There was a time Istanbul was Istanbul .. a dream city. all gone .. as nothing remains the same.
Celebrated Ottoman poet Nedim, 17th Century, describes Istanbul in his words below.
"Bu ?ehr-i Istanbul ki bi misl ü behadyr,
Bir sengine yek pâre Acem mülkü fedâdyr,
Bir gevher-i yekpare iki bahr arasynda,
Hur?îd-i cihan-tâb ile tartylsa sezâdyr."
Sürmeli gözlü güzel yüzlü gazâlân anda
Zer kemerli beli hancerli cüvânân anda
Bâ-husûs arady?ym serv-i hyrâmân anda
Nice akmaya gönül su gibi Sa'd-âbâd'a.
There are kohl-eyed fresh-faced gazelles there,
There are gold-belted khanjar-hipped young people there,
And of course my love's swaying cypress body is there,
Why shouldn't the heart flow like water towards Sa'd-âbâd?
SOME PICTURES FROM THE PAST
