“Farewell to Istanbul” by the great Turkish cartoonist, Semih BalcıoÄŸlu (1928-2006) is a collection of cartoons that bids farewell to an Istanbul that is long gone.  As a child, I remember following him in one of the mainstream newspapers. The older I get, the more I appreciated his political stance and his distinctive style for satire is the only means of criticism in politically oppressed countries like ours; the only way out to sanity. His cartoons never failed to offer sharp insights into Turkish way of life while paying tribute to Istanbul’s Byzantine, Ottoman and Roman  heritages.

This selection is for those who remember and those who do not…

 

 

The aqueduct of Valens in Unkapanı

 

 

The Grand Bazaar

 

 

Yalis, the waterfront houses of the Bosphorus

 

 

 

History is in the air…

 

The Maiden’s Tower

 

 

Tags:  aqueduct Bosphorus byzantine byzantine heritage cartoon cartoonist Grand Bazaar Hagia Sophia highlights maiden's tower memories mosques nostalgia ottoman heritage politics Roman heritage Semih BalcıoÄŸlu skyscrapers urban sprawling yalis