Special places archive

Turkey Cinemascope

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At the end of 1972 I travelled to Istanbul by train from Iran​—​a meditative journey across the Turkish winter landscape. Under damp foreboding skies I visited the great church of Hagia Sophia and the great Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I, and enjoyed the con­junc­tion of the Orient and the Occident.

I have not been back, but these photographs by Turkish film maker Nuri Bilge Ceylan are the next best thing. He took them while scouting for film locations, and they have cinematic aspects. These widescreen images are all about people in relationship to places.

See also: An interview and a review.