Last Dance of Tarlabasi
Rooftop view of Tarlabasi. Many buildings in the area have been vacated to accommodate high-end development projects. Istanbul, Turkey. September 2011
A dilapidated neighborhood in the city’s center, the main street of Tarlabasi runs parallel to Istiklal Prospect, Istanbul’s cosmopolitan artery. If, by walking down Istiklal, you can hear the city’s heartbeat, then Tarlabasi, only 3 minutes away, is its shadow twin, beating with its own irregular rhythm. In spite of its run-down looks and reputation for widespread crime, Tarlabasi is a culturally vibrant neighborhood kaleidoscope - populated by Kurdish migrant workers from Anatolia, Roma gypsies, Greeks and African immigrants - from devout Muslims to trans-gender sex workers. But this diverse social fabric is being torn apart, since on June 12, 2011 the Beyoglu municipality began a series of forced evictions - following the government’s plan for city beautification.
Last Dance of Tarlabasi is a visual tale of this neighborhood as it struggles to survive the ruthless pace of Istanbul’s urban change. The symbolic center of this story is a Roma Gypsy wedding - where Mukattes, a 17-year old bride who was born and raised in Tarlabasi, is devastated at the prospect of leaving her home and her family behind. “Wipe your tears and dance - the most beautiful girl of Tarlabasi! Soon you will not be here!” – her relatives chant as they pour onto a small alley of the Gypsy quarter in wild celebration. Mukattes’ infinite homesickness echoes in the hearts of most Tarlabasi residents, though some choose to resist government pressure and take legal action against the new measures.
