Biennial to the European Capital of Culture

The book is about Istanbul at a time when both its images and places, and its past and present, are being refashioned in the process of making the city a ‘capital of culture’. It is presented by the editors as ‘‘the first book to capture Istanbul’s rise to the world stage set up by post-industrial capitalism’ ’ (p. 3). The overarching theme is the cultural aspect of globalisation that is witnessed locally in the context of Istanbul. The book is a collection of essays ranging from heritage sites to the cinema and art in and about the city, from the Istanbu