Ara Güler Meets Godfrey Goodwin Book Display

Ara Güler (1928–2018) was a renowned Turkish photojournalist known as "Istanbul's Eye." Godfrey Goodwin (1921–2005) was a distinguished architectural historian and scholar with a lifelong passion for Ottoman architecture and Turkish culture.

While it's unclear if Güler and Goodwin ever met, the MIA Library holds a copy of Güler's A Photographical Sketch on Lost Istanbul with a personalized inscription dated 1994. This book represents a significant intersection of photography and historical scholarship, highlighting the collaboration between visual art and academic research in preserving and understanding Turkish and Ottoman cultural heritage.

Güler's photographs often captured the architectural marvels that Goodwin studied and wrote about. Their shared passion for Istanbul and its rich history would likely have provided a strong foundation for their interaction. Güler's ability to capture the soul of the city through his lens, combined with Goodwin's scholarly insights into its Islamic architectural heritage, would have enriched their conversations and potential collaborations.

Open Display for browsing:

• İstanbul, city of seven hills: a photographic journey through Byzantine and Ottoman monuments. Author: Mango, Cyril A.
• Sinan, architect of Süleyman the magnificent and the Ottoman golden age. Author: Freely, John.
• Monumental journey: the daguerreotypes of Girault de Prangey. Author: Pinson, Stephen C.,
• What Josephine saw: twentieth[-]century photographic visions of rural. Author: Anatolia, Hart, Kimberley.

Books by Godfrey Goodwin

• Islamic architecture: Ottoman Turkey.
• A history of Ottoman architecture.
• Topkapi Palace: an illustrated guide to its life & personalities.
• The private world of Ottoman women.

Photography Books of Istanbul

• Istanbul, gateway to splendour: a journey through Turkish architecture. Author: Ertuğ, Ahmet.
• Constantinople: Istanbul's historical heritage. Author: Yerasimos, Stefanos, 1942
• Camera Ottomana, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nda fotoğraf ve modernite, 1840-1914. Author: Çelik, Zeynep
• Living in Istanbul. Author: Darblay, Jérôme.
• Istanbul: memories and the city. Author: Pamuk, Orhan, 1952-
• Sinan: an architectural genius. Author: Kuban, Doğan.
• James Robertson: pioneer of photography in the Ottoman Empire. Author: Öztuncay, Bahattin.

Related Exhibition

Plan your visit to In the Footsteps of Ara Güler: Exploring the Photographer’s Legacy, where iconic photographs bring Turkey’s rich history and culture to life, offering deeper insights into the country's remarkable heritage.