104 NATGEOTRAVEL.COM
There’s no better place than a
Bosporus ferry to write a love letter
to an unforgettable city
A few months ago, I came across an online study that compared
the places a city’s visitors photographed to places its residents
photographed. In some cities, like London and New York, visi-
tors and residents took pictures in notably different places. In
Venice and Rome, tourists took many more pictures than locals.
In some cities—I won’t name them, so as not to hurt anyone’s
feelings—travelers couldn’t find much to photograph at all.
And then there was Istanbul. The study seemed to indicate
that Istanbul’s longtime residents took at least as many pictures
as its first-time visitors, in the same spots—especially on the
water, on the routes of the ferries that constantly shuttle between
the two continents that the city straddles.
Yes, there’s a lot to love about Istanbul. As the capital of the
Byzantine and Ottoman Empires (and even of the Roman Empire
just before its collapse), it has a rich history to offer. As a com-
mercial and political center—and the largest city on Earth for
a very long time—it attracted many ethnic groups, all of whom
left their marks. At its height, it was even called “the city of the
world’s desire”, and for good reason.
The desire is still here—for both visitors and locals. One day,
I board one of the city’s beloved ferries on the European side.
I stand on the open deck at the stern. As we depart, the city’s
modern silhouette emerges beyond the waters of the Bosporus.Imperfectly
Perfect
Istanbul
By
Onur UygunIllustration by
Fabio Consoli