Don't Believe Everything You See and Hear About Istanbul

Istanbul may not be the heaven on Earth, but it isn't that hell either. The thing I realize about Istanbul photos that they are mostly from more traditional and conservative sides. The number of women are few or none.

This photo is from Istiklal Street at time time of Gezi Park events. I didn't take close-up photos in order not to include them in any blacklists. The men and women were all together. Istiklal Street has always been and is still so.

All photos below are really gorgeous, but will you notice something missing?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/marietelling/istanbul-is-so-beautiful-it-actually-hurts#.wfd13pZbN

The answer: women! Istanbul can sometimes be a hard place for women, but we are not missing from the public sphere. And we are trying not to.

Those photos were from 2014. These photos are from 1971. Thankfully, there are more women present.

https://yadi.sk/d/uRHhhe8BdSsXW

Here is an older aerial shooting from British Pathé. It is from 1967. On the Galata Bridge, the guy says that there are no women. Today if you walk on the bridge, you won't probably see any women fishing, but there are many women walking, including tourists. That part of Istanbul is usually crowded, and despite a couple of words from some tackless men, it is quite safe.



I accept that recent years have been harder and harder, especially for women, but there is no reason to think that women, especially single women are invisible. You should always be careful, of course. However, except some notorious places, Istanbul is just like other metropoles.