A Viewfinder Stopping Time: Feruz Ertürer’s 75 Years of Memory “Another World Where He Looks” at Bulgur Palas

Rising on Istanbul’s seventh hill, the historic Bulgur Palas hosts one of the greatest living witnesses of Turkey’s photography history. Starting in a photographer family in Adapazarı and transforming into an uninterrupted production adventure of over 75 years, the exhibition “Another World Where He Looks” (Baktığı Yerde Başka Bir Dünya) signed by Feruz Ertürer has entered the countdown toward its end. There are only three weeks left on the calendar for this massive archive documenting Turkey’s social, human, and urban transformation through the viewfinder of the 90-year-old master from the 1950s to the present… The exhibition can be visited free of charge in Fatih until August 16, 2026.

From Family Heritage to Country Panorama: In Pursuit of Flowing Moments

Feruz Ertürer’s connection with photography germinated in the darkroom of the family studio in Adapazarı. Embracing the profession as both a family memory and a personal passion, the master figure spent decades pursuing the documentation of that natural whole of moments in the flow of life, rather than capturing a single “banner moment.” In his own words: “For years, I tried not to miss that moment.”

This patient tracking makes itself felt in the rich selection of approximately 500 frames in the exhibition. The exhibition curation is shaped around four main themes offering a geographic, temporal, and emotional mapping:

• Adapazarı: The intimate, pure, and timeless rhythm of provincial life.

• Istanbul: The city’s identity-changing streets, vanishing neighborhood culture, and human landscapes.

• Children: A sociological archive capturing children of different eras and geographies with pure naturalness.

• Abstractions: Experimental compositions pushing the graphic possibilities of photography through light, shadow, and form.

Today, at 90 years old and still trusting his frame, Ertürer’s selection goes beyond being a classic “retrospective” trapped in the past; it builds a vibrant bridge between yesterday and today.

Curatorial Effort on the Historic Hill: The Atmosphere of Bulgur Palas

Restored by İBB Kültür AŞ and brought to the city’s cultural life, Bulgur Palas is tailor-made to host this exhibition within Fatih’s historic fabric. The historical atmosphere of the building establishes an organic dialogue with Ertürer’s old photos of Istanbul; the frames in the hall are virtually completed by the silhouette of the historical peninsula visible from the building’s windows.

The preparation process bearing the signature of curator Murat Gür is just as valuable as the exhibition itself. Approximately 500 photographs retrieved from the negative archive were placed in the halls with a thematic layout following high-resolution digital scanning and meticulous restoration processes. The “Children” section, in particular, is the most emotion-filled stop of the exhibition with its clarity that suddenly throws one onto the streets of old times.

Frequently Asked Questions About Feruz Ertürer’s “Another World Where He Looks”

Where and until when is the exhibition open, and is admission paid?

The exhibition can be visited at Bulgur Palas in Fatih until August 16, 2026. It is open every day of the week except Mondays between 10:00–19:00. Admission is completely free.

Who is Feruz Ertürer?

A master photographer from the 1930s generation, currently 90 years old. He grew up in a photographer family in Adapazarı and documented Turkey’s social, cultural, and human landscape from the 1950s to the present.

How many photographs are included in the exhibition and what is its layout?

There are approximately 500 scanned and cleaned photographs. The selection is presented in 4 thematic sections: Adapazarı, Istanbul, Children, and Abstractions.

It is a great chance to view such a massive archive of over half a thousand photographs on this scale by a master who dedicated 75 years to Turkey’s visual documentary history, completely free of charge and in the atmosphere of a historic palace. Steer your route to Fatih, Istanbul’s 7th hill, for this exhibition closing its doors in August. While looking at those masterfully crafted frames accumulated over the years, you will deeply feel where a country and a city came from and where they have arrived. Don’t miss it!