Building Faith

Istanbul has over 1,000 mosques. If you look closely and compare them with each other, it quickly becomes clear that the vast majority follows the same model and that some characteristics are always repeated. But there are also some of the newly built ones, whose architecture is a bit daring and leaves behind the traditional construction methods of the Ottoman and the master architect Sinan. … Continue reading Building Faith

Istanbul’s most important inhabitants

Animals that live on the street. This evokes images of emaciated, aggressive animals struggling to survive. This is not the case in Istanbul. Many Istanbul inhabitants do not let animals into their apartment but are still crazy about them. They care about them as if they were their pets. Text and photos by Jonas Armbruster Most of the city’s cats live on the streets. Every … Continue reading Istanbul’s most important inhabitants

Istanbul: a trap for the disabled?

Anyone who has ever visited Istanbul will agree that it’s an enormous city, with lots of options for public transport. But how accessible is the city for its disabled citizens and visitors? And how much effort does the city put into these kinds of services? Text and photos By Astrid Vlaeminck and Iris Geerardyn In Bilgi University there is a unit especially for disabled students, … Continue reading Istanbul: a trap for the disabled?

Shaky Istanbul

Istanbul is located in an active earthquake area. For a city with more than 15 million people, it’s not possible to make every building earthquake safe. People are aware of the consequences of living there, but are stuck in their old apartments. Photos and text by Thirza de Raad and Iris van Schie Dozens of minor earthquakes and aftershocks occur yearly in and around Istanbul … Continue reading Shaky Istanbul

Living on a small island in a big city

Niyazi Dalyanci is a 76-year-old man, who was born in a small fishing village in Beykoz. But for the past twenty years he has been living on of the island of Burgaz, which is part of the Princes’ Islands. I had a very nice conversation with him, where he told a lot about his life, along with other fascinating things. Text by Brendan Mc Dade … Continue reading Living on a small island in a big city

Amsterdam: city scars

From just 30.000 residents in the 1500s to more than 900.000 in 2019, Amsterdam has expanded a great deal. This also means that some of the city’s historic buildings were demolished, while others still remain 400 years later. But exactly how have some of the areas in Amsterdam changed throughout the years? Text and photos by Bart Jacobs The Waterlooplein was once the beating heart … Continue reading Amsterdam: city scars