SINGLE PHOTO - HONORABLE MENTION
In this photo series, I wanted to show people’s (and my own) relationship with the sea. The moment I decided to move to Athens, I was looking at the sea in this neighborhood, Palaio Faliro. Psychologically, I had hit rock bottom, yet the shore still gave me a sense of optimism. I told myself, “I can heal here.”
Istanbul also has the sea, but being alone with it is not always easy. A friend once told me, “We live in a city surrounded by water on all sides, yet we can’t touch it.” The elderly in Istanbul always sigh and talk about beaches, tavernas, open-air cinemas, small squares, and old marketplaces which does not exist anymore. Gentrification and greed have destroyed Istanbul. And we, who hugged the trees in Gezi Park, were declared terrorists.
In many parts of Athens, I feel as if I’ve stepped into my grandmother’s Istanbul. But Palaio Faliro has another layer. When I shared my love for it online, someone told me:
"I do not know if it was by mistake that you mentioned Palaio Faliro. Palaio Faliro is the Athens region where nearly all the Greek Orthodox Christians of Istanbul settled when they fled from Pera / Beyoğlu. They chose Palaio Faliro because of the sea that reminds them of Istanbul."
That’s when I realized that, just as my queer community and I are subjected to certain fascist policies today, many elderly people here were also targeted, forced to leave their beloved Istanbul through discriminatory practices. Guided by an emotional compass, I found myself in this neighborhood where Istanbul’s Greek, Armenian, and Turkish communities once lived. Since then, I have held a special love for this place.For me, home is the people who share similar wounds—and the sea.
Istanbul also has the sea, but being alone with it is not always easy. A friend once told me, “We live in a city surrounded by water on all sides, yet we can’t touch it.” The elderly in Istanbul always sigh and talk about beaches, tavernas, open-air cinemas, small squares, and old marketplaces which does not exist anymore. Gentrification and greed have destroyed Istanbul. And we, who hugged the trees in Gezi Park, were declared terrorists.
In many parts of Athens, I feel as if I’ve stepped into my grandmother’s Istanbul. But Palaio Faliro has another layer. When I shared my love for it online, someone told me:
"I do not know if it was by mistake that you mentioned Palaio Faliro. Palaio Faliro is the Athens region where nearly all the Greek Orthodox Christians of Istanbul settled when they fled from Pera / Beyoğlu. They chose Palaio Faliro because of the sea that reminds them of Istanbul."
That’s when I realized that, just as my queer community and I are subjected to certain fascist policies today, many elderly people here were also targeted, forced to leave their beloved Istanbul through discriminatory practices. Guided by an emotional compass, I found myself in this neighborhood where Istanbul’s Greek, Armenian, and Turkish communities once lived. Since then, I have held a special love for this place.For me, home is the people who share similar wounds—and the sea.
Jury: Hailey Sadler - National Geographic Explorer
and Photojournalist
and Photojournalist
"ReFocus PHOTO CHALLENGE 05: HOME"
SINGLE PHOTO WINNER
SINGLE PHOTO WINNER
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