In Istanbul, a diverse city with immense appeal, one experiences a blend of interwoven material and intangible cultures: along the banks of the Bosphorus, the city’s life pulsated to the rhythm of the sea – with its fishermen, its ferries and the voices of street vendors echoing through the streets.

In the sprawling, historic city of Istanbul, street vendors can be seen almost everywhere, seeking out customers; here in the photo, one pushes his handcart through the streets around the Şehzade Mosque. 

Photo on the left: Wooden boats drift in the golden twilight along the coast of the Bosphorus in Arnavutköy, whilst fishermen work on the shore of this old neighbourhood. In the background, the then-new Bosphorus Bridge spans the strait.

Photo on the right: Fishermen and women sit on a pier on the Bosphorus, mending their red nets. Behind them, the densely built-up hills of Istanbul form the backdrop to the scene.

These two photographs from the 1960s, taken in Istanbul, show wooden fishing boats bobbing gently on the Bosphorus – one below Anadolu Hisarı Castle, the other near the Ortaköy Mosque.

In 1960s Istanbul, horse-drawn and mule-drawn carts made their way through the streets, transporting goods and people – on the left, Kennedy Street with a view of the remains of the Roman city wall; on the right, the Süleymaniye Mosque in the background and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque in the foreground.

The main entrance gate of Istanbul University stands imposingly on Beyazıt Square in Fatih (the oldest part of the historic city centre) and serves as a historic and architectural landmark at the heart of the city’s academic and cultural life.

Ottoman fountains once shaped daily life and the cityscape of Istanbul. One of the finest examples is the fountain of Sultan Ahmed III, erected in 1728 during the Tulip Era in front of Topkapı Palace – a masterpiece of Ottoman Rococo.