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i spent 2 months in Istanbul, Turkey at the end of 2020. Since covid was still about I spent the 2 months just wandering the old and new cities with a camera in hand. I took this one at a time when I was greatly obsessed with Jeff Wallsā photo āThe Destroyed Roomā and how I would love to recreate something of that sort. One night I was on Istiklal (one of the busiest promenades in the city with shops and restaurants and a trolley that rolled thru the middle of it) and it was time to pray the evening prayer, yet I was too far from a mosque (surprisingly) that I needed to pray out in the street. My cousin and I put our jackets down in preparation of making our prayer, when right as we were about to start, two men outside of their restaurant told us there was no need and invited us inside their establishment to pray in there. They led us down to their basement, which funny enough, was slightly flooded, and the spot in which they set for us to pray, was an old wooden table top floating above the leaking water. Looking around the basement, at the far wall, were these stacked chairs, tables, and junk, possibly leftovers from a recent renovation. And there was this obscure painting sitting perfectly in the middle of it all. Two Arabic letters painted on the canvas which Iād noticed in many other places in Istanbul, yet never really understood the meaning behind. And as my cousin went to pray first, on the floating piece of wood, I couldnāt help but think of Jeff Wallsā photo and how reminiscent the composition, colors, and overall optics were to this junk in the basement. I took one single photo and was happy with it. And as much as I love the work itself, the story behind it is my favorite. Itās always the first that comes to mind when someone asks what my favorite photo I took is.
Thanks for this ask! Always love sharing this. š
Thanks for this ask! Always love sharing this. š
Jan 6, 2025
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What an amazing photo and story! Thank YOU for sharing!
Itās so nice to hear the intrinsic welcoming nature of some strangers
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