“This landscape made me.” In this intimate interview, Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk reflects on Istanbul, the city that has shaped his life and writing. From his office overlooking the Bosphorus, Pamuk describes Istanbul as an ever-present source of inspiration, memory, and introspection.
“I’ve been looking at it for the last 40, 50 years,” Pamuk explains. The sense of belonging permeates his works, where the city’s complex character—the faded grandeur of Ottoman architecture, the bustling Bosphorus traffic, and the nostalgic feel of black-and-white winter landscapes—comes alive.
Pamuk’s Istanbul is one of the contradictions: a city simultaneously “poor at the edge of Europe” yet rich in history and cultural resilience. He speaks of Istanbul’s distinct “Hüzün,” or melancholy, as a defining characteristic, a blend of Sufi-inspired humility and historical resignation that he experienced deeply in his youth. “My beautiful Istanbul is black and white,” he notes, underscoring his affection for the city’s unpolished, almost melancholic charm, which he captured in his early photography and paintings.
Orhan Pamuk also describes Istanbul’s unique soundscape, where the noises of bustling avenues, street vendors, and even the calls of seagulls over the Bosphorus reflect the essence of the city. “Every city has a different sound,” he observes, emphasizing how these familiar sounds deepen his connection to Istanbul’s rhythm. Over the years, his perception of the city has grown into a personal mission: “A city turns out to be an index for your memories.”
He contrasts Istanbul’s constant transformation with its timeless structures, which evoke an emotional and historical depth for him. Pamuk mourns the rapid changes that erase Istanbul’s “old, fragile” architecture and streets, elements he believes are vital to the city’s identity. “We are attached to this old Ottoman fountain…because it’s part of me after a while,” he says, highlighting the personal significance that everyone can find in a city’s enduring spaces.
Orhan Pamuk (b. 1952, Istanbul) is one of Turkey’s most celebrated authors, known for his novels “Snow,” “My Name Is Red,” and “The Museum of Innocence.” Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006, he has become an international voice exploring themes of identity, memory, and the intersection of East and West.
The video shows photographs by Orhan Pamuk from the books Balcony (2018) and Orange (2020).
Orhan Pamuk was interviewed by Christian Lund in Istanbul in September 2024.
Camera: Rasmus Quistgaard
Edited by Roxanne Bagheshirin Lærkesen
Produced by Christian Lund
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2024
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