Istanbul 1900: Art Nouveau Architecture and Interiors

Rating:
Summary: A MEDIOCRE BOOK FOR THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY.
Review: Istanbul is the world's most beautiful city, a cosmopolitan gem where East meets West and where the magic and squalor of the 1001 Nights pop out around any corner. The Art Nouveau chapter of Istanbul's architectural history is a very significant one, and captures the visitor's imagination about how life in that city must have been in the Belle Epoque. However, the book is proven too mediocre for the city. The Italian authors narcissistically devote a big part of the book to Raimondo D'Aronco, a compatriot of theirs whose pompous architectural plans remind one of the feathers worn by Italian policemen and military. Thankfully, not many of his proposed buildings were actually built. There is a scandalous misrepresentation of Greek architects of Istanbul. The Greeks were not passers-by, the way Italians were. The Greeks have been living in Istanbul since the 7th c BC, since even before Istanbul existed! I don't mean to disregard the importance of the Turkish architects or of those Western architects whose beautiful buildings adorn the city, but it is quintessential to note that the elitist Belle Epoque architecture seen all over Pera and Galata, as well as many villas along the Bosphorus and the Princes' Islands were designed by Greek architects and to investigate their work in a more thorough manner. One should not forget, that 1 out of the 3 residents of Istanbul in 1900 was an ethnic Greek and it is only logical to assume that the Greeks took considerable interest to building their homes and offices. Often, the city homes and offices were functional buildings, while the Bosphorus and Islands' residences were more intricately designed houses destined to leisure. Still, they all retained a distinct turn-of-the-century art nouveau style. Unlike the occasional visiting architect from Europe who would create a singular extravaganza, Istanbul Greek architects were meeting the needs of the local bourgeois, and in this sense, their work must be examined in greater depth, as it will reveal many social aspects of life in Istanbul around 1900. I would also like to stress the sad lack of references to sources of information and maps. This book could be a book of reference for architects and lovers of Istanbul, but it ends up being a mere coffee table book, a collection of photos from the trip two Italians took to the city. I give the book 2 stars, just because the photos are so beautiful and make one want to go back there at once. So sad, this book...

Rating:
Summary: A well kept secret revealed
Review: This book reveals the fact that Istanbul among with Vienna, Brussels and Barcelona is one of the capitals of Art Nouveau. Some wonderful examples of the period blended with touches of Orient are hidden between the mosques and Byzantine remains. This book is the best source for the art nouveau architecture that has survived in Istanbul. So a little more to covered bazaar and Blue Mosque, when you visit Istanbul the next time.