Istanbul Photography

A collection of iconic photographs, by numerous Magnum Photos photographers, of the streets of Istanbul – the enchanting meeting place of East and West.

24 Pins

Magnum Photos

black and white photograph of people sitting on stairs

Emin Özmen: Istanbul (2021)

Istanbul, Turkey (2021) by Magnum Photos photographer Emin Özmen. Acting as both bridge and barrier over the centuries, Istanbul is the enchanting meeting place of East and West. Özmen captures the everday in this city he calls home, including this image of people relaxing on the Kamondo stairs near Karaköy. Discover more from Özmen by clicking the above link.

two men kissing each other on a boat in the ocean with a ship in the background

Freelance Photography

Emin Özmen: Istanbul (2017)

Istanbul, Turkey (2017) by Magnum Photos photographer Emin Özmen. Istanbul has been captivating and inspiring artists and writers for centuries, including Özmen, a long-time resident of the city. Usually documenting human rights violations and conflicts, this capture of Istanbul differ from a lot of his other work, bringing a more intimate approach that can only come when one photographs their home. Explore some fo Özmen's most famous photos by clicking the above link.

a tall building with windows lit up at night

First Year Photos

London College

Up All Night

Photographer Portfolio

Afraid Of The Dark

Documentary Photographers

Oxford University

Photo Essay

Olivia Arthur: The Middle Distance (2006)

The Middle Distance (2006) by Magnum Photos photographer Olivia Arthur. About this image, Arthur wrote: "I remember taking this just up the street from where I was staying in Istanbul in 2006, balancing the camera on the ground because I didn’t have a tripod. Nowadays digital cameras make these scenes easy to photograph but i have always loved these strange lights and colors that come out when you do it on film." Browse Arthur's captures from this series by clicking the above link.

a group of women in long dresses dancing on a stage with their arms outstretched and legs spread out

Ara Güler: Istanbul (1999)

Istanbul, Turkey (1999) by Magnum Photos photographer Ara Güler, a renowned international photojournalist whose greatest achievement lay in his career-long documentation of his home city, Istanbul. Güler photographed the city affectionately yet authentically, and became known as the “eye of Istanbul”. While he could be positive, poetic and playful, he also showed the harsh reality of life for many of its inhabitants. Learn more about Güler's life and photography by clicking the above link.

a young man wearing a black hoodie is holding his hands to his head while leaning against a wall

W Eugene Smith

Eugene Smith

Photographic Projects

Dead Fish

New York Times Magazine

Freelance Photographer

Sabiha Çimen: Hafiz (2019)

Hafiz (2019) by Magnum Photos photographer Sabiha Çimen, an Istanbul native. Her most significant project to date, ‘Hafiz', captures students in attendance at several girls-only Qur’an schools throughout Turkey, weaving its emotional narrative through collected vignettes of the daydreams, trivialities, quiet rebellions and melodramas of youth. Explore this intimate world and purchase Çimen's book 'Hafiz' by clicking the above link.

three women in burkas eating watermelon slices on the side of a road

Quran Study

Schools Around The World

Sabiha Çimen: Hafiz (2017)

Hafiz (2017) by Magnum Photos photographer Sabiha Çimen, who documented Girl Quran Schools across Turkey. This world has never been captured with so much intimacy before, as only Çimen can do, because she is part of this culture. Every photo reveals a different aspect and gives us a deeper understanding of the daily life and the dreams of these girls. Purchase Çimen's resulting book, 'Hafiz', by clicking the above link.

a woman in a black hijab is hugging her head with both hands on her chest

Humanity Photography

Sacred Text

Deeper Conversation

History Of Photography

Powerful Images

Religious Education

Sabiha Çimen: Hafiz (2018)

Hafiz (2018) by Magnum Photos photographer Sabiha Çimen, who spent three years photographing Girl Quran Schools in five cities in Turkey, a subject that she knows very well since she attended the same schools when she was a teenager with her twin sister. After becoming a photographer, she returned to those schools to work on a project which has now become the subject for her first book. Shop Çimen's book 'Hafiz' by clicking the above link.

Hafiz (2017) by Magnum Photos photographer Sabiha Çimen. In Turkey, many teenage Muslims are sent by their families to religious, single-sex schools where they are taught to memorize the Qur’an. It was on her return to such a school, with her Hasselblad camera in hand, that Çimen discovered her artistic voice. Purchase Çimen's famous photo of students playing with a color smoke bomb during a picnic event as a signed fine print by clicking the above link. Perfect Magazine, Online Event, Square Photos, Photo Series, Square Print, Attitude Quotes

Sabiha Çimen: Hafiz (2017)

Hafiz (2017) by Magnum Photos photographer Sabiha Çimen. In Turkey, many teenage Muslims are sent by their families to religious, single-sex schools where they are taught to memorize the Qur’an. It was on her return to such a school, with her Hasselblad camera in hand, that Çimen discovered her artistic voice. Purchase Çimen's famous photo of students playing with a color smoke bomb during a picnic event as a signed fine print by clicking the above link.

Istanbul, Turkey (2016) by Magnum Photos photographer Sabiha Çimen. In this image, three girls embrace the expanse of sea before them. Though the horizon appears to be far away and wide, offering no end in sight, they are undeterred from seizing their dreams, somewhere along that distant line where the sky meets the sea: “Like distant stars, horizons always seem to be out of reach, but that’s what dreams are made from.” Discover Çimen's photo catalogue by clicking the above link. Sky Meets The Sea, Jamel Shabazz, Todd Hido, Mary Ellen Mark, Aperture Photography, Embrace The Unknown, Elliott Erwitt, My Purpose In Life

Sabiha Çimen: Istanbul (2016)

Istanbul, Turkey (2016) by Magnum Photos photographer Sabiha Çimen. In this image, three girls embrace the expanse of sea before them. Though the horizon appears to be far away and wide, offering no end in sight, they are undeterred from seizing their dreams, somewhere along that distant line where the sky meets the sea: “Like distant stars, horizons always seem to be out of reach, but that’s what dreams are made from.” Discover Çimen's photo catalogue by clicking the above link.

David Alan Harvey

Alex Webb

Photojournalism Photography

Art Corner

Colour Photograph

Street Photo

Alex Webb: City of a Hundred Names (2001)

City of a Hundred Names (2001) by Magnum Photos photographer Alex Webb, who is best known for his complex and vibrant color photographs of serendipitous or enigmatic moments, often in places with socio-political tensions. “My work is questioning and exploratory,” he says. “I believe in photographs that convey a certain level of ambiguity, that ask questions rather than provide answers.” Explore Webb's vision of Istanbul, Turkey, by clicking the above link.

Istanbul Photography

A collection of iconic photographs, by numerous Magnum Photos photographers, of the streets of Istanbul – the enchanting meeting place of East and West.

24 Pins

Magnum Photos