Istanbul Stories: Nuran Terzioğlu, Gallery Owner

Nuran Terzioğlu is the owner and soul of Galeri Apel, a well established contemporary art gallery in the heart of Çukurcuma. Born in Bebek to the sound of Perry Como’s hit song “Hot Diggety” playing at a night club nearby, she has witnessed the development and growth of Istanbul over the course of nearly seven decades. Yabangee met with Nuran for a enjoyable chat about her beloved home city.

Yabangee: As an Istanbullu, you’ve spent the majority of your lifetime here. Tell us about your personal story with the city.

Nuran Terzioğlu: Like my mother and grandmother before me, I was born and raised in Bebek. During my childhood, Bebek was known for its big gardens, beautiful houses, and narrow streets, all gathered around a pretty mosque. But still it was a modest place! It was the terminal station of the red and green tram that is now running up and down Istiklal. Following the shore all the way from Eminönü, the tram finally made a nice little round journey among the big trees of Bebek. It was wonderful!

Which places were particularly impressive for you as a child?

I have a beautiful memory of my childhood in Bebek. This place gave me so many directions in life. First there was Bebek Bahcesi, one of Istanbul’s most fabulous nightclubs at that time, where excellent Greek and Turkish singers did their shows. Also there were foreign acts – dancers from Hungary for example, performing to Liszt’ compositions. It was so nice! I used to go to the rehearsals almost every day. Lost in my admiration for the show’s stars, I would dance and sing in front of the mirror imitating them.

Next to Bebek Bahcesi was the Galatasaray Swimming Club. In the summertime we were there, swimming the whole day. We used to visit our friends in the bay of Bebek by swimming. People were so kind, and everybody knew each other. This is now unthinkable in Bebek – most off the time you don’t even know which language you come across!

I still live in Bebek, although it has changed for the worse. The area became a platform for people to show off their wealth – one can hardly have a nice walk on the streets anymore.

How were you introduced to art?

Besides the stage, another one of my very early interests was art. I was brought up by my grandmother’s best friend, who was the daughter of a priest from Kars and very religious. She took me to all the churches, mosques and synagogues of Istanbul. For her, these places were all houses of God and therefore equal to each other. The sculptures and candle installations of these churches were magical to me, and I loved hearing all the stories about the stained-glass windows!

At that time, we could not find any art books in Istanbul, but every week we received Hayat magazine, which always contained one page on a western artist from Rafael to Picasso – including reproductions of their works. I would memorize all the information by heart. We collected these pages, put them in chronological order and had them bound as a book. My obsession with art took hold from that point onwards.

Your gallery is located in Çukurcuma. How did this area develop in recent times?

Çukurcuma has kept its charm ever since I first came here. So far there hasn’t been a great deal of gentrification. The area is improving but still has much respect for the history. I’m very happy here. The time I bought the place in 1994, there were no galleries in the neighborhood. But Çukurcuma has always been a place full of history and culture, and I foresaw that change was just around the corner. And see what happened; now the streets full of galleries, book stores and other nice places!

What will Istanbul look like 10 years from now?

I cannot be optimistic, so I hate to talk about such things! But I will. There are skyscrapers, for example, that are sprouting up everywhere. Istanbul is historically known for it’s beautiful horizon line, defined by the domes of mosques and synagogues and of course by the natural domes – the famous seven hills of Istanbul. Now we’re really ruining it with the skyscrapers. Maybe it’s necessary, but for me this is sad. I wish they could find another way to keep pace with the growing population – what about underground cities? (laughs) Still – Istanbul, no matter what you do, is always beautiful. No matter how hard you try, you cannot change the nature of this city.

If you had to pick three words associated with Istanbul, what would they be?

Breezes, running waters and erguvan, the Judas Tree.

What would you recommend a yabanci to experience in Istanbul?

Get on a boat – not a fancy one, but a feribot – and be part of the group. Travel around the Bosphorus or to the Prince’s Islands among the Turkish people and see how they talk to each other, how the families spend time together. One can experience life in the feribot.

Where would you go to socialize?

I would go to galleries, that’s where I feel at home. I’m dying for the Biennial to start! The art scene is a home to me, no only in Istanbul but all over the world!

Where would you go escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a short time?

I would take a walk in the quiet area north of Sariyer, from where you can see the Black Sea meeting the Bosphorus. The view is absolutely stunning!

Where would you go to dinner and what would you order?

Of course fish! Although it’s a little expensive, Bebek Balikci would be my first choice. And – being a typical Istanbullu – of course I would order lüfer, Blue Fish. In winter I have white wine with it, but in summer it has to be Raki on ice! I would hold up the glass and check if my Raki is the same colour as the sky – that’s a real treat!