On the map of human existence, Istanbul throughout the
age of empire represented the administrative power
center. Rome, Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire each
took its place in history as a ring of civilization that formed
around this center. To view history from this perspective
means to read the story of humanity in its pages and, in a
sense, to rediscover each time this dazzling star that
shone in the skies of Anatolia, the Balkans and the
Mediterranean. As mankind discovered Istanbul, it also
discovered itself as a passionate traveler on the road
leading back to its own past. Istanbul today is a
treasurehouse where all our lost values are carefully
preserved. A compass for our social identity that has lost
its way, a touchstone for our decaying aesthetic taste, a
trustworthy scale for our degenerating sense of justice –
Istanbul can assume all these roles while at the same time
generously offering us a human experience and a store of
knowledge capable of answering every question put to it.
“Everyday Life in Istanbul” is a collection of striking
images along a journey back to the roots of the Turks’
social identity. A work embracing the history of an
imperial city in a plane where Man, Culture and Space
relate to each other, it is a noteworthy example of the new
historiography, which sets up a balance among the social
sciences. With its unique style and its theoretical
framework set against a multi-dimensional background
extending from politics to culture, from architecture to