News about Fashion, Politics and Culture from The Edge of Europe and Middle East

Istanbul was Constantinople /Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople /Been a long time gone, Constantinople/ Now it’s Turkish delight on a moonlit night /Every gal in Constantinople/Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople /So if you’ve a date in Constantinople / She’ll be waiting in Istanbul… THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS 

Many years ago when I heard the lyrics of this song, I thought it extremely silly, but when I relocated to the city of my childhood with my American husband of 10 years and 4-year-old son in tow, I recognized that song for what it’s meant to be: a most descriptive picture of the dizzying energy of Istanbul. 

I left Istanbul in my early teens and after living twenty plus years in the US, mostly in Los Angeles, we decided to spend a few years in Istanbul for myriad reasons, namely an opportunity to work on several film projects that take place in Turkey, the booming Turkish economy versus that of the US and last but not least, offering our son a chance to bond with his maternal side of the family and being exposed to another culture. 

Fashion Night Out Istanbul - from VogueTurkiye

I often visited Istanbul during my years in the US, however, visiting one’s hometown and moving back and actually living there are two completely different things; it gives new meaning to the old saying, “you can never go back home.” When I left, Istanbul had a population around five million, there was only one major shopping mall and the most recent architecture was at least 200 years old. Now Istanbul is a city of 20 million, the skyline, which used to be dominated by minarets is filled with skyscrapers and the shopping malls are beyond amazing, both in size and architecture and not to mention fashion. Istanbul shops offer a variety of European and American fashion brands plus the new crop of Turkish Designers. “Fashion Night Out Istanbul” was such a hit this year that there were major celebrations in three different sections of town where champagne was flowing everywhere and local bands were performing an eclectic selection of music from Jazz to Salsa in many different boutiques. 

At the same time, Istanbul has a very conservative and Middle Eastern facade. When I was a child, I hardly remember seeing women covered up in black chadors but the migration from rural towns to the city brought with it an element of conservatism. This phenomenon and the rise in global Islamic conservatism inevitably influenced Turkey. There are neighbourhoods in Istanbul where all the women are covered up and all the men wear the traditional Islamic dress. This creates sharp contrasts making Istanbul a combination of New York, Hong Kong and Dubai. 

Since Turkey is situated between Europe and the Middle East, there is always some sort of political upheaval happening right next door. The Arab spring is continuing to change the political landscape of the Middle East and Turkey is poised to assume a leadership role in the region. Moreover, Turkey has the 17th largest economy in the world and has become a major emerging market. Turkey’s trade is mostly with Europe, Middle East and Asia and most recently a new industry has joined the ranks, TV shows!!!! From Italy to Dubai, all the neighbouring countries are buying these Turkish soap operas. During the summer, hordes of Arab tourists were snapping photos of the Istanbul locations made famous through the imported TV series. 

Although the recent earthquake in Eastern Turkey and the ongoing conflict with the Kurdish guerillas and the consequent death toll has dampened the Turkish spirits recently, Istanbul remains to be an incredibly vibrant, fascinating albeit chaotic city. I wake up every morning not knowing what may happen that day and the options are varied from a new street fashion show, an opening of an avant-garde European art exhibit, and on the flip side, a terrorist skirmish and protests on the street, to a major Middle-Eastern upheaval and the its reverberations in Turkish stock markets. 

Life in Istanbul reminds one of the famous Chinese proverb, “may you live in interesting times.” 

MORE POSTCARDS TO COME… 

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Binnur Karaevli is an award-winning director and producer with an expansive background in film and theatre. She holds a BFA from Carnegie-Mellon University and an MFA from the University of Southern California’s Graduate Film School and is a graduate of Robert College High School in Istanbul, Turkey. Karaevli’s films have received numerous awards. Her recent documentary feature, “Voices Unveiled: Turkish Women Who Dare“, has won an Audience Award at the SEE Los Angeles Film festival and a Special Mention at the Rome Independent Film Festival in 2010.