Teşekkürler Diyarbakır

آن‌سوی درست و نادرست
دشتی‌ست فراخ
آن‌جا تو را دیدار خواهم کرد

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.
Masnavī — Rumi

At the beginning of the month I went to Diyarbakır, a city in eastern Turkey, not far from the Syrian border.

Bathed by the Tigris River, Diyarbakır is a city steeped in history, where every people who passed through it left a mark.
It is a city that deeply struck me for the kindness of its inhabitants and for the wonderful people I met.
Here I encountered sincere souls whom, despite the short time we spent together, I already feel I can call friends.

Against this backdrop of history, culture, and friendship, I moved with my camera. I am usually accustomed to a very structured, geometric kind of photography.
Here in Diyarbakır I don’t feel I abandoned those values, but even before starting my trip I had decided to try a different approach.

Starting with my equipment, I chose to leave at home the whole array of lenses I usually take on trips in favor of a single one: a fixed 23mm lens (equivalent to 35mm on full frame). No possibility of zooming in or widening the frame except by physically moving myself.
It was a very happy choice, because it allowed me to shoot much more lightly, and I never felt any limitation.

The main difference, however, was in my approach: I usually try to observe and analyze the place I’m in deeply before shooting. I like to understand the shapes, the direction of the light, but also to listen to the history and lived experience of a place before reflecting on it and deciding what I want to photograph.
This time, partly because of the limited time available, I chose to follow instinct, to react to what I saw and postpone reflection to a later moment.
I also experimented with the technique known as “shooting from the hip,” that is, keeping the camera around my neck and shooting without bringing it to my eye to aim—a sort of “blind” shot, which in reality, if practiced properly, allows you to know what you’re framing without needing to see it through the viewfinder.

I think the experiment worked.
These photos are imperfect, blurred, grainy, but precise. I think they reflect the idea I formed of the city, where everything is in motion, chaotic yet exactly where it needs to be.

All that remains for me to say is:
Teşekkürler, Diyarbakır, and thank you to all the wonderful people I met in this beautiful place.

The Mosque

Diyarbakır’s Great Mosque is possibly the oldest one in Turkey. Recent studies have suggested that the present mosque stands over a part of what was previously the Roman forum of the city, in fact you can immediately notice the Roman architectural elements incorporated into the mosque’s structure.

It is a fascinating place and I think it is the right place to start this photo diary.

Streets and People

Every face is a portrait in Diyarbakır. Every street corner is a story waiting to be told.

Cats

Like in many Turkish cities, cats are everywhere in Diyarbakır. They are cared for and loved by the inhabitants, who often leave food and water for them in the streets.