherman, hustlers, jugglers and acrobats, lovers along with the tourists of every nation traverse this colorful span of bridge every hour of every day.

Early Friday evening along the dock-side here is a photographer’s paradise of potpourri subjects. It is a must to spend time with your zoom lens at your eye taking in the wide array of fun, business and scheming that unfolds here in front of the” Pigeon” mosque where the ferries leave and return to their berth Small cafes where the old men smoke hookahs, clubs where belly dancers perform and quays where colorful boats from all over the east are docked make this part of the city a living postcard of Asia Minor.

It has been this way for centuries. It is possible to cover most of the major sights in Istanbul in several full days and nights of concentrated shooting, but more time will permit the detailing of the finer points of this mosaic of cultures. It is a city of intrigue and classic spy dramas, the town where the train called “The Orient Express” starts and ends its journey to Paris, where romantic interludes and fascinating adventures prevail. The still uncompleted modern city, with its shopping boulevards and superb convention facilities, markets and bazaars, posh and typically Turkish hotels, restaurants, night spots and private clubs offers another facet to explore in “the city that never sleeps.”

© 2000 By Joe Marvullo All Rights Reserved. Photos by the author.

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