Çukurcuma - Istanbul For 91 Days

Istanbul By Night

After the sun goes down, the usually lively neighborhoods of Istanbul undergo a transformation. Gone are the simit sellers, the shouting schoolkids and the turbulent traffic, leaving behind empty streets, silhouetted minarets and decrepit houses which look all the more haunting by moonlight. Striding down the cobblestone alleys in search of a stiff drink, with your collar up against the wind, you'll wish you wearing a fedora: Istanbul at night would be the perfect backdrop for a classic film noir.

Orhan Pamuk and the Museum of Innocence

Orhan Pamuk, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature, is easily Turkey's most famous contemporary author. And one of his books, The Museum of Innocence, is more than just a novel. It's a real museum, designed to exactly replicate the imaginary museum described in his story. A fascinating project which begs the question: does a thing cease to be fictional when it actually exists?