The Third Annual International Graduate Student Workshop ...

city but also gives the reader a sense of the layers of significance and power within the
city. He also spares a separate chapter to the description of the palace from the outside
and also briefly discussing the inner parts. One gets the impression that his choice of a
human body when he introduces the palace is a conscious one and it works nicely and
smoothly for anyone without a prior knowledge of the city.
Following this choice of visual representation, a clear sense of attachment and
mindset stands out in Eremya’s portrayal of Istanbul. For him, Istanbul is not just a place
but a symbol of a distinct style of life where variety and excitement thrive. First of all, the
demographic structure of the city is certainly intriguing for him. He tries to incorporate
into his account all social groups be it religious, ethnic, linguistic, professional or
administrative with as much depth and specificity as possible regarding their origins and
functions. Secondly, it is a common connector in Eremya’s depiction of Istanbul he
doesn’t miss to include in every passage that the city is composed of a high variety of
landmarks from churches to mosques, palaces to heavenly gardens and forts to ports. And
as a last example, he brings in stories about the city and its inhabitants in every chapter
that are interesting, compelling, saddening and funny. With these stories, he engages the
reader to the narration and presents the excitement that encounter within this diverse set
of social groups produces. In the last chapter in which he dedicates this book to Vartaped
Vartan of Bitlis residing in the Amirdolu Vank, Eremya refers to the fact that it is beyond
his capacity to introduce each and every aspect and structure of the city. He gives a sense
of scale for the entirety of the city that a single effort is not capable of encompassing its
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