An Utterly Improbable Alternative History of Istanbul

The book took its place on the shelves not only as a book but as a social responsibility project.

Five independent stories spanning the Byzantine era to the War of Independence, warm and candid by turns — sometimes to sadden the reader, sometimes to amuse, sometimes to make them think. The author frames every story as a meeting and a conversation with the reader, giving his words a distinct and intimate voice.

Inside these skilfully built stories, all of them starting from something real, telling apart what the author calls the "tall tale" becomes rather difficult. With the line "this city did not come out of a banana peel," the book sets out to show how entertaining history can actually be — and reads in a single sitting.

The proceeds from sales went into a scholarship fund and on to students, as they had with the Hekat project before it. Not only the author but everyone involved had the grace to donate their earnings from the project to that fund.

Credits

Editors: Müjgan Tanatabey Gök and Eren Ergün. Cover design and typesetting: Şener Soysal.