Tucked in amidst the paint stores and fishing equipment shops of Karaköy is Rüstem Pasha Caravanserai. After discovering this place I made at least 4 trips to the location to work on a sustained sketch. Rüstem Pasha is now a working han, although it used to house travelers on the silk road.
I love finding spaces like this in Istanbul...spaces that would be closed to the public or marked as "private property" in any other city. But in Istanbul, I can always seem to wander in, sit on some box or abandoned chair and begin drawing. No one tells me to leave or that I am not allowed, but instead I become part of the environment... along with the han workers, cats, stacked up boxes...the sound of clinking metal and drills from the workshops below, and seagulls in the sky.
I love finding spaces like this in Istanbul...spaces that would be closed to the public or marked as "private property" in any other city. But in Istanbul, I can always seem to wander in, sit on some box or abandoned chair and begin drawing. No one tells me to leave or that I am not allowed, but instead I become part of the environment... along with the han workers, cats, stacked up boxes...the sound of clinking metal and drills from the workshops below, and seagulls in the sky.
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| Gabrielle Reeves "Rustem Pasha Han" Mixed Media on Paper, 2014 |
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