I live in such a beautiful city that has a sea passing through it. A bridge that connects Asia to Europe, a city which is a cradle of civilizations. What is the reason for Istanbul, being one of the most important
locations in history? I think, it is the “sea”. It is the “Bosphorus”.. I wonder, in a city, deserted by its own people along with its unprotected sea, which creatures still live in the Bosphorus?
In 2006, I started to dive into the Bosphorus. The Bosphorus surprised me a lot. I came across many fish and creatures still striving to live. As a result of these dives the book and documentary “Underwater Life in Istanbul” came to the life. I was able to relay to the people of Istanbul, the marine life of Istanbul, and how its living creatures are screaming “Hey you, people of Istanbul, we are still here, see us, give importance to us and protect us!”
I felt a weird excitement in my heart each time I dived into the Bosphorus. I had never looked at the Bosphorus from sea level before. Palaces standing in all of their grandeur, generations of residence living in the mansions on the waterside (yali), The Maiden’s Tower with its mithological presence, fishermen catching bluefish in their small row boats, freight ships… it was during this time that the foundation of this book was set…
Thousands of photographers made Istanbul and the Bosphorus timeless with their photos. As an underwater photographer, I tried to look at the Bosphorus from a different perspective. I wanted to share with you the beauty of the city I fell in love with, the waters of it that I love. Maybe this time there is no corals, large fish and spongers in my pictures, but there is a city that lives with its sea, architecture, culture and customs.
What isn’t there in the Bosphorus… To be able to touch cool waters of the Bosphorus, from the table you are having breakfast, to jump into a row boat before dawn to catch delicious bluefish, to sit in Ortakoy and sip coffee while watching the Bosphorus Bridge, to gaze from the Maiden’s Tower to the Topkapi Palace, to drink raki while listening to music and watching the sunset, to get fresh air while walking your dog in the parks along the seashore, to tour the Bosphorus by boat which travels along the shores, to eat mussels in Anadolu Kavagi, to eat yogurt in Kanlıca…
There are lots of seas in this world, but there is no other like the Bosphorus…
