«I had distanced myself more than anyone in Istanbul from melancholy. I didn't want to get used to this feeling. As much as I felt its presence within me, I refused to accept it. I wanted to take refuge in the beauty of Istanbul. Because whether it's the beauty of a city, the wealth of its history, or the mystery of it, couldn't it be the medicine for our own psychological pain? Perhaps because we love the city we live in just as we love our family, because we can't do otherwise. But we must discover which part of the city we will love and why».

Orhan Pamuk is one of the writers I love very much. He is from those pens that when I read one of his books, at the same time I feel as if the words are flying one by one in front of me. I feel his voice beside me telling me his precious and always emotional stories. I had a great need to read a book like Istanbul during this period of my life. In a new improved edition by Patakis Publications which masterfully and responsibly undertook the important work of reissuing all his books, Orhan Pamuk autobiographs and at the same time biographs in an enviable way the beloved to all of us City, the most melancholy and beautiful city in the world.

Through 37 sections accompanied by updated rich photographic material, Pamuk, through a basically autobiographical and personal narrative, attempts to create the portrait of his beloved city. With his important language, he tries to introduce the reader to images of a City that he had never imagined.

«All that this great, ancient civilization drags with it through the ages, all that weighs it down, all that disappoints it, all that causes it a deep, heavy sadness, it hüüzüns, as this paradoxical feeling is translated in Turkish».

In a tour between the City of the Ottoman democracy and the Kemalist one and the melancholy of the ruins in the passage of time, Pamuk weaves an important canvas of painting. Who better storyteller than him after all. Avoiding tourist descriptions that could be tiring and that are basically known, Istanbul is a book of memory, of reminiscences, a deposition of the soul that is based on his childhood memories, on paintings, on chiaroscuro, on the rise and fall of the members of his family. Through his descriptions, Pamuk will come face to face with big questions. He will speak in an obsessive way about what we might call the de-Turkification, if such a word exists, of Constantinople in the passage of time.

A unique reading experience full of changes, images with which the writer makes the reader feel connected and transferred from one to the streets of the city or to the living room of the writer's house. Hüüzün and the melancholy of the City will pass on to the reader making the reading experience even more magical. Hüüzün is for the writer the melancholy that overall inhabits the inhabitants of the City, a melancholy that is there in the passage of time for a civilization that passed from glory to defeat, a feeling that you really feel as you walk the streets of it.

If you love the City, it is the book for you. If you want to know it in a different and also magical way, it is the book for you.

\\"Life can't be so meaningless, I sometimes think. No matter what happens, a person can walk along the Bosphorus at the end\\"

My favorite part of the book. Reading these few lines during a period of despair, I thought exactly that life is so beautiful when you walk along the Bosphorus. The day will come when I will walk there again. I know it.

I didn't feel that I was reading a biography as much as I felt like I was on an enjoyable journey in the city of Istanbul.

Despite the gloomy weather that surrounded the journey, I can't deny that I wished it wouldn't end.

  

I was slowly understanding that I loved Istanbul for its ruins, its sadness, and its grandeur that it once had and then lost...

Istanbul is a city full of mysteries and charm. As I read through the pages, I could almost picture the ancient streets, the magnificent mosques, and the bustling markets. The author's description of the city's history and culture was so vivid that it made me feel as if I was there, experiencing it all firsthand.

The quote within the blockquote really struck a chord with me. It made me realize that Istanbul's allure lies not only in its beauty but also in its imperfections. The city's past is filled with both glory and tragedy, and it is this complex mix of emotions that makes it so captivating.

Overall, reading this biography was a truly enriching experience. It allowed me to explore a city that I have always been fascinated by and to gain a deeper understanding of its unique character. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in history, culture, or travel.

If you've been on the hunt for one of the finest memoirs penned by an author about a city, your search concludes here. Orhan Pamuk, born in Istanbul and having spent all but three years in New York in his hometown, offers a captivating description of Istanbul and all his memories intertwined with the city through this exquisitely crafted and beautifully written memoir.

What I gleaned from this book is profound. Firstly, there's the concept of "Hüzün." If you've delved into the Quran or works by Sufi saints, you're likely already acquainted with this word. The author artfully describes it, revealing how Istanbul is linked to it. Hüzün is a sense of melancholy, a feeling of loss, yet it can also be seen as an optimistic perspective on life from the realm of melancholy. Just as every city has its associated happiness, melancholy too is part of their essence, as Alberto Manguel so beautifully pointed out with various cities and their unique forms of melancholy. Pamuk adds "The Hüzün of Istanbul" to this list.

Secondly, the Bosphorus Strait holds a crucial place in the lives of Istanbul's people. It's a natural strait connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Pamuk's words about the Bosphorus are both profound and evocative, highlighting its significance and the spiritual connection it has for the people of Istanbul.

Finally, Pamuk's ability to unearth beauty and uniqueness in every nook and cranny of Istanbul makes this memoir truly special. His understanding of the joy, melancholy, and passion that each individual feels towards the city shines through in his writing. We also see him mention the priorities in the lives of people from different disciplines. While some might find the writing style a bit slow and depressing if they're not in the right frame of mind, I believe this is one of the book's greatest strengths, making it distinct and unforgettable. I rate this book a resounding 5/5. Istanbul, with its Hüzün, Bosphorus, Hagia Sophia, Galata Tower, and Rumeli Fortress, is firmly on my bucket list. I'll be rereading this book numerous times before my visit, not only to familiarize myself with the places but also to savor the remarkable way Pamuk has crafted this memoir.

  

The book Istanbul, Memories and the City allows one to learn about Orhan Pamuk's memories from his childhood to his youth, memories that are incredibly intertwined with a historical account of Istanbul.

If Rome is known and read as the eternal city, the city that has always been, there is a strong possibility that Istanbul is not much different from Rome. Istanbul has existed since long before the birth of Christ under the name Byzantium or Byzantium , and the people around it were called Istinpolis . At that time, it was also the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and had the name Constantinople or Qustantiniyah . After being conquered by the Muslims, it was renamed Islambol or the City of Islam , and in modern Turkey, the current name Istanbul was given to it.

The author's memories of Istanbul include the period of important changes in the city, the period of renewal and modernization, when the old and wooden fabric of the city was burning and new buildings and a new image of the city were taking the place of the old buildings and neighborhoods, and at the same time a new generation with a new culture and identity was also growing.

The transformation of Istanbul seems to have been compared to the maturity of the author. Pamuk has spoken bravely and brightly about his own changes, changes that include not only his body but also his perspective.

The author has refrained from presenting a sentimental and touristy picture of the city. His Istanbul is a melancholy and sad city. A city that, after the disappearance of the empire, appears as a defeated and tired city. Pamuk has seen the sorrow in the narrow and cramped streets of the city. Although the city is tired and hopeless, it still has will and spirit thanks to its long history. A will that gives hope to the people of the city to endure their bitter lives until Istanbul is once again transformed into a lively and happy city.

Pamuk has also devoted himself to his own memories and those of his family in the shadow of the city's memories. A wealthy and noble family but on the verge of decline. His father and uncle have competed with each other in ruining the family's wealth. In addition, his father also has a mistress, and at first, although he hides it from him, little by little he no longer finds any reason to hide their relationship. Young Orhan has developed an excessive interest in painting and at the same time has fallen in love with a beautiful girl and starts to draw her.

At the end of the book, along with the changes in Istanbul, Orhan's love also fails, but the author discovers a new interest in himself. Instead of painting, he starts writing and finds his life's path.

Istanbul, Memories and the City may be considered the author's noisy offering to his hometown, a city that has given him the opportunity and field to live and grow. Pamuk and Istanbul cannot be separated from each other. The author has presented a very vivid and dreamy picture of this city, a city that seems to have taken him in.

About a year ago, while I was engaged in the intense process of brainstorming the topic for my master’s thesis, I fortuitously stumbled upon the captivating idea of the relationship between space and identity. Since that moment, I have been deeply intrigued by how space and place can exert a profound influence on the formation of one’s self. Reading Istanbul has served to strengthen this particular idea significantly.

Orhan Pamuk not only provides a vivid description of the physical condition of Istanbul but also delves into his complex love-hate relationship with the city. Istanbul is not merely his home; it is the very city that perpetually inspires him.

I truly appreciate Pamuk’s honesty in this memoir. In a refreshingly frank manner, he shares how the Istanbullus find themselves trapped between the two worlds, the so-called West and East. Pamuk, having been raised in a Western way, has encountered numerous great authors who have had a profound impact on him. Yet, it saddens him to see how westernization has indirectly led to poverty in certain aspects. It is evident that not all parts of Istanbul are fully prepared for the rapid pace of modernization.

However, in some respects, Pamuk’s honesty annoys me slightly. He openly discusses his unhappy family, and I must admit that there are parts that make me question his fairness towards his mother. I can hardly recall any sentence that speaks positively about his mother, aside from her beauty. On the other hand, my most favorite chapter is the one dedicated to religion. Pamuk’s attitude towards religion simultaneously represents the ambiguity that most Istanbullus have to confront. With the West in mind, yet the East in the heart. It is also fascinating that he imagines God as a woman, which is distinct from the general image of God that people commonly hold.

Istanbul is written with great passion, and along with Other Colours, I feel compelled to place it on my favorite bookshelf. Istanbul is a bittersweet love song to a city, composed by one of the greatest living authors the world currently has. Meanwhile, Istanbul, stay there. I’ll come to you one day.

**"Istanbul: Memories and the City" by Orhan Pamuk**

"Istanbul: Memories and the City" was first published in 2003 by Orhan Pamuk. It has also been translated and published in other languages, such as "Стамбул: Спогади та місто" in 2011 by @folio_ua.

The book explores various themes such as history, melancholy, and the city itself. It presents the city through the eyes of a child and a writer, showing how history is intertwined with the fabric of the city.

The people are the soul of the city, and the city of birth always resides in our hearts. The annotation of the book describes it as a work that contains both the obsessive and tedious adoration of the native city and self-love of the author. It is an open account of a great city that has lost its former grandeur, filled with sadness and the desire to show the true face of the city.

The book combines Pamuk's personal memories with the cultural history of the city and the memories of people from different eras who have visited Istanbul. It is recommended to read this book and then visit Istanbul, deviating slightly from the beaten tourist paths to see the city as it truly is.

The quotes from the book further illustrate its depth and complexity. One quote shows the author's internal struggle with faith, while another highlights the different perspectives of Westerners and locals regarding the unique features of Istanbul.

In conclusion, "Istanbul: Memories and the City" is a captivating and thought-provoking work that offers a unique perspective on the city and its history.

#примхливачитака #орханпамук #стамбулспогадиімісто

It feels extremely odd to be penning this review at present. Here I am, seated in a car on my归途 home, experiencing a莫名的无聊与疲惫。毫无征兆地，这本我一个多月前就读完、且完全放弃能写出一篇像样评论的书，不请自来地浮现在我的脑海中，仿佛与我当下的心境有着深刻的联系。这将是我所写过的最个人化的评论之一，而这仅仅是因为《伊斯坦布尔：一座城市的记忆》对我个人的影响，超过了其他任何一本书。

因此，我不会去赞扬帕慕克的文学技巧或语言的雄辩。我也不会去评论许多西方人所描述的、作者本人在整本书中多次反思的伊斯坦布尔的精美画面。那些方面确实让我着迷，它们确实赋予了这本书极大的魅力，但不如帕慕克与他的城市之间的关系那么大。我不得不说，我选择阅读这本回忆录的时机也非常奇怪。过去的几个月非常忙碌，几乎没有给我留下阅读的时间，然而（我想是出于固执，也让我的许多朋友觉得好笑）我无论走到哪里都带着这本书，以便利用偷来的空闲时间。自然而然地，我花了很长时间才读完，但正如约翰·格林雄辩地所说：“当我阅读时，我坠入爱河的方式就像你入睡一样：慢慢地，然后一下子。”结果是，我会在路上读几页，然后发现自己盯着窗外，看着许多熟悉的事物，仿佛是第一次看到。耶路撒冷一直都这么美丽吗？它一直都充满了喧嚣和活力吗？我有时会想。这本书的魔力在于——虽然它除了伊斯坦布尔及其黑暗小巷的细节之外没有提供任何新的东西，而我从未去过那里——它提醒我要用新的眼光去观察我自己的城市。也许把它当作一幅画。或者一幅黑白素描。有时把它当作一个史诗般爱情故事中的伴侣。不管它是什么，它帮助我记住，熟悉并不一定保证完全了解。在更早的一个世纪里，另一个人就像我一样站在他从小就熟悉的地方，突然注意到了一些一直存在但在那个特定时刻却感觉新鲜而独特的东西。为什么会这样呢？因为他假装自己是一个陌生人，在帕慕克的例子中是一个“西方人”：

“所以每当我感觉到西方人的目光不在时，我就成为了自己的西方人。”
第31章

“我会开始从外面观察自己，就好像在做梦一样。”第34章

有时我觉得我从未与一位作者有过如此多的共鸣，或者与他对如画和诗意的追求有过如此多的共鸣。而在其他时候，我又感到怜悯。怜悯这样一位杰出的作家会迷失，在他年轻时过于沉迷于欧洲人对伊斯坦布尔的看法。所以我觉得他在书的结尾处这样想是可以理解的：“我们为什么要指望一个城市来治愈我们的精神痛苦呢？”也许我们不应该。弥漫在这些回忆录灵魂深处的忧郁源于这座城市本身——它的废墟和破败的宫殿，源于使土耳其现代化（以及西方化）并埋葬其根深蒂固历史的尝试。这句话让我停下来，因为我在读到它时想到，有着不断变化且通常痛苦历史的城市一定有着相似的情感氛围。这可能就是为什么我最喜欢帕慕克去贫困社区和废墟的散步；它们代表了这本书在许多场合为我提供的那种诗意的逃避。这让我比以往任何时候都更想知道，帕慕克写这些回忆录是想记录他自己的行为和决定，还是想向他所热爱但却永远不安和徘徊的城市致敬。

读这本书时，我还想起压力会让你渴望那些无法企及的、意想不到的东西。至少它让我明白了这一点。在压力下阅读也让这本书呈现出一种与我预期完全不同的光芒。帕慕克的回忆录不是一本关于伊斯坦布尔魅力的刻板小册子，而是激发了许多情感和冲动的刺激物。我读得越多，就越感到一种无法抗拒的画画和写作的冲动。我想，在那些忙碌的月份里，我身边有比我在空闲时间里更多的素描等待我去加工。名为“描绘伊斯坦布尔”的那一章只是进一步点燃了那些渴望，并让我祈求一些闲暇时间。和帕慕克一样，我觉得“绘画让我能够进入画布上的场景。”

指出了积极的方面后，我不得不说这本书远非完美。我对帕慕克的身体幻想或他的宗教成长经历并不真正感兴趣——他经常提到这些，而我大多数时候觉得它们不相关且令人分心。叙述虽然优美且富有想象力，但有时会有重复的倾向。

总的来说，撇开这几个消极的方面不谈，帕慕克的回忆录将永远留在我身边，让我想起我生命中的一个特定时期，当时我决定学习建筑（这正是作者当时选择但很快又决定放弃转而写作的研究领域），以及我重新确立了我对绘画的长期热爱（这也是作者很久以前就选择放弃的爱好）。《伊斯坦布尔：一座城市的记忆》将永远是我珍贵的读物之一。

I love reading the memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies of writers. Previously, the life and memoirs of Michael Crichton that I read were told through the travels he made. In this book, Pamuk tells his own life by fictionalizing it on the same axis as Istanbul. The main theme of the book is also the melancholy of Istanbul. Melancholy is a very suitable emotion for Istanbul. Its broken walls, the polluted Golden Horn, the poor children, the skinny street dogs, and the poverty in the back streets. It is the melancholy of Istanbul that interestingly arouses sympathy in everyone who sees them. The black and white old Istanbul photos and pictures that you will see a lot in the book also confirm these. Like Orhan Pamuk, whenever I see the ancient places of the city, I imagine its appearance hundreds and thousands of years ago in my mind. The Greek soldiers who came here on foot from all over Anatolia asking for help, the Byzantine armies that entered the city through the Golden Gate, the Persian armies that crossed the strait by building a bridge on boats, the first prayer in Hagia Sophia built by Justinian, and hundreds of years after that, the French crusaders who played a dance show in the same place, the Olympic games held in the Hippodrome, Barbaros Hayrettin's salute to the Topkapi Palace when he returned victorious from the Mediterranean, the passage of the Bandırma ferry through the strait, and many more. A history, tragedy, joy, and drama that is too heavy for the human mind to bear have been experienced and are still being experienced in this city. Therefore, no matter how many books are written about Istanbul, it is not enough. I read it with pleasure. I also learned a lot of things that I didn't know.

However, Pamuk's attempt to associate his own life with the melancholy of Istanbul seemed a bit artificial to me. While he lives a very comfortable life in the wealthiest neighborhood of the city, how could he have experienced the melancholy of the wooden houses built in the back streets of Fener? Years ago, when I saw that Orhan Gencebay, one of the richest people in Turkey, cried while listening to the song 'Batsın bu dünya' (Let this world perish), I had similar feelings. Yes, Gencebay was singing the song for him. If you say 'Let this world perish', what can we do? In my opinion, the mother Pamuk, who is always at home, reads the gossip of her friends from society magazines, doesn't know where her husband is, and then sees the café where she meets her lovers, is a much more melancholy character than Orhan Pamuk. In the book, Orhan Pamuk's mother accompanies the melancholy of Istanbul the most.

In this remarkable work of Pamuk, I find myself seeing my own reflection more vividly than ever before.

It is an absolute must-read not only for those who have an unwavering love for history but also for those who have truly experienced the profound emotion of Hüzün.

The story is highly involving, captivating the reader from the very first page and keeping them engaged until the very end. It is not only entertaining but also deeply thought-provoking, making one question and reflect on various aspects of life, history, and human nature.

I was so impressed by this work that I actually wanted to give it a score of 6 points, which is a testament to its greatness.

Overall, it is truly a great work from a great author, one that will surely leave a lasting impression on all who have the pleasure of reading it.

I wanted to read something about Istanbul before getting to know it, and I decided on this book by Orhan Pamuk, the only Turkish Nobel Prize winner in literature. He chose to write about this city where he was born and has lived most of his life, starting from his memories.

It is an autobiographical book in which Pamuk tells his version of Istanbul. He describes the city as he sees it from his earliest memories, linking his own history with the history of Istanbul and showing how every small thing we see, read or know influences the perception we build of the places we love.

Istanbul is a book that shows the difficult relationship we humans have with our place of origin. Because it is a place we love, but despite that, we cannot detach it from its history, its problems and its flaws.

At first glance, it seems like a very long book. However, we must take into account that it is full of photographs that show different places, situations and characters in the city. In this regard, I must comment that one of Pamuk's personal decisions was not to include captions to describe the photos. In general, this works well because the text is very closely related to them. But as a reader, I would have liked to understand a little more about some of the photographs, and in those (few) cases, I missed the captions.

My conclusion from this book is that Istanbul (like Turkey) is a city that suffers from an identity crisis. It is between two continents, once was part of one of the greatest empires in humanity, has been admired by all kinds of people in all its stages and will never stop changing.

More at: https://vistoleidohecho.com/

First Reading for the Author

What intrigued me the most was the part about the Istanbul Encyclopedia by Rashad Akerim Qutshu... I searched for it on Google and it hardly exists.

I also liked that the author is a painter and the part that Istanbul is very suitable for painting and fine art. Oh, it's so nice.

The beginning parts were a bit dull, but as time goes by, the book becomes nice.

This article seems to be a personal reflection on the first reading of a work. It starts by highlighting the interesting aspect of the Istanbul Encyclopedia, which the author had trouble finding much information about online. Then, it mentions the author's appreciation for the fact that the writer is a painter and that Istanbul is a great subject for art. However, it also notes that the beginning of the book was a bit boring but improved as the reading progressed. Overall, it gives a sense of the author's initial impressions and the evolving experience of reading the book.

Ternyata butuh waktu lebih dari satu tahun untuk bisa menyelesaikan membaca buku ini. Baca buku aja sampai setahun lebih, apalagi nulisnya yak. Keren deh para penulis itu.

Kenapa? Apakah karena tidak menarik? Bukan karena itu, tetapi karena nuanasa huzun atau kemurungan dalam buku ini yang kental banget. Buku ini sendiri adalah memoar dari Orhan Pamuk, penerima Nobel Sastra 2007. Walau memoar, tetapi buku ini sepertinya lebih banyak tentang Istambul itu sendiri. Pamuk sepertinya hendak mengandaikan dirinya dengan kondisi Istanbul yang semakin murung dari hari ke hari. Kota tua dengan peninggalan 2 era imperium besar ini (Bizantium dan Usmani) seperti sudah kehabisan tenaga setelah selama hampir 2.000 tahun menjadi salah satu pusat peradaban dunia. Istanbul di paruh kedua abad 20 adalah kota yang murung--seperti kata Pamuk. Ia mengibaratkan Istanbul sebagaimana dirinya.

Orhan Pamuk berasal dari keluarga yang kaya raya. Kakeknya adalah pebisnis yang giat dan sukses, berhasil mewariskan kekayaan kepada keluarga Pamuk. Namun, anak-anaknya rupanya tidak meniru ayahnya. Ayah dari Orhan berkali-kali gagas dalam membuka bisnis, sehingga meskipun Orhan menghabiskan masa kecil dalam kelimpahan, selalu ada ketakutan bahwa harta warisan itu akan habis juga pada suatu titik. Ini seperti Istanbul pasca runtuhnya Kekhalifahan Ustmani. Euforia untuk menghapus segala yang Timur nan eksotis dan menggantinya dengan Barat yg modern malah membuat kota agung ini kehilangan karakter khasnya. Istanbul, sebagaimana warganya, kebingungan antara menjadi Timur atau Barat. Dan hasilnya adalah kemurungan yang menggelayuti kota ini.

Menarik kiranya membaca bab-bab terakhir buku ini, yang menggambarkan Orhan muda sebagai pelukis. Hampir sangat sedikit tentang Orhan yang penulis di buku memoar ini, lebih banyak Orhan yang melukis. Cita-cita awalnya adalah jadi pelukis, dia tidak mau jadi arsitek sebagaimana keinginan orang tuanya. Ketika sang ibu menasihati Orhan tentang cita-citanya yang kurang bisa menjamin masa depannya inilah Orhan mulai menemukan secercah ide yang bakal mengubah kehidupan masa depannya. Setelah lukisan, dia menemukan kata-kata sebagai pelarian yang lain. \\"Aku tidak ingin jadi arsitek atau pelukis, aku ingin jadi penulis,\\" ujarnya menutup buku yang murung ini.

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