Comments on: Where is Istanbul?

By: John Jespersen

John Jespersen — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 16:22:46 +0000

You are right Gaziosmanpasa is not a slum in a third world sence but I think seen from the first world it could still be described as a slum. Other large lower class areas in Istanbul like Ümraniye, Esenler and Esenyurt look very much like it. It probably reflects that Turkey with its 10000$ Gnp/capita is not nearly as poor as many third world countries (gnp often 1000-2000$) but still much poorer than EU /US (gnp 40000$) or so. But much is changing these years as the economy of Turkey is booming. This is seen in Istanbuls rapid transformation – in the 1990s deep crisis poverty was very visible in the city – for instance hundreds of people collecting cardboard in the inner city at night – but today the poverty – at least in the inner city – has given way to fancy shops and cafés and a very cosmopolitan city style.

By: Istanbollocks

Istanbollocks — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:03:03 +0000

You might want to have a rethink on this one, rather than sounding like another dumb Yankee.

I live in a part of Istanbul very much like the one you describe. Power and Water shortages, check. Satallite dishes on every flat piece of wall, check. Rubbish and shit on the street, check. People scrabbling for rubbish. check. Frayed Electrics at every turn, and Illegally built dwellings, check, check and check once more.

But i’ve got news for you. I’m white, and British. 80% of Istanbul is what you would describe as a slum. If your going to leave your plush Taksim or Levent hotel to go out and take some photos, why does it have to be of the ‘darker’ people who have a ‘scary, different’ religion?

On a similar note, your more likely to see the Niqab in England than Istanbul, the women (of which there are less of as getting a job in Europe is harder for Men than Women) were probably out shopping for clothing at a local bazaar rather than being locked indoors and the crime rate is stupidly low – I feel far safer in this city than in London.

So in a nutshell, if you expect places like Istanbul to be like downtown Las Vegas, the whole city is a slum. Thank god you made reference to the differences you may have seen or read about in real impoverished areas of South America and India, ironically two places that have received more of a shafting from western capitalism.

By: Ellaraine Lockie

Ellaraine Lockie — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:57:08 +0000

Jonathan–After reading about your philosophy on Allison Joseph’s list, I want to write and tell you that I absolutely concur about writing and travel. I don’t write prose inspired by travel, but I write much poetry because of it (so unfortunately I won’t be entering your contest). In fact, a forthcoming chapbook is entirely about travel–”Stroking David’s Leg,” coming from FootHills Publishing. And a small poster-sized broadside on papers I made to hold poems about Italy was released a few months ago by Brick Bat Revue.

Images that come when I travel just won’t leave me alone–not ever. Not long ago I wrote a poem about Bali, and I was there probably fifteen years ago. So it goes.

Have a great time with your contest. I live in Sunnyvale, so if you have any upcoming readings, etc., please let me know. Stray–great name for a traveler.–Best regards, Ellaraine Lockie