Friday morning. The ferry pier of Çengelköy doesnt get as much traffic as the public trasport hub ports of Kadıköy, Eminönü or Karaköy. The morning I took the ferry to Emirgan there were only about fifteen other passangers besides me that hopped on board at Çengelköy. The route zig-zags from one side of the Bosphorus… Continue reading Çengelköy pier
Category: Sesli günlük Istanbul
Labour day
at Taksim The morning of first of May in 2010. I sense that there is something wrong with the soundscape when I wake up in a room by the road uphill to Taksim square. I look out the window and see what's wrong: no traffic. There isn't a single car or bus on the road.… Continue reading Labour day
Countryside frogs
It was a warm summer evening in May. I'm standing on a porch of a friends country house North of Istanbul. She's having a picnic party. Behind me is the house and behind that a crowd of 50 people singing türküs, playing baglamas, eating salads, pies and köftes and skipping rope. On this side of… Continue reading Countryside frogs
Singing at the animal shelter
Yedikule, a weekend in April When I was a kid I remember there was much more stray dogs in Istanbul. Packs of quite intimidating, growling and often sick dogs. Nowadays there are new policies concerning strays and the situation is a bit better as they are vaccinated, neutered and tagged with electronic chips. The attitude… Continue reading Singing at the animal shelter
Soundcheck at Hagia Eirene
Sultanahmet, midday in April. The Hagia Eirene (or Aya İrini) church is located inside the Topkapı palace walls. It's a chilly April day. 1629 years ago the church was getting ready for the First Council of Constantinople. Now it is getting ready for the opening gala of the international poem festival "Şiirİstanbul". Chairs are being… Continue reading Soundcheck at Hagia Eirene
Nightly waves and daily flows
Kuzguncuk Sunday night in May Last May I was counting traffic in Kuzguncuk. The method was to count everything passing me (people, cars, cats, bicycles ect) for 10 minutes on the hour, around the clock. This was to demonstrate in an orderly fashion the changes in the everyday rhythms of the main street in Kuzguncuk.… Continue reading Nightly waves and daily flows
Waiting at the car
Çamlıca, Thursday afternoon This is one of the most everyday soundscapes one can imagine in Istanbul, for me at least. Sitting in a car, waiting for something, anything, and listening to the traffic rolling by. This recording was made in Çamlıca. It was supposed to be a quick stopover by the side of the street… Continue reading Waiting at the car
Bauhaus
Kozyatağı, Wednesday afternoon Just when you thought there couldn't be anything interesting to hear at a shopping mall specialized in "home making"... how wrong I was! This is probably the most hilarious recording I've made during these weeks. At least I had fun while recording this, hopefully it transmits somehow. The recording starts outside the… Continue reading Bauhaus
At the mosque
Göztepe mosque, Sunday afternoon. I had the opportunity to participate to a ceremony that was arranged 40 days after the funeral of a relative of a friend of mine. This prayer ceremony is called the kırkı, literally meaning the "40th". It started right after the midday prayer on a Sunday. The voice of the imam… Continue reading At the mosque
Börekçi
Sarıyer, Sunday afternoon. Once in Sarıyer you should eat börek, the place is famous for them. We visited the Sarıyer Meşhur Hünkar Börekçisi. The savory flaky pastries are filled with either minced meat, pine kernels, raisins and spices or cheese. And they are delicious, soft and chewy. The börek is baked in an tubelike shape,… Continue reading Börekçi
Corridor sounds at ITU
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Taşkışla, Saturday afternoon. I have spent the last three Saturday afternoons at the ITÜ Taşkısla campus. This is where the architecture department is, apparently, as there are some sketches and models on display on the corridor. I'm waiting my friend to finish her choir practise. Walking in the corridor, sitting at the… Continue reading Corridor sounds at ITU
Teachers’ room
Kuzguncuk primary school, Wednesday morning. I had an opportunity to talk to the students at Kuzguncuk primary school about the sounds they like and dislike. I visited three classes, thanks to their wonderful teacher, Aslı hoca. She has the most adorable students. We had a lot of fun together talking about different kind of car… Continue reading Teachers’ room
Traffic lights
Kabataş, Saturday afternoon. There was a small man inside the traffic light post. He was looking after us pedestrians very keenly. 'Lütfen bekleyin' (Please wait) 'Şimdi geçebilirsiniz' (Now you may cross [the road]) 'Altı, beş, dört, üç, iki, bir' (6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1) 'bip - bip - bip - bip' (him talking to… Continue reading Traffic lights
All we hear is… radio gaga
Kadıköy, August 2009, afternoon at an apartment flat. Last August I was feeling a bit bored one day. It was raining and there wasn't really that much to do. I thought that maybe there would be something on the radio and I was right. Everything was on the radio... Here's a six minute potpourri recording… Continue reading All we hear is… radio gaga
Emirgan mosque
Emirgan shore, midday. I was going to the Tulip festival and just got out of the ferry, when I heared the öğle (midday) ezan from the Emirgan mosque. The mosque itself is a beautiful and delicate wooden building painted in white, very much in tune with the other old buildings on the shore. The traffic… Continue reading Emirgan mosque
Trabzonspor supporters
İstiklal caddesi, afternoon. Football. No way you can live in Istanbul and not stumble on it. You can try to ignore it but eventually you will hear about it. If not via television, radio or eavesdropping, then via the supporter groups that take the streets before the game. Last week there was a game between… Continue reading Trabzonspor supporters
Constantinople Ecumenical Patriarcate
Fener, Friday afternoon Last March, a few weeks before Easter, I went to hear a service at the Greek Orthodox Patriarcate, located at Fener. The walled complex has seen a lot of history, some of it very violent since the 17th century. To get to the Church of Saint George you must go through metal… Continue reading Constantinople Ecumenical Patriarcate
Tulips and a skipping rope
Tulip festival, Emirgan park, afternoon. There's no sense in describing the Istanbul Tulip Festival to someone who hasn't seen it. All I can say is that there are fragrant tulips everywhere, a lot of them. Some things you just have to see for yourself. (And the same goes without saying to sounds as well, to… Continue reading Tulips and a skipping rope
Kittens!
at home, Thursday afternoon I was washing dishes today when I heard something unusual from outside the window. Kittens! Squealing kittens, tiny tiny meaows. Some neighbours were present, wondering what should be done with them. The mother cat was following the situation very closed from a few meters. (I hope they didn't give the kitties… Continue reading Kittens!
At the hairdressers – kuaför
S & B, Çengelköy, Thursday, midday Since I was a little girl I had realized that going to the hairdressers was something essential to the women living in Istanbul. In Finland we were used to cutting our hair by ourselves (I cut my friends' hair, they cut mine ect), not to talk about the manicures… Continue reading At the hairdressers – kuaför
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