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Costantinopoli #1-2
Costantinopoli
Nel 1875 Edmondo De Amicis, allora corrispondente letterario dell'«Illustrazione italiana», raccontando il suo viaggio a Costantinopoli fece rivivere la capitale dell'impero ottomano al tramonto. Sultani, eunuchi, concubine, il Topkapi e Santa Sofia, il Gran Bazar e il Corno d' Oro, il ponte di Galata e la moschea di Solimano: i perduti incanti della «Città Incomparabile». Il libro, poco noto in Italia, è molto ammirato da chi conosce a fondo la storia di Istanbul. Lo scrittore Jason Goodwin considera De Amicis la sua «scoperta più felice ... Il libro su Costantinopoli, tradotto in inglese per la prima volta, è un perfetto tour de force vittoriano. C'è dentro tutto». Questa edizione propone una scelta dell'ampio reportage, arricchita da un apparato illustrativo.
154 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1877
41 people are currently reading
795 people want to read
About the author
Edmondo de Amicis
483 books105 followersEdmondo de Amicis was an Italian novelist, journalist, poet and short-story writer. His best-known book is the children's novel Heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
September 5, 2017
I only read this book because I was given it as a present, as I prefer to read books in the original language and tend to avoid translations (I don't speak Italian). However, once I started reading it, it blew me away and I couldn't put it down. It is the record of the author's visit to Istanbul before WWI. At first I wondered how such a banal subject could produce enough material to fill a book of this size. But the author succeeds, and the text never becomes repetitive, never mind dull or tedious. He describes practically the whole city, giving a detailed history of the splendid buildings and ancient monuments (and open ground), as well as a multitude of everyday anecdotes from his own experiences. He describes the people who live in the different parts of the city, from the exclusive residential areas to the slums. The descriptions have a very visual quality, and the reader is left with the impression that he or she accompanied the author to the various places he shows you. Even though it was written more than 100 years ago, at the end of the book you feel like you've just returned from the city yourself, and that it is a place you know very well.
The translation is also excellent, and at no point did I notice that I wasn't reading an original text.
The translation is also excellent, and at no point did I notice that I wasn't reading an original text.
July 28, 2017
If you want to travel back in time and explore Constantinople, this is the book for you. A wonderful, immersive guide to this ancient city. Loved it.
May 16, 2024
Lirico come solo i resoconti dei viaggiatori ottocenteschi sanno essere, nonostante alcune parti siano probabilmente studiate a tavolino per stupire i lettori (il gusto per l'esotismo in quegli anni era alle stelle), come i mille personaggi provenienti dai quattro angoli del globo che De Amicis incontra "per caso" sul ponte di Galata; tant’è che persino Umberto Eco, nella prefazione, si domanda sornione come avesse fatto l'illustre reporter a beccare tutto quel caravanserraglio di popoli confluiti tutti nel medesimo punto, in un modesto quarto d'ora di passeggiata.
Ogni cosa è descritta con totale trasporto, tanto le meraviglie (bellissimo il capitolo dedicato a Santa Sofia) quanto le sciagure: la tragicomica esperienza di Edmondo nel bagno turco vale da sola la lettura del libro, mi ha fatto fare dei gran sghignazzi!
Ogni cosa è descritta con totale trasporto, tanto le meraviglie (bellissimo il capitolo dedicato a Santa Sofia) quanto le sciagure: la tragicomica esperienza di Edmondo nel bagno turco vale da sola la lettura del libro, mi ha fatto fare dei gran sghignazzi!
December 2, 2024
İstanbul'u seven insan bu kitaptan hoşlanacaktır. Bazı kısımları biraz daha sıkıcı idi, mesela Topkapı sarayını biraz fazlaca uzun uzun anlatmış, diğer kısımlar ise müthiş ilgi çekiciydi, özellikle sur boyunca yürüyüşleri...
Bizden 150 yıl önce ne kadar çeşitli bir toplumun buralarda yaşadığını okumak için bile bu esere bir şans verilmeli.
"who knows if in the twenty-first century, some Italian bride, on her honeymoon here, may not exclaim: “It’s such a shame that Constantinople has changed so much. It’s not at all like the place described in this old moth-eaten book I came across by chance in Grandmama’s cupboard!”
Bizden 150 yıl önce ne kadar çeşitli bir toplumun buralarda yaşadığını okumak için bile bu esere bir şans verilmeli.
"who knows if in the twenty-first century, some Italian bride, on her honeymoon here, may not exclaim: “It’s such a shame that Constantinople has changed so much. It’s not at all like the place described in this old moth-eaten book I came across by chance in Grandmama’s cupboard!”
May 19, 2025
Edmondo de Amicis'in İstanbuL kitabı, bir seyahatname sınırlarını aşarak edebi bir başyapıta dönüşen nadide eserlerden biri. 1870'lerde kaleme alınan bu etkileyici çalışma, yalnızca bir şehrin fiziksel tasvirini değil, adeta bir medeniyetin ruhunu sayfalarına sığdırmayı başarıyor. Amicis'in en büyük başarısı, belki de İstanbul'a sadece bir yabancı seyyah gözüyle değil, şehrin büyüsüne kendini kaptırmış bir insan gözüyle bakabilmesinde yatıyor. Yazarın müstesna gözlem yeteneği, İstanbul'un en ince ayrıntılarını bile kaçırmıyor; bir sokak satıcısının yüzündeki çizgilerden, boğazın sisli sabahlarındaki ışık oyunlarına kadar her detay, ustaca işlenmiş bir nakış gibi metne yerleşiyor.
Kitapta özellikle çarpıcı olan, Amicis'in şehrin çelişkilerini kucaklama biçimi. İstanbul'un tuhaflığının güzelliğinden fazla olduğunu söylerken bile, bu tuhaflığı küçümsemiyor, tam tersine onu şehrin eşsiz karakterinin ayrılmaz bir parçası olarak selamlıyor. Camilerden sokak aralarına, iskelelerden meydanlara uzanan geniş bir panoramada, yazarın kaleminden dökülen her cümle, okuyucuyu adeta zaman yolculuğuna çıkarıyor.
SONUÇ
2010'yılında orjinal dilinden çevrilen, İstanbul, basitçe okunup rafa kaldırılacak bir kitap değil, tekrar tekrar dönülecek, her okumada yeni katmanları keşfedilecek bir hazine. Hem tarih meraklıları hem edebiyat tutkunları hem de İstanbul aşıkları için bu kitap, kütüphanelerinde mutlaka yer alması gereken, zamanın sınavını bir şekilde aşmayı başarmış güzel bir kitap .
Meraklısına!
Kitapta özellikle çarpıcı olan, Amicis'in şehrin çelişkilerini kucaklama biçimi. İstanbul'un tuhaflığının güzelliğinden fazla olduğunu söylerken bile, bu tuhaflığı küçümsemiyor, tam tersine onu şehrin eşsiz karakterinin ayrılmaz bir parçası olarak selamlıyor. Camilerden sokak aralarına, iskelelerden meydanlara uzanan geniş bir panoramada, yazarın kaleminden dökülen her cümle, okuyucuyu adeta zaman yolculuğuna çıkarıyor.
SONUÇ
2010'yılında orjinal dilinden çevrilen, İstanbul, basitçe okunup rafa kaldırılacak bir kitap değil, tekrar tekrar dönülecek, her okumada yeni katmanları keşfedilecek bir hazine. Hem tarih meraklıları hem edebiyat tutkunları hem de İstanbul aşıkları için bu kitap, kütüphanelerinde mutlaka yer alması gereken, zamanın sınavını bir şekilde aşmayı başarmış güzel bir kitap .
Meraklısına!
July 23, 2025
Kendsinin gözlem gücü gerçekten takdire şayan; sokakları, insanları, gündelik hayatı o kadar ayrıntılı ve canlı betimliyor ki neredeyse yanındaymışsınız gibi hissediyorsunuz.
Ama benim için bu kitap bir yandan da sürekli bir "keşke" duygusu uyandırdı. Keşke De Amicis, İstanbul’a 19. yüzyılın sonlarında değil de daha erken, mesela 18. yüzyılda gelmiş olsaydı… Çünkü modern öncesi İstanbul’a duyduğum merakla okurken, onun hep zamanının gözünden baktığını fark ettim. Anlattığı her şeyi okurken içimde hep 19. yüzyılda öncesi nasıldı sorusu dönüp durdu.
Yine de, döneminin İstanbul’una dair detayları böylesine dikkatle aktarması, şehre dair hayal gücümü çok iyi besledi. Sağolsun.
Ama benim için bu kitap bir yandan da sürekli bir "keşke" duygusu uyandırdı. Keşke De Amicis, İstanbul’a 19. yüzyılın sonlarında değil de daha erken, mesela 18. yüzyılda gelmiş olsaydı… Çünkü modern öncesi İstanbul’a duyduğum merakla okurken, onun hep zamanının gözünden baktığını fark ettim. Anlattığı her şeyi okurken içimde hep 19. yüzyılda öncesi nasıldı sorusu dönüp durdu.
Yine de, döneminin İstanbul’una dair detayları böylesine dikkatle aktarması, şehre dair hayal gücümü çok iyi besledi. Sağolsun.
December 25, 2014
Sometimes those who read too much and have a vivid imagination can conjure up something approaching reality--I was swayed and tossed about by Edmondo's hyperbolic prose, but the awareness that this book represents a mere two or three weeks he spent in the city has me puzzled? Where did he get so many impressions? Where do all these stories come from: but as you read the various references throughout this book to previous literature you realize that this book is as much about the literary phenomenon of Constantinople as it is the city he touristed in for a couple weeks.
The anthology of literary references (although the notes indicate these were sometimes mistaken) are nevertheless germane--but there is no question that the mystique of Istanbul/Stamboul/Constantinople is as much about the mood that this city evokes, and above all the phantasmagoric silhouette against the crepuscular or dawn light as it is on any diurnal rality. It's worth reading the book for the descriptive symphony as he describes his initial entry into the misted city, and especially the climb up the mountain above Skutari, and watching the city once again manifest itself as a heavy fog lifts.
The chapter late in the book where he summons up the history and intrigue of the Topkapi is at once horrendous and enormously alluring--the set piece of the book that limns Constantinople's dark side: A sort of Civic Mr. Hyde for the dazzling Doctor Jekyll of her sunlit face.
I too have spent less than a few weeks in Constantinople, and it has haunted me all my life.
I ought to give it five stars: it's a classic. But he really cribbed a tad too much. And made up more than a little I suspect. I have no doubt I will re-read it before I return the next time--perhaps even this summer!
The anthology of literary references (although the notes indicate these were sometimes mistaken) are nevertheless germane--but there is no question that the mystique of Istanbul/Stamboul/Constantinople is as much about the mood that this city evokes, and above all the phantasmagoric silhouette against the crepuscular or dawn light as it is on any diurnal rality. It's worth reading the book for the descriptive symphony as he describes his initial entry into the misted city, and especially the climb up the mountain above Skutari, and watching the city once again manifest itself as a heavy fog lifts.
The chapter late in the book where he summons up the history and intrigue of the Topkapi is at once horrendous and enormously alluring--the set piece of the book that limns Constantinople's dark side: A sort of Civic Mr. Hyde for the dazzling Doctor Jekyll of her sunlit face.
I too have spent less than a few weeks in Constantinople, and it has haunted me all my life.
I ought to give it five stars: it's a classic. But he really cribbed a tad too much. And made up more than a little I suspect. I have no doubt I will re-read it before I return the next time--perhaps even this summer!
March 12, 2017
İtalyan edebiyatçı ve seyyah De Amicis'in 19.yy İstanbul'unu anlattığı kitap, önemli bir Osmanlı dönemi seyahatnamesi. Her ne kadar kulaktan dolma bilgi ve rivayetlere sıkça yer verse ve zaman zaman Oryantalist bakışla kaleme alınsa da; özellikle Topkapı Sarayı, Ayasofya ve canlı gündelik yaşam gözlemleri kaydadeğer...
June 27, 2016
This is a surprise from an unlikely author. Most of us in Turkey know Edmondo de Amicis from his famous book "Cuore" which was translated literally as "Child's Heart" and was a very popular children's book in my youth (in the 60's). It was written in the 19th century and was promoting the newly emerging nationalist values in a novel from a child's perspective.
Constantinople is de Amicis' travelogue, written in the late 1800's. It shows his fascination with the city, with its multiple cities with differing populations, a surprise waiting around each corner. He undoubtedly uses an orientalist point of view, but that was the default in his time. The only thing which reduced the value of the book in my perspective was the fact that he does not narrate everything directly from his several weeks' visit, but also takes descriptions from previous works and relates stories that he was told by others. The style is quite good (of course I could not read the original Italian but I'm assuming the translator has captured the style) and the narrative flowing. However I would prefer something coming more from first-hand experience rather than using his obviously superior narrative skills.
One thing he is really good at is reflecting the truly cosmopolitan nature of Istanbul in late 1870's. This nature has been lost in the following decades, making it nowadays devoid of the minorities which gave the city its real soul.
Constantinople is de Amicis' travelogue, written in the late 1800's. It shows his fascination with the city, with its multiple cities with differing populations, a surprise waiting around each corner. He undoubtedly uses an orientalist point of view, but that was the default in his time. The only thing which reduced the value of the book in my perspective was the fact that he does not narrate everything directly from his several weeks' visit, but also takes descriptions from previous works and relates stories that he was told by others. The style is quite good (of course I could not read the original Italian but I'm assuming the translator has captured the style) and the narrative flowing. However I would prefer something coming more from first-hand experience rather than using his obviously superior narrative skills.
One thing he is really good at is reflecting the truly cosmopolitan nature of Istanbul in late 1870's. This nature has been lost in the following decades, making it nowadays devoid of the minorities which gave the city its real soul.
November 26, 2015
"(Estambul) es una ciudad que, a decir verdad, me parece que se encuentra siempre en el ultimo día de carnaval..."
Es un libro hermoso, hecho con mucha pasión, donde el autor te sumerge como nadie hace dos siglos pudo hacerlo en la Estambul de 1886.
Vale, no es la forma de historia o relatos de viaje que más me gusta, porque De Amicis es un relator descriptivo, muy descriptivo, y además para su edad era muy sabio, y cada fragmento de relato está lleno de datos, de personajes históricos y de sitios que nunca en la vida has escuchado, entonces te pierdes, pero Constantinopla del siglo XIX es tan hermosa y poderosa que vuelves y te sumerges cuando el autor cuenta cuentos y describe lo que siente ahorrándose su erudición y sabiduría para otras paginas.
"Entre nosotros, el descanso no es sino una interrupción del trabajo ; aquí el trabajo no es sino una suspensión del reposo"
La ciudad de los dos mares y de los dos continentes, hoy Turquía, y que antes fue la ciudad de Constantino y más antes la ciudad de los Bizantinos, un lugar que si leído es hermoso, en vivo y en directo debe ser brutal.
"¡Cuán exacta es la frase de que el turco es de índole dulce y tranquila cuando... cuando no corta cabezas!"
December 1, 2015
In questo testo Edmondo De Amicis è riuscito a trasmettere la confusione di un europeo a contatto con una città, Costantinopoli ('Stambul'), crocevia di diverse culture, popolazioni, etnie. Confusione che però riesce a controllare, infatti, descrive le molteplici realtà che qui convergono, che coesistono, senza alcuna difficoltà.
'L'ozio' è un breve capitolo, o più che altro sottocapitolo, che descrive la concezione del lavoro e dell'ozio nei turchi, completamente diversa da quella europea, riporto qui un breve passo:
"Il lavoro che fra noi è quello che signoreggia e regola tutte le altre occupazioni della vita, là è subordinato, come un'occupazione secondaria, a tutti i comodi e a tutti i piaceri. Qui, il riposo non è che un'interruzione del lavoro; là il lavoro non è che una sospensione del riposo".
Interessante è il lungo capitolo sulle turche: la loro condizione, il loro stile di vita 'molle' e fanciullesco, gli intrighi, le gelosie tra le diverse mogli, il loro interesse verso la donna europea, dalle quali amano sentirsi chiamare madame, e che spesso imitano; "Ma quella manía d'imitazione ha le sue prime radici in un sentimento confuso della necessità d'un cangiamento nella società musulmana".
'L'ozio' è un breve capitolo, o più che altro sottocapitolo, che descrive la concezione del lavoro e dell'ozio nei turchi, completamente diversa da quella europea, riporto qui un breve passo:
"Il lavoro che fra noi è quello che signoreggia e regola tutte le altre occupazioni della vita, là è subordinato, come un'occupazione secondaria, a tutti i comodi e a tutti i piaceri. Qui, il riposo non è che un'interruzione del lavoro; là il lavoro non è che una sospensione del riposo".
Interessante è il lungo capitolo sulle turche: la loro condizione, il loro stile di vita 'molle' e fanciullesco, gli intrighi, le gelosie tra le diverse mogli, il loro interesse verso la donna europea, dalle quali amano sentirsi chiamare madame, e che spesso imitano; "Ma quella manía d'imitazione ha le sue prime radici in un sentimento confuso della necessità d'un cangiamento nella società musulmana".
November 25, 2012
1870'lerin İstanbul'unu başarıyla gözler önüne seren bir kitap. O dönemdeki şehir hayatını merak edenlerin okumasını tavsiye ederim. Eskizler ve kişisel anılar kitaba ayrı bir tat katmı
May 5, 2017
Büyüleyici bir kitaptır. İstanbul gerçekte ne kadar masalımsı bir şehirmiş.
June 7, 2022
Far and away the most beautifully written book on Istanbul, particularly when translated by Stephen Parkin. An utterly moving, heartfelt, and caustic account of the world's greatest city as seen from the chaotic melée of the mid-1870s. Not a punch was pulled in these pages. Still, one of the all-time masterpieces of travel literature. A writer who deserves far more credit than the past hundred years have given him.
To pick just one excerpt, his wonderful passage about the city's dogs:
"Constantinople is one vast dog kennel: everyone notices it as soon as he arrives. The dogs represent a second population of the city, less numerous, but no less strange than its human one. Everyone knows how much the Turks love them and protect them. I couldn't find out whether this is because charitableness towards all living creatures is enjoined in the Koran, or because, like certain birds, the dogs are thought to bring good fortune, or because the Prophet loved them, or because the sacred books speak of them, or because, as some claim, Mehmet the Conqueror brought in his train a numerous company of dogs, who entered the city in triumph along with him through the breach in the St Romanus gate. The fact is they are highly regarded: many Turks leave large sums in their wills for their support, and when Sultan Abdülmecid had them all removed to an island in the Sea of Marmara, the people protested and held a huge celebration when they were brought back. In order to avoid provoking such discontent again, the government has left them in peace ever since. However, according to the Koran, the dog is also an unclean animal, and every Turk believes he would contaminate his house by sheltering one under his roof, so it follows that not one of the innumerable dogs of Constantinople has a master. They form a great and free vagabond republic, collarless, nameless, without tasks to perform, without a home to go to, without rules to obey. They pass their lives in the streets: here they dig small dens, sleep, eat, are born, suckle their young, and die; and no one, at least in Stamboul, ever thinks of disturbing their occupations or their repose. They are the masters of the public highways. In our cities the dogs make way for the horseman or pedestrian; there it is the people, the horses, the camels, the donkeys, who make way for the dogs. In the busiest parts of Stamboul four or five dogs, curled up asleep in the middle of the road, will cause the entire population of the area to go out of their way for half a day."
To pick just one excerpt, his wonderful passage about the city's dogs:
"Constantinople is one vast dog kennel: everyone notices it as soon as he arrives. The dogs represent a second population of the city, less numerous, but no less strange than its human one. Everyone knows how much the Turks love them and protect them. I couldn't find out whether this is because charitableness towards all living creatures is enjoined in the Koran, or because, like certain birds, the dogs are thought to bring good fortune, or because the Prophet loved them, or because the sacred books speak of them, or because, as some claim, Mehmet the Conqueror brought in his train a numerous company of dogs, who entered the city in triumph along with him through the breach in the St Romanus gate. The fact is they are highly regarded: many Turks leave large sums in their wills for their support, and when Sultan Abdülmecid had them all removed to an island in the Sea of Marmara, the people protested and held a huge celebration when they were brought back. In order to avoid provoking such discontent again, the government has left them in peace ever since. However, according to the Koran, the dog is also an unclean animal, and every Turk believes he would contaminate his house by sheltering one under his roof, so it follows that not one of the innumerable dogs of Constantinople has a master. They form a great and free vagabond republic, collarless, nameless, without tasks to perform, without a home to go to, without rules to obey. They pass their lives in the streets: here they dig small dens, sleep, eat, are born, suckle their young, and die; and no one, at least in Stamboul, ever thinks of disturbing their occupations or their repose. They are the masters of the public highways. In our cities the dogs make way for the horseman or pedestrian; there it is the people, the horses, the camels, the donkeys, who make way for the dogs. In the busiest parts of Stamboul four or five dogs, curled up asleep in the middle of the road, will cause the entire population of the area to go out of their way for half a day."
August 8, 2017
"The best book ever written on İstanbul." ~ Orhan Pamuk
An astonishing series of portraits from "The Queen of Cities. Occasional flashes of 19th century Orientalism, but nothing egregious if you know what to look out for! Looking forward to rereading it on the shores of the Bosphorus some day.
An astonishing series of portraits from "The Queen of Cities. Occasional flashes of 19th century Orientalism, but nothing egregious if you know what to look out for! Looking forward to rereading it on the shores of the Bosphorus some day.
December 15, 2025
basically so, als wär ich selbst dort gewesen
Read
August 24, 2025On my first read I saw this as representative of some of the worst impulses in XIX century bourgeois writing, with its prim, pompous posture and hypocritical values. De Amicis wouldn’t be so coarse as to use words as indecent as “prostitute”, “genitals” or “cuckold”, but he combines this prudishness with a giddy, salacious need to dwell on these topics as much as possible. He implies the degeneracy of Ottoman culture while drooling over its elements of sex and violence. And all of it in garish, florid overtones of prose.
And yet, after I was drawn irresistibly to come back for a second read, I have to recognize to myself that this very novel might be, with all its flaws, the most enjoyable of travelogues. I've found out that garish, florid prose might be exactly what’s needed for the goal of rendering a great, shining, towering city in almost supernatural colors, with its gold mosaics, minarets in the mist and ruby domes at sunset. The maximalist writing does wonders for Constantinople, it raises it to the realm of fantasy, transforms it into a magnified version of one of Calvino’s invisible cities.
And maybe, if you are going on a trip and you want to have an adventure with a bit of friction and not without some surprises, and you are choosing a guide for your adventure, you precisely want someone who is giddy, breathless, and maybe just a bit of a buffoon. Someone you can roll your eyes at a bit, but who’ll ensure you have the most fun and memorable of experiences. And, not to be too unfair to de Amicis, he does keeps his worst impulses down a good chunk of the time, during which he instead transmits a much more agreeable impression of a good-hearted, good-humored, cultured individual. He often reminded me of Proust’s words about Gautier (who, incidentally, also wrote a well-regarded travelogue about Constantinople): “How willingly we follow this very buoyant companion on his adventures; so sympathetic is he that we find everything around him so too”.
______old write-up from 2022______
Travelogue of Edmondo de Amicis’ extended stay in Constantinople. Made very fun to read by his operatically corny writing. Quite often his reaction to a particularly grandiose sight will be along the lines of “O Kings, O Rulers, how can I envy thee when I have gazed upon such wonders?” or “O supreme beauty, I have flippantly insulted you. I must remove my hat and beg for forgiveness” or some similarly hilarious affectation. It honestly works wonders in getting you in the giddy tourist mindset.
On the surface, it’s curious to see the amount of praise given to it by Orhan Pamuk, considering its embarrassing levels of dated orientalism, including a quite leering fascination with the more grisly or lascivious aspects of the Sultan’s lives. But it’s true that, despite himself, Edmondo does succeed, maybe better than anyone else, in capturing a distinct kind of energetic, magical sensuousness behind Istanbul’s (as described by him) multi-textured, cluttered, crowded surface.
And yet, after I was drawn irresistibly to come back for a second read, I have to recognize to myself that this very novel might be, with all its flaws, the most enjoyable of travelogues. I've found out that garish, florid prose might be exactly what’s needed for the goal of rendering a great, shining, towering city in almost supernatural colors, with its gold mosaics, minarets in the mist and ruby domes at sunset. The maximalist writing does wonders for Constantinople, it raises it to the realm of fantasy, transforms it into a magnified version of one of Calvino’s invisible cities.
And maybe, if you are going on a trip and you want to have an adventure with a bit of friction and not without some surprises, and you are choosing a guide for your adventure, you precisely want someone who is giddy, breathless, and maybe just a bit of a buffoon. Someone you can roll your eyes at a bit, but who’ll ensure you have the most fun and memorable of experiences. And, not to be too unfair to de Amicis, he does keeps his worst impulses down a good chunk of the time, during which he instead transmits a much more agreeable impression of a good-hearted, good-humored, cultured individual. He often reminded me of Proust’s words about Gautier (who, incidentally, also wrote a well-regarded travelogue about Constantinople): “How willingly we follow this very buoyant companion on his adventures; so sympathetic is he that we find everything around him so too”.
______old write-up from 2022______
Travelogue of Edmondo de Amicis’ extended stay in Constantinople. Made very fun to read by his operatically corny writing. Quite often his reaction to a particularly grandiose sight will be along the lines of “O Kings, O Rulers, how can I envy thee when I have gazed upon such wonders?” or “O supreme beauty, I have flippantly insulted you. I must remove my hat and beg for forgiveness” or some similarly hilarious affectation. It honestly works wonders in getting you in the giddy tourist mindset.
On the surface, it’s curious to see the amount of praise given to it by Orhan Pamuk, considering its embarrassing levels of dated orientalism, including a quite leering fascination with the more grisly or lascivious aspects of the Sultan’s lives. But it’s true that, despite himself, Edmondo does succeed, maybe better than anyone else, in capturing a distinct kind of energetic, magical sensuousness behind Istanbul’s (as described by him) multi-textured, cluttered, crowded surface.
January 7, 2021
Non è un romanzo benché utilizzi l'espediente di un diario di viaggio per descrivere la città. La descrizione di quello che fa lo potremmo concentrare in un paio di pagine se proprio vogliamo, tutto il resto è la città. Non fraintendetemi, l'autore ci è stato davvero ad Istanbul (o Stanbul come dice lui) nel 1874, quindi tutto quello che racconta è reale, ma è un libro che è come un caffè turco, ovvero meditativo: va letto piano piano, assaporando ed immaginando ogni scorcio, ogni dettaglio e ogni racconto, senza fretta.
Inizia con il vasto scorcio, dal mare, della città che si vedeva a quel tempo per poi dividersi in vari capitoli che si avvicinano piano piano a tutti quei posti che prima erano solo dettagli del quadro generale. Non si ferma solo a questo, ovvero descrizioni dei luoghi, ma vi inserisce anche aneddoti, origine storiche e a volte dicerie per far capire e apprezzare meglio i posti. Andando sempre più nel dettaglio parla anche delle persone e delle loro usanze senza mai distaccarsi dalla città.
Scritto in un periodo in cui la televisione non c'era e l'unico modo per conoscere i posti era leggere la documentazione lasciata da chi ci era stato davvero (una sorta di Lonely planet dei nostri giorni se proprio vogliamo) un po' come si farebbe con i documentari dei giorni nostri.
La città tutt'ora sarà cambiata molto, ammodernata, ma i posti rimangono sempre quelli.
Divertente, per chi magari conosce la lingua o i posti, è la trascrizione in italiano di tutti i nomi o i termini turchi.
Inizia con il vasto scorcio, dal mare, della città che si vedeva a quel tempo per poi dividersi in vari capitoli che si avvicinano piano piano a tutti quei posti che prima erano solo dettagli del quadro generale. Non si ferma solo a questo, ovvero descrizioni dei luoghi, ma vi inserisce anche aneddoti, origine storiche e a volte dicerie per far capire e apprezzare meglio i posti. Andando sempre più nel dettaglio parla anche delle persone e delle loro usanze senza mai distaccarsi dalla città.
Scritto in un periodo in cui la televisione non c'era e l'unico modo per conoscere i posti era leggere la documentazione lasciata da chi ci era stato davvero (una sorta di Lonely planet dei nostri giorni se proprio vogliamo) un po' come si farebbe con i documentari dei giorni nostri.
La città tutt'ora sarà cambiata molto, ammodernata, ma i posti rimangono sempre quelli.
Divertente, per chi magari conosce la lingua o i posti, è la trascrizione in italiano di tutti i nomi o i termini turchi.
Read
October 27, 201819. yuzyilda yazilmis oldukca detayli bir Istanbul kitabi. Sadece sehire dair detaylar acisindan degil, bir donemin Oryantalist bakis acisini gormek icin de iyi bir kaynak olabilir. Neden roman basligiyla yayimlandigi hakkinda bir fikrim yok, cok super bir kitap oldugunu soyleyemem ama donemsellik acisindan kiymetli olabilir. Bir de editorluk acisindan cok zayif, notlardan parantezlere, dil kullanimindan typo'lara ozensiz denebilecek bir is.
May 17, 2014
Swimming with wonderful descriptions of landscape. Dense. Sometimes troubling observations of someone looking into another culture, but of its time.
March 22, 2023
Probably the best book about a city I have read
March 19, 2025
Umberto Eco states in the preface:
“The most cinematic depiction of arriving in Istanbul belongs to Amicis.”
Istanbul is an extraordinary travel book written in 1870 by the Italian author Edmondo de Amicis.
Aboard a passenger ship where cries of Umm-al Dunia from Muslims, Zavegorod from Russians, and Bella Vista from Italians echo through the air, Amicis and his friend Junk enter the city on a misty Istanbul morning. Not reading this depiction would truly be a loss.
He describes this enchanting city in all its details—not only Hagia Sophia, the Grand Bazaar, Dolmabahçe, Pera, Galata, Üsküdar, Hasköy, Okmeydanı, Tarabya, and the ornate mansions of the Bosphorus but also Istanbul’s birds, dogs, sidewalks, hamams, fashion, women,….Within his lines, Istanbul lives one life by day and another by night. So much so that he proclaims:
“This is the most beautiful view on earth… Anyone who denies it lacks gratitude to both God and nature.”
Of that era, surprisingly, of a city not so different from today, he says:
“I find peace in this vast and rigid chaos.” and describes Istanbul as follows:
“People of all nations are at your service: An Armenian is ready to shave you, a Jew to polish your boots, a Turk to welcome you aboard a boat, a Black man to scrub you in the bathhouse, a Greek to bring you coffee. But in truth, what they all await is the chance to swindle you.”
“Istanbul is not a city; it neither works, nor thinks, nor creates. As civilization knocks at its door and storms its streets, it remains idle, daydreaming in the shadows of its mosques, paying no heed to the clamor. It is fragmented, scattered, formless; rather than embodying the strength of an established state, it resembles the resting place of a nomadic people. It is like the grand sketch of a metropolis; more than a great city, it is a great spectacle.”
If I were to call it the greatest historical travel book ever written about Istanbul, I wouldn’t be exaggerating.
“The most cinematic depiction of arriving in Istanbul belongs to Amicis.”
Istanbul is an extraordinary travel book written in 1870 by the Italian author Edmondo de Amicis.
Aboard a passenger ship where cries of Umm-al Dunia from Muslims, Zavegorod from Russians, and Bella Vista from Italians echo through the air, Amicis and his friend Junk enter the city on a misty Istanbul morning. Not reading this depiction would truly be a loss.
He describes this enchanting city in all its details—not only Hagia Sophia, the Grand Bazaar, Dolmabahçe, Pera, Galata, Üsküdar, Hasköy, Okmeydanı, Tarabya, and the ornate mansions of the Bosphorus but also Istanbul’s birds, dogs, sidewalks, hamams, fashion, women,….Within his lines, Istanbul lives one life by day and another by night. So much so that he proclaims:
“This is the most beautiful view on earth… Anyone who denies it lacks gratitude to both God and nature.”
Of that era, surprisingly, of a city not so different from today, he says:
“I find peace in this vast and rigid chaos.” and describes Istanbul as follows:
“People of all nations are at your service: An Armenian is ready to shave you, a Jew to polish your boots, a Turk to welcome you aboard a boat, a Black man to scrub you in the bathhouse, a Greek to bring you coffee. But in truth, what they all await is the chance to swindle you.”
“Istanbul is not a city; it neither works, nor thinks, nor creates. As civilization knocks at its door and storms its streets, it remains idle, daydreaming in the shadows of its mosques, paying no heed to the clamor. It is fragmented, scattered, formless; rather than embodying the strength of an established state, it resembles the resting place of a nomadic people. It is like the grand sketch of a metropolis; more than a great city, it is a great spectacle.”
If I were to call it the greatest historical travel book ever written about Istanbul, I wouldn’t be exaggerating.
November 21, 2022
Puts a shame upon my love for Italians! Although not enough to diminsh it. Hear me out literate people; book had started out friendly and praiseful in regard of Istanbul. But by the time I've reached to quarter of the book, highly praised "sirrah" Edmondo defames Turkish people and slanders against Suleiman I. with false accusations, here if you do not believe me, this part is taken from the book itself:
"Suleiman I. who fired every ship in the port of Constantinople that was laden with wine, and poured molten lead down the throats of those who drank the forbidden liquor, himself died when drunk, shot by one of his own archers."
If you fine, literate people, finds any evidance to support this accusation please put me on shame.
I shall not and cannot read furthermore. As you people can empathise, it's hard to believe words of a liar that has made you waste your time with doubtful information!
Regards, a saddening event, how unfortunate...
"Suleiman I. who fired every ship in the port of Constantinople that was laden with wine, and poured molten lead down the throats of those who drank the forbidden liquor, himself died when drunk, shot by one of his own archers."
If you fine, literate people, finds any evidance to support this accusation please put me on shame.
I shall not and cannot read furthermore. As you people can empathise, it's hard to believe words of a liar that has made you waste your time with doubtful information!
Regards, a saddening event, how unfortunate...
September 11, 2021
This is an artifact of its time (the late 19th century), shot through with all the preposterous generalizations about Oriental indolence, fatalism, bloodthirstiness, and sensuality that one might imagine. De Amicis doesn't get to know any actual Turks, nor does he think it possible, he says to establish such an intimacy: Not only do Turks distrust Europeans, but [the Turk] "is not interested in the exchange of ideas with Europeans because he has no ideas to exchange." De Amicis also is repulsed by Turkish food, which is utterly inexplicable. And yet, De Amicis is a far better and more imaginative writer than most of his contemporaries whose meditations on like subjects do not make for worthwhile reading today. He captures with far more vivid detail and lush prose the European fantasies through which the actual experiences of so many travelers were infused.
October 6, 2022
İstanbul. 1874’te şehre deniz yolu ile gelen bir İtalyan’ın seyahat güncesi… Kitabın başındaki İstanbul’a varış tasviri bile, hemen uzaklara gidip İstanbul’a bir kez de gemi ile varmayı öyle çok istetiyor ki… Sonrasında bir yabancının gözünden şehrin geçmişini, neye benzediğimizi okumak, geçmişe de, kendine de, şehrine de yabancı hissettiriyor. Bazen yeşili ile, kültür çeşitliliği ile rüya gibi anlatılan şehir neden artık öyle değil diye isyan ettiriyor, bazen benimsemek istemediğin yönlerin vurgulanmış olduğunu görünce neden böyleyiz ki biz diye isyan ettiriyor, ama çoklukla üzüyor. Sonra çıkıp daha önce gezip, görüp, yaşadığın her yeri tekrar sokak sokak adımlasan bile İstanbul’u anlamaya, anlatmaya yetmeyeceğini bir kez daha anlıyor insan…
Özetle, benim gibi İstanbul’u hem seven, hem O’ndan yorulan, hayranlığı her gün artan ama bazen de küsen, ama yine de doyamayan herkes okusun derim.
“Şimdi anlat bakalım zavallı; bu ilahi hayali anlatabilmek için kafi gelmeyen kelimelerinle günaha gir! İstanbul'u anlatmaya kim cüret edebilir?”
Özetle, benim gibi İstanbul’u hem seven, hem O’ndan yorulan, hayranlığı her gün artan ama bazen de küsen, ama yine de doyamayan herkes okusun derim.
“Şimdi anlat bakalım zavallı; bu ilahi hayali anlatabilmek için kafi gelmeyen kelimelerinle günaha gir! İstanbul'u anlatmaya kim cüret edebilir?”
November 25, 2023
Really valuable book, recommended by great names such as Umberto Eco and Orhan Pamuk, for everyone who likes Istanbul and has passion to know more about it. Istanbul that we know today is different than Pamuk’s Istanbul, and that one is much more different then Amici’s Istanbul. Istanbul is like live organism which is constantly changing, shrinking and expanding like the universe itself. Every time you will visit it will have a shape of something else. But one thing is there for sure, and it had always been, beauty of its existence.
November 5, 2022
I didn't have many expectations before starting this book. I thought it would be mostly historical, but at the time of writing, not over the centuries. It was tough going, because of the constant daydreaming about the past, but a worthwhile journey. I will read this book again before travelling to Istanbul for sure. And there are many mentions of historical moments, each one could lead the reader on to new appreciation of such a complex location.
June 24, 2025
19. Yüzyıldaki İstanbul havasını toplum yapısını da ifade edişiyle farklı bir gözlemci olduğunu belli ediyor. Şehrin genel olarak güzelliğine hayran bir seyyah görüyoruz. Bunun yanında askeri disiplinsizlik, kapalıçarşı esnafı ve turist işgüzarlığı, gayrimüslim ve diğer etniklere ait mahallelerde de gezmesi ve insanlarını yorumluyor. Bazı yanılgıları olmakla birlikte,betimlemeleriyle o günlerdeki atmosferi hissettiriyor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2018
"Constantinopla nunca nos pareceu tão risonha e tão grande. Pela última vez tentamos fixar na mente os seus vastos contornos e as suas cores incertas de cidade encantada; pela última vez dirigimos o olhar para o fundo do maravilhoso Corno de Ouro, que dentro de momentos se esconderá de nós para sempre. Os lenços brancos desapareceram. O navio move-se"
March 28, 2022
Gerçekten tam bir başyapıt. Yazarın gözlem gücü ve dili ustalıkla kullanmasına hayran kaldım. Çok ufak ayrıntıları görebilmesi ve bunları gerçekçi bir şekilde yorumlaması takdire şayan. Sadece bir gezi kitabı olarak algılanmamalı, sosyolojik tespitleri de oldukça yerinde. Kitaptaki illüstrasyonlar metne renk katmış. Defalarca okunabilecek muhteşem bir eser.
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