Postcard: Istanbul not Constantinople

After a recent trip to Turkey, my sister & brother-in-law surprised me with two vintage postcards...one of the old city of Constantinople and one of the new city of Istanbul.

The old view (probably taken from Galata Tower) shows a busy span of the Golden Horn from above Galata Bridge, which on the postcard is called "le nouveau Pont". I thought this may indicate the bridge's newness in the landscape, but that's why research is important... When the bridge was first built in 1845, it was known as the Cisr-i-Cedid or "new bridge" to differentiate it from Cisr-i Atik or "old bridge" situated further up the Golden Horn. Of course this fact makes the date of the card a little bit difficult to place! The current version of the bridge is actually its fifth incarnation, finished most recently in 1994. I love this postcard - it shows the complexity and beauty of the city in just one moment. I love seeing the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque - it gives them context as a part of the city, instead of just singular monuments that house incredible art.

The newer view shows a view of Beyazit Square with Beyazit Tower and the entrance to Istanbul University. Built as a fire watch tower in 1828, after the first tower was destroyed by fire. Almost all of the old city could be seen from this tower, making it easy to sound the alarm. Obviously, this postcard shows the red flag of the Republic of Turkey flying proudly over the square, so it must date from after 1923. But not by much, I think, judging on the types of cars...

Both postcards are magical - completely transporting into another time, place, and continent. In other words: they're just the kinds of postcards that make me love collecting them!