Istanbul

When the sun sets behind the Golden Horn and the first lights of the megalopolis start to dance on the sparkling water, twinkling over the small fishing boats and the heavily laden cargo ships, then Istanbul is revealed in all its beauty. By listening to the new geophon audio guide, you can now dream that you are in Istanbul while you are still at home. Why not lie back on your sofa and listen to the babble of voices at the bazaars, music from the trendy Beyoglu area, traders calling out their wares on the Galata Bridge and many interviews with people from Istanbul? They will tell you anecdotes, give you special tips for your visit, and provide you with plenty of information about the diverse cultural scene, not just on traditional arts and crafts, but also on abstract video art and rowdy avant-garde rock.
The authors Pia and Matthias Morgenroth wandered through the streets of Istanbul looking for the special sound of the metropolis and interesting people to interview for the production of the new audio guide, "Istanbul - An Acoustic Journey between Hagia Sophia and Beyoglu". In reply to a question about what made their trip special, Matthias Morgenroth said, "I was fascinated by the diversity and the tangible atmosphere of change.
You can feel the energy in Istanbul, where many things are developing and changing at an incredible pace. In particular, the varied cultural scene with its wide range of current projects for the 2010 European Capital of Culture, which are helping to preserve unique cultural heritage on the one hand and to establish new museums and galleries on the other, makes the city so interesting. In addition, the sound of cities is always exciting for us, as we go around with a microphone. The city has its own special sound, not least because it is situated on the water and is a huge city with a mixture of many cultures. Thanks to our encounters with people in Istanbul we were able to get to know the culture of this city in a special way and to make it come alive for those listening to our audio guide."
Together with local people, the authors visited well known and less well known places and areas in Istanbul. For instance, during a tour of the building site at Yenikapı, the archaeologist Kaan speaks about the finds that are thousands of years old and were discovered during the construction of an interchange station, while the young trader Mustafa explains the principle of bargaining at his stand in the Grand Bazaar, and the chef Vedat raves about the delicacies and skills of the Ottoman cuisine. Istanbul's turbulent past and the historical buildings are just as much a topic of the acoustic journey as are the diverse art scene, the modern nightlife area and everyday life in the city.
Original sounds and music from Istanbul - for example by Baba Zula, Sezen Akzu or Nekropsi - provide the soundtrack to the trip and make the listener feel as if he or she is at the heart of the life of the city, where the sound of electro and the far-off call to prayer of the muezzin, the cries of the seagulls and the babble of voices on the streets combine to form a fascinating sound composition. This is an acoustic experience that stays with you for a long time.
"Istanbul - An Acoustic Journey between Hagia Sophia and Beyoglu" is an exciting portrait of a cultural metropolis with many different faces and contradictions - lively, extraordinary and always on the move. It is an audio guide for an enjoyable holiday on the sofa or to get you in the mood for discovering the city for yourself.
The individual tracks are marked on the map on the inside cover of the geophon CD, so that you can follow the path of the acoustic journey with your eyes. To help you prepare for your own trip Istanbul, the booklet enclosed with the CD provides tips and addresses for visits to museums and cafés, a stroll during the day or night, as well as lists of reading material and further information available in the internet.