The city we now know as Istanbul has been an important cultural and economic hub for centuries. Under its many guises — first as Byzantium, then Constantinople, and finally Kostantiniyye/Istanbul — this magnificent place has witnessed a succession of empires, the migration of peoples, and astounding urban growth.

Experience the many faces of this city through the astonishing historical collection of the noted Turkish collector and art philanthropist Ömer Koç, and a selection of works by the renowned contemporary photographer Murat Germen. Albums, panoramas, and individual photographs from the 1850s to the early 1900s are combined with 21st-century views that seem almost futuristic in their rendering of scale and space. Immerse yourself in a living city whose history is as varied as the people who call it home.