Istanbul's landmarks on specially designed postcards

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's cultural enterprise, İstanbul Kültür A.Ş., has released a series of postcards which include three-dimensional pictures of Istanbul's landmarks. The project was initiated to revive interest in postcards which used to be one of the main communication mediums before the age of the Internet and smartphones. The postcard series, titled "Discover Istanbul," features images of Istanbul's popular historical buildings such as the Maiden's Tower, the Galata Tower, the Hagia Sophia Museum, Topkapı Palace, the Istanbul Haydarpaşa train depot, the fountain of Sultanahmet III, the Beyoğlu tram, the Blue Mosque and the city's ferries. These postcards also include historical details about Istanbul's most famous landmarks.



Postcards capture traces of the past in photograph, freezing time in the frame of the postcard as the most vivid witness to memories. Whether in black and white or vibrant colors, postcards are documents that shed light on recent history. Preceding postcards in mid-19th century Europe and the United States, business cards were used in the same form. After the American Civil War, business card sales boomed and the little cards evolved to become what we now refer to as postcards, Shortly after their introduction to the public, postcards became a major communicative tool in every segment of society. As in European countries, Turkey also saw postcards become the main way society celebrated special days, including New Year's Eve, religious festivals and birthdays. The "Discover Istanbul" postcard series is currently being sold at the Kültür A.Ş. souvenir shop, "Hediyem Istanbul."