Living in Istanbul [Hardcover]

Kenize Mourad (Preface)

Book Description

Series: Living In . . . | Publication Date: June 15, 1994

Istanbul has been the capital of Roman emperors, Byzantine despots, and Turkish sultans. Stretching along both sides of the Bosporus from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea, it occupies one of the most extraordinary geographical locations on earth. Vestiges of the diverse cultures that have flourished here-- Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman-- survive in modern Istanbul, where different quarters are still divided by what the Byzantine poet Procopius once called a 'garland of waters.'

In this superb volume, the authors reveal the unique lifestyle and hidden splendours of Istanbul, inciting us to discover an infinite variety of charming private homes, delicate wooden yalis, and magnificent palaces on the European and Asian shores of the Bosporus. These sumptuous dwellings-- whether modern or traditional, intimate or spectacular-- are imbued with the magic of the water and light, of copper and wood, and a sophisticated combination of Eastern and Western influences.

Plunging into the daily life of the bustling city, the exotic Covered Bazaar and celebrated Egyptian Market beckon, where, after sampling the delicious local products, tired visitors may pause for a refreshing glass of tea in a sidewalk café. In the hans-- former caravan depots which now serve as workshops for traditional craftsmen-- kilims, carpets, painted tiles, and other marvelous creations abound, and the sacred art of calligraphy is still practiced.

Stunning photographs by Jérôme Darblay, specially commissioned for this volume, unveil the secrets of this ancient city, while an extensive visitor's guide to hotels, restaurants, traditional shops, museums and other attractions provides information for the discriminating traveller to discover Istanbul's thousand-and-one delights.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kenizé Mourad, who wrote the preface, is a journalist and the author of the novel Farewell Princess (1982). Her mother, the princess Selma, was the grand-daughter of Sultan Murat V. The other contributing authors are Lale Apa, editor-in-chief of the magazine Istanbul, The Guide; Teresa Battesti, a curator at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris; John Freely, an American author whose publications include Strolling Through Istanbul, the Blue Guide to Istanbul, and Classical Turkey; Nedim Gürsel, a researcher at the CNRS in Paris and author of numerous fiction and non-fiction works devoted to Istanbul; Tim Hindle, a British journalist writing for The Economist, a co-founder of the magazines Istanbul, The Guide and Eurobusiness, and author of The Sultan of Berkley Square; Arzu Karamani, the editor of the home decorating column in the Turkish edition of Marie-Claire magazine; and Gérard-Georges Lemaire, a writer and curator.

Jérôme Darblay's photographs appear regularly in international home decorating and architecture magazines and have been featured in the books Inside Paris, Living in Venice, and Maisons de Famille.

Caroline Champenois is a journalist and style editor specializing in home decorating and is a frequent contributor to the magazines Maison et Jardin and Madame Figaro. She is also the author of the chapters Homes of Charm and Modernity within Tradition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Flammarion (June 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 2080135635
• ISBN-13: 978-2080135636
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 0.9 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #826,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect but probably the best there is nowadays, June 17, 2000

By 

TheHonSchoolboy (Oxford) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living in Istanbul (Hardcover)

For anyone under a spell of Istanbul, this is a book to have and behold. The photography is excellent if also typical of glossy coffee table books: romantised and beautiful, very - yet the images chosen cover a wide range and offer interesting and evocative - or inspiring, if you like - insights into the life in Istanbul and its settings. Visually, then, the book is a little gem (far better than another recent one, "Living in Turkey"). There are several essays included whichare of varying quality. The preface by an Ottoman princess is - on a second reading - not too bad and rather charming, while her attitude - both nostalgic and protective is as expected as, perhaps, it is befitting, too; a diary by a Turkish writer leaves one with mixed feelings and somewhat at loss as to what is at stake in it (in my opinion, it is the weakest of the essays in the book). "A Day in Istanbul" is rather matter of fact description of the city by and what there is to be seen. "Interiors" is probably what most people would expect to find in a book like this - after all, it leans heavily on interior decoration; the selection of interiors is, as expected, very biased: focusing on yalis or the more contemporary residences of the fashionable Istanbulites, Turkish or foreign - but then, most interior books do the same and this is not to say it is not pleasant to behold, only that at times the text seems little bit selfindulgent in terms of the people whose homes are shown - of course, as long as we don't know these people and their names mean nothing to us, it doesn't really matter, but I can imagine that people, say, in Istanbul might read and view the book rather differently... (also, it might be noted that the books is written by people who mostly reside someplace else than Istanbul). The only section where the text surpasses the pictures is the one about the palaces, or I felt so, as they don't really give you a sense of the buildings nor the interiors - it is a very personal selection and quite small one at that, too. The following section on "Traditions" saves much of the book anew: only, minor, drawback is that the relevant text and pictures don't manage to keep pace but are separated, at times afew pages apart. Finally, the "Rendezvous" is a pleasant, casual and intimate, retake on the city as to what to do and where to go, especially if you don't have a home in Istanbul and you have to experience the "living in Istanbul" through cafes, bars and restaurants. The last part, "Visitors guide" would have been best left out: not only does it start to turn the book - ambiguously and dissapointingly - into a guidebook, but it will also date it - no doubt, when first published, it was useful and it will be nostalgic in a hundred years' time, but in between it is bit of a letdown. Yet, in spite of its drawbacks, it still remains the best book I've found currently available on life and interiors in Istanbul. And some of my friends who know the city better than me, agree. I myself borrowed the book from a library, kept it for a month, extended it for another and then bought my own copy...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Turkish Delight, August 29, 2008

By 

Diego Banducci (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Living in Istanbul (Hardcover)

There were two things in this book that I enjoyed most. The first was John Freely's tour of some of the more interesting parts of Istanbul. Freely is an American expatriate who has lived in Istanbul most of his life and has written some excellent books about the city, including John Freely's Istanbul and Istanbul: The Imperial City. While I was not familiar with the authors of the other chapters, they clearly know their subjects and were a pleasure to read.

The second thing was the chapter that shows the interiors of some of the nicer Yalis, the luxurious mansions that line the Bosporus. Like the other photographs in the book, these are of excellent quality.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even if just for the photos, July 1, 2005

By 

T. Onat (Florence, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living in Istanbul (Hardcover)

Some of you may be looking for a book on this subject for more than good photos but I won't detail about the writing. I feel that the other review on this book has already done a good job on that. I just want to say it is a great book even if it is just for the photos. Very beautiful photographs - perfect for coffee tables, etc... I have visited Istanbul and the photos make me sick to visit again.