AL-Monitor Istanbul: An ambitious art expo
As Valentine’s Day nears, love is in the air — and on the airwaves.
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In the evening, chill with “Lovers Anonymous,” the sharp-witted Netflix Turkey hit, in which a “love hospital” claims to cure romance. Along with its fast-paced plot and memorable soundtrack, the series serves up a feast of hip Istanbul locations.
Whether you’re a skeptic or a hopeless romantic, Istanbul delivers. If you swoon over food, try dinner at Olden 1772, and if you like passion mixed with politics, grab a copy of Ahmet Altan’s novel “Like a Sword Wound.”
Leading the week: Lost but Not Forgotten
A tangle of giant copper letters clash as if caught in a silent struggle. Nearby, a wooden boat loaded with suitcases sits amid eerie echoes of meowing, a reminder of the Turkish-Greek population exchange a hundred years ago. Across one wall spreads a mural of vibrant street signs, each named after someone who disappeared, confronting visitors with the weight of erasure.
"Lost Alphabet,” the award-winning artist Ahmet Gunestekin’s most ambitious exhibition to date, is a cry against forced forgetting — whether through political suppression, exile, or the fragile nature of human memory.
The exhibition — featuring 350 works, including sculptures, installations, ceramics, and videos — marks the culmination of two years of relentless work. At the crowded opening in mid-January, Gunestekin said the exhibition was realized through coordinated efforts across seven different studios with more than 200 artisans, ranging from metalworkers to ceramicists.
Born in Batman in 1966, Gunestekin was shaped by Kurdish dengbej singers, whose tales wove together myth and history. His art, exhibited in Venice, Berlin and New York, challenges official narratives and reclaims lost voices.
Boat of Exchange (Gunestekin website)
Curated by Christoph Tannert, “Lost Alphabet” is on until July 20 in ArtIstanbul Feshane, a former Ottoman fez factory repurposed as a contemporary art space.
“We built a structure within the building, where the works guide visitors through interconnected narratives,” Gunestekin said.
Keep an eye on @ArtistanbulFeshane for free guided tours. Two are currently planned for Friday, Feb. 7, at 16:00, and Saturday, Feb. 8, at 15:00.
Word on the street: Olden
The Magic Room (Olden 1772 website)
Enter Olden 1772, in the historical neighborhood of Sirkeci, and step into the past. Built by the Ottoman statesman Muhsinzade Mehmed Pasa — a political figure known for his prudence in state affairs and piety in private life — this 18th-century building has survived empires and fires to emerge today as a luxury hotel and restaurant, its past polished and gleaming.
Beyond the grand courtyard dining area are two hidden spaces: the Secret Room, discreetly tucked behind a passage and perfect for whispering romance, and the Magic Room, covered with mirrors multiplying illusion for the Instagram- addicted.
The menu dusts off Ottoman and Anatolian recipes and spices them up for modern palates. The signature 1772 cocktail mixes raki with citrus and spice, while the 100 Akce — named after an Ottoman currency — blends whiskey, cinnamon and figs for a sip as rich as its namesake.
Istanbul diary: Sea and sails
Beyond Denim (Nazlan Ertan)
This is the last week to see “Beyond Denim,” the first solo exhibition by the British artist Ian Berry in Turkey, at Kalyon Kultur. Berry’s transformation of denim into elaborate animal portraits and installations is on view until Feb. 14.
"Eco Melodies: Music for Ecology" brings Turkish and UK artists together at the Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall on Feb. 9. Featuring works by European composers, the free concert will include discussions on music’s role in environmental activism. Info and reservations are here.
“Was That Cat Black?,” Seda Gazioglu’s exhibition at the newly restored Halic Sanat-3, in the historic district of Balat, explores how fear and superstition shape human rituals. Gazioglu’s haunted-looking figures, painted on antique carpets, search for security in the face of mortality. Runs through Feb. 11.
Book of the week: "Like A Sword Wound"
“Alas, they are even afraid of a woman,” chuckles Mihrishah, the irreverent matriarch in “Like a Sword Wound,” when the paranoid sultan exiles her to Paris.
This novel is arguably a masterpiece, from the pen of Ahmet Altan, author of more than a dozen novels, all of which became bestsellers in Turkey. The story unfolds in the twilight of the Ottoman Empire, where politics and passion unfold at a reckless pace. Istanbul salons buzz. Pashas plot, the sultan counterplots. Young Turks dream of revolution, and love affairs smolder in the wreckage. At its core, the novel simmers with obsession—romantic, political and existential.
“True love,” warns one of the book’s weary sages, “is like a sword wound. Even when it heals, the scar remains.”
The historical tram line, adorned for Saint Valentine’s Day, adds a touch of romance to Istiklal Street, Istanbul’s bustling pedestrian artery lined with shops, cafes and consulates. Lisa Morrow, a sociologist, author, and travel writer who has lived in Istanbul for 15 years, took this photo. Drawn by the city’s energy, history and ever-evolving cultural scene, Morrow shares her deep connection to it in her books, including “Inside Out In Istanbul” and “Istanbul: 50 Unsung Places.”
By the numbers
- 99.2% of Istanbul households had home internet access in 2024, up from 98.5% in 2023. Nationwide, the figure stood at 96.4%, according to the Istanbul Planning Agency.
- IBB Wi-Fi, Istanbul Municipality’s public internet service, has 11,500 access points offering unlimited free access in city squares, parks and public transport. The network serves nearly 6 million users out of the city’s 16 million residents.
