Customer Reviews

Istanbul (Great Cities)

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I ordered this book under the delusion that it was the thoughtful and lavishly illustrated study (with the same title) I had read in the mid-90's. On learning that it was only a gushy coffee table book with all the acumen and depth of a holiday brochure, I still hoped it would have beautiful photographs.

Wrong! Not only are the subjects poorly chosen - only the most famous landmarks are represented, providing the most superficial picture of Istanbul - but most of the large photos are outrageously blurred. Leafing through it makes you feel like Mr. Magoo, and the only explanation I can think of is that these were cheap photos from some child's disc camera (remember those?) blown up to centerfold size. All you can make out are the shapes and the colors of things. Any details - the whole reason for looking at pictures of the Hagia Sofia's mosaics or the Iznik tiles of the Topkapi Saray - were washed out by the book's stingy production. My "favorite" is a close-up of the exquisite Topkapi Dagger that makes the famed weapon look like a green banana.

Avoid this rip-off and buy the Knopf Guide to Istanbul instead; though a small paperback, it is far more beautiful and sharply detailed than this mess could ever hope to be.