Few stories capture the imagination of Istanbul as powerfully as the tale of Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi (or Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi), the man said to have flown across the Bosphorus in the 17th century. According to the legend, Hezarfen launched himself…
Every song has a story, often reflecting a hidden tale of love, longing, or loss. Gamzedeyim Deva Bulmam (“I Am Wounded, I Find No Cure”) is one such composition, born from the sorrows of Kemani* Tatyos Efendi, one of the…
In the mid-19th century, the Ottoman Empire was undergoing a period of transformative change known as the Tanzimat, or “Reorganization” era, which introduced sweeping efforts toward modernization and Westernization. Sultan Abdülmecid I, who reigned from 1839 to 1861, was a…
Orhan Veli’s poem “I Am Listening to Istanbul” (Turkish: İstanbul’u Dinliyorum), written in 1947, is one of the most iconic works in Turkish literature, capturing the essence of Istanbul through vivid imagery and a serene, introspective tone. It is also…