You're No Better Than the Dust in the City

This story is a documentary-like memoir, enriched with interviews and field notes, centered around the experiences of a young architecture student. It explores the "invisible spaces" of the city places whose existence was never talked about, often undesirable to be remembered, quickly forgotten and spaces that needed to be transformed into another place as soon as possible.

The narrative follows the student's efforts to recognize and understand these neglected areas, while confronting the urban challenges of gentrification and displacement. It also critically reflects on the gaps between theoretical design education and the practical realities of urban transformation.

The city that shaped the background of this story is Istanbul, a layered, complex metropolis far removed from the architectural and urban planning traditions of European or American cities, and often absent from popular architectural history narratives. The real experiences lived within Istanbul's transforming neighborhoods form the foundation of this work.

Throughout the book, themes such as destruction, traces, belonging, urban dynamism and the genius loci (spirit of place) are explored, with a focus on their impact on the daily lives of people affected by these urban changes.

This work was especially inspired by Joe Sacco's Safe Area Gorazde, as well as Ersin Karabulut's Journal inquiet d'Istanbul (Dargaud), both powerful examples of socially conscious visual storytelling. 

Some samples from the graphic novel

Additional Content about the gentrification area in Istanbul (Photos, Maps etc.)

To download the full book please click the link down below: