The picture of Istanbul, a visit to this world metropolis cannot be considered to be complete if proper attention is not also given to its wider surroundings of Thrace and the Sea of Marmara with its islands and hinterland. The Princes’ Islands, just in front of the coast are intrinsically intertwined with life in the city, both historically, and socially. The islands are at the same time in absolute proximity, only some 90 minutes away thanks to frequent ferryboat connections, and yet so different of atmosphere. The contrast could indeed hardly be sharper between the hectic cacophony of city fussing around Istanbul’s ferryboat landing at Eminönü and the rhythmic sounds of carriage wheels and horseshoes trotting the laid-back cobblestone streets of Büyükada. And although Constantinople, later Istanbul, reflects the Ottoman Empire’s history like no other Turkish city, one should not forget that before Istanbul two other towns in the surroundings had served as capitals: Bursa and Edirne succeeded one another as the political centre of the expanding Empire. And it shows, for both cities intensely breath the clout of Ottoman capital status, past history, but still harbouring the spirit of grandeur, with the tombs of the early day Sultans who laid the imperial foundations, with the mosques inspired by early day Seljuk architecture, with their rustic streets and houses where time seems to have stood still at a moment even before 19th century Tanzimat modernisation.

 

* 1998-2002 (incl. Scanned Slides 1998-2000)