Piyalepaşa from Past to Present

A 500-Year Journey in Istanbul!

As part of the Piyalepaşa Neighborhood History Project from Past to Present, for which Gökhan Akçura undertook historical research and authorship, two books (one reference book and one album book) and an exhibition are being prepared.

In the neighborhood history project, prepared as a joint publication by Myra and Overteam, Rauf Kösemen, a former board member of the History Foundation, serves as a consultant, while Damla Özlüer is the exhibition coordinator and curator, and Cenk Yüksel is responsible for the exhibition. Illustrator Turgut Yüksel prepared special illustrations for this project. The graphic design for the exhibition and books belongs to Tülay Demircan.

Piyalepaşa from Past to Present, which was released after approximately one year of preparation, reveals the historical heritage of Piyalepaşa, a neighborhood created from nothing by the orders of Suleiman the Magnificent.

A neighborhood founded by a grand admiral, with a centuries-old work by Mimar Sinan at its center, once known as the garden of flowers...

A statesman who came from the Balkans and rose to the position of Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, and who was also the Sultan's son-in-law...

The golden years of a city where the heart of the empire beat, the largest metropolis of the Middle Ages, where "spies roamed" and "one could not make way through the human river"...

A cultural heritage passed down from the rising era of an empire to the Republic...

Piyalepaşa from Past to Present narrates the history of the neighborhood through the story of its founder, Piyale Pasha. It presents a half-millennium panorama to its viewers.

The books will be launched with a magnificent exhibition opening on February 19th at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum.

The reference book was prepared in a smaller size than the album book, with two-color printing, and features a more detailed textual narrative compared to the album book.

Why Read These Books?

- To witness a part of Istanbul's half-millennium history.

- To follow the story of Piyale Pasha, coinciding with the golden age of an empire.

- To witness the creation of a neighborhood, to share its 500-year story from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic.

- To see the original centuries-old Istanbul maps that cannot be seen elsewhere, and to hear the secret story they tell.

- To have a deeper sense of belonging / more in-depth knowledge of the city we live in.

- To enjoy the exciting story of Mediterranean pirates.