İstanbul: Before & After

26 December 2023

Selected from the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Photography Collection, we present the landscapes and places in Istanbul photographs, dating from the 1850s to the 1980s, together with their present-day views!

As Istanbul has changed over the past 170 years, you will have various feelings and thoughts. Click here to discover the photographs in the collection and more on the Istanbul Research Institute Library.

 

Hotel Bristol, Pera Museum today
Meşrutiyet Street
1909 & 2023

 

View of Şişhane, Kasımpaşa and Golden Horn from Galata Tower
Late 19th century & 2023

 

Running race in Şişhane Square, Meşrutiyet Street, Tepebaşı
Early 1930s & 2023

 

Candy shop, Eminönü
1890 (Abdullah Frères) & 2023

 

Bebek Kayalar Masjid and Yılanlı Yalı (Serpent Mansion)
Late 19th century & 2023

 

Maçka Palas
Early 1930s & 2023

 

Tokalıyan Hotel, Tarabya
ca. 1900 & 2023

 

Bostancı Beach
1920-1935 (Ali Enis Oza) & 2023

 

Galata Quay
ca. 1900& 2023

 

Marble Tower, Yedikule
1890 (Gülmez Brothers) & 2023

Photography: Murat Kahya
The photos were taken with Fujifilm GFX100S in 2023; we would like to thank Fujifilm for their support. .

Giorgio de Chirico

Giorgio de Chirico

Giorgio de Chirico was born on July 10, 1888, in Volos, Greece, to an Italian family. His mother, Gemma Cervetto, was from a family of Genoa origin, but most likely she was born in Izmir. His father, Evaristo, was born on June 21, 1841 in the Büyükdere district of Istanbul.

Il Cavallo di Leonardo

Il Cavallo di Leonardo

In 1493, exactly 500 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci was finishing the preparations for casting the equestrian monument (4 times life size), which Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan commissioned in memory of his father some 12 years earlier. 

Good News from the Skies

Good News from the Skies

Inspired by the exhibition And Now the Good News, which focusing on the relationship between mass media and art, we prepared horoscope readings based on the chapters of the exhibition. Using the popular astrological language inspired by the effects of the movements of celestial bodies on people, these readings with references to the works in the exhibition make fictional future predictions inspired by the horoscope columns that we read in the newspapers with the desire to receive good news about our day.