This was Istanbul as it looked to tourists, visitors, and residents in mid-century. This book, with it's 103 color photos, is first and foremost a photo introduction to the hustle, bustle, beauty, culture, food, and history that greeted visitors to Istanbul in early 1970s. Full color photos on every page - some of them full page - depict the food, the people, the architecture, the art, the religions, and the history of this cradle of civilization. The accompanying text, written by Dr. Sadah Gokovali, is scholarly enough to be informative and historically accurate, yet it is still easy to read and digest. (The author also published several other award-winning travel books, most notably, "Ephesus.")