Tales of Istanbul: Holy Prestige

During my time living in Istanbul from 2013 to 2018, I frequently embarked on photo walks with my friends Jason Eskenazi and Arjen Zwart. Together, we explored the city’s hidden corners during the golden hour, always on the hunt for the perfect shot and the best Turkish coffee. Eventually, I stumbled upon a spot at the entrance of Eminönü Mosque, where worshippers emerged after prayer—offering ideal lighting for dark background portraits. While I can’t recall exactly how many times I patiently waited for the right moments at this location, I returned repeatedly over several weeks, striving to capture the perfect images for this collage.

Initially, a collage wasn’t how I envisioned executing this artwork, but as the process unfolded, it became the best way to represent that spiritual connection, tradition, and cycle of life.

Holy Prestige is a collage of eight black-and-white photographs capturing conservative women as they pass through a single location while leaving Eminönü Mosque during the golden hour, between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM.