BOATS IN KARAKÖY
Fish at twilight 14 June 2014 Karaköy UFUK means “horizon. Seemed limitless from there: little restaurants & fish stalls & thousands of gulls & other birds, stone structures left over from the Romans & tall narrow wooden buildings selling hardware & paint. The area has been “modernized,” so I’m glad I drew this while I could.
THE BYZANTINE CAR WASH IN KARAKOY
Well, you know I just had to draw it.
CAR WASH RAMAZAN
Co-owner of the Byzantine Car Wash, Ramazan Treated me like a queen the whole time I was drawing.
HOW IT BEGAN
CAR WASH AFGHAN
This fellow from Afghanistan and his pal Ata were living on the roof and working in the car wash all during the time I was drawing it. He has all gold teeth but declined to pose with them.
CAR WASH HOUSE
CAR WASH ATA
Ata, Living and working at the Byzantine Car Wash
MORE PROGRESS
PROUD OWNER THEN & NOW
Owner of the Byzantine Car Wash- Then and Now Inside every gent is a young blade, and I love to draw them. He loves to entertain his friends up top.
THE BYZANTINE CAR WASH
Karakoy c1204 AD/CE. Genoese on Byzantine foundation- chapel slaughterhouse car wash, now doomed for a hotel. Built as a chapel by the Genoese after the destruction of the 4th Crusade, this fabulous old hulk has survived since the 13th century despite being built right onto by modern structures on both sides. I think we are looking at the remains of the choir loft, with the nave stretching beyond. The building is symmetrical, with still-functional offices on both sides of the doorway, which stood much taller before the surface of the street was raised. After the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul, the chapel was turned into a slaughterhouse for chickens, and now it’s a car wash. How they get the cars in and out is a mystery, as the street is only as wide as an alley. The owners were told when they bought it that they couldn’t demolish, but have been given no support for maintenance. They’ve opened it as a Cultural Center at monthly neighborhood craft fairs, and it’s one of the most beloved places in the area. This artwork is much bigger than the sketchbook drawings, at 50 X 70 centimeters. I drew most of it in June 2014 and finished it up in 2016. Happily the Byzantine Car Wash is still with us now in 2021, and Street Art Master ET has updated the skull.