Gezicht op stadswijken van Istanbul en de oevers van de Bosporus after 1890

This is a photographic panorama of Istanbul and the Bosphorus, created by Sébah & Joaillier. The absence of a specific date invites us to consider the image within a broad historical context of Orientalism and early documentary photography. Here, Istanbul, the once-formidable center of the Ottoman Empire, is meticulously cataloged. The photograph becomes a tool not only for documentation but also for asserting a particular gaze upon a culture and people. This detailed rendering of urban space and maritime activity invites us to consider questions of power, trade, and cultural exchange. The choice of a panoramic view, composed from multiple frames, suggests an ambition to capture the totality of the city, even as it inevitably flattens the lived experiences of its inhabitants. What stories are silenced by this pursuit of a complete picture? What emotional distance does this perspective create, and how does it affect our engagement with the city's history and its people?