Tarlabasi - The Untold Story

Istanbul's Tarlabasi district, is famous for all the wrong reasons - drugs, prostitution, crime. It seems that nearly every report from the area focuses on these aspects to the point of it nearly being a cliche. Photos of mysterious figures in the shadows, pimps, transvestites smoking cigarettes, and men slinking up to hotel rooms makes one think that's all there is to Tarlabasi.

We spent some time in the neighborhood chatting with residents as we reported on Tarlabasi's Sunday market for Zester Daily and came away with a somewhat different impression.

Sure, the nasty stuff exists, but so too does a sense of neighborhood and community.

It's the kind of place where people know their neighbors and look out for each other.

 
 
It may be down but certainly not out.

Comments

[Anamitra Chakladar]

David...awesome...!

[Dave]

Thanks, Anamitra! Appreciate the support!

[Brenda]

Nice!!

[nelly]

thanks for sharing -- what is photography if not giving any place a second chance to show itself :)

[Dave]

Thanks Nelly, well put!