My first encounter with murals was with that of Diego Rivera who was the partner of one of my most favourite artists. Frida Kahlo. I have always associcated his work with his passion for the people and socialist ideals. From then on, murals have always reminded me of activism, protest and beautifying urban jungles, ready to swallow the masses.
Mural by Diego Rivera
There is one particular neighbourhood in Istanbul that has been home to murals in recent decades and that is Yeldeğirmeni in the Kadıköy district. The district has been home to the earliest apartment blocks in the city built for foreign engineers and workers who had come to build the Haydarpaşa Train Station. Now, this neighbourhood is home to the bohemians of the city who are the intellectuals and artists of modern day Istanbul.
There is even a mural festival that invites mural artists from across the globe to adorn the walls of the neighbourhood with the imagination of the artists. It is a delight to walk in the streets of Yeldeğirmeni to gaze at the murals that beauty the walls and uplift the spirit of the residents.
I am especially fascinated with this tiger one can not miss from Marmaray that takes one from the Anatolian Side to the European Side from under the sea. She simply reminds me of the repressed anger that is boiling in the subconcious of Istanbulites, ready to explode in traffic or any minor conflict.
Glance through these murals that reflect the rich imagination of the artists as well as the diversity of Istanbul. Some of these murals are gone, replaced by other murals and some are still with us.
