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''Güzel İstanbul'' (''Beautiful Istanbul'') is a concrete public sculpture of a
nude Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. While estimates vary, for the first 90,000 years of pre-history, anatomically modern humans were naked, having lost their body hair, living in hospitable climates, and no ...
female figure by
Gürdal Duyar Gürdal Duyar (20 August 1935 – 18 April 2004) was a Turkish sculptor who is known for his monuments to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Atatürk and his Bust (sculpture), busts of famous people. His art is characterized as having a Modern sculpture, ...
that is located in
Yıldız Park Yıldız Park () is a historical, urban park in Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is one of the largest public parks in Istanbul. The park is located in Yıldız, Beşiktaş, Yıldız quarter between the palaces of Yıldız Palace, Yı ...
in
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, Turkey. The sculpture was commissioned in 1973 as one of 20 sculptures installed in Istanbul as part of an initiative by the Istanbul Municipality to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
Turkish Republic Turkish Republic may refer to: * Turkey, archaically the "Turkish Republic" * Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the ...
. ''Güzel İstanbul'' represents Istanbul as a nude female figure; its plinth was adorned with figurative motifs referencing the history of Istanbul. ''Güzel İstanbul'' was originally located at
Karaköy Square Karaköy Square is an area in Karaköy at the north end of the Galata Bridge on the northern bank of the Golden Horn. It is between the opposing directions of the Kemeraltı Street which temporarily splits at Karaköy Square. The metro stop on a p ...
. Several Turkish media outlets and traditional conservative politicians considered the sculpture obscene and called for its swift removal. In March 1974, a controversy surrounding the sculpture's installation temporarily strained Turkey's governing coalition. Following nine days of intense public debate, ''Güzel İstanbul'' was removed from its plinth and toppled on 18 March. It was significantly damaged and abandoned, and remained in Karaköy Square for over a month. On 2 May, ''Güzel İstanbul'' was moved to Yıldız Park, where it was re-erected on a makeshift plinth. As of 2023, the sculpture remains in Yıldız Park; no conservation work has been undertaken to return the work to its original condition. Bankalar Caddesi Bankalar Caddesi (''Banks Street''), also known as Voyvoda Caddesi (''Voivode Street''), in the historic Galata quarter (present-day Karaköy) of the Beyoğlu (Pera) district in Istanbul, Turkey, was the financial centre of the late Ottoman Empi ...
and Kemeraltı Caddesi." />


Commission

In 1972, the Istanbul governor's office formed a Board for the Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Republic, which would occur the following year. A joint initiative of the
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (, Ä°BB) is the government agency in charge of the municipal affairs of the Istanbul Province. It is one of the 30 metropolitan municipalities in Turkey. History The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality ...
, the Istanbul Fine Arts Academy and the State College of Fine and Applied Arts formed the board's Fine Arts Committee, which included
Şadi Çalık Şadi Çalık (1917 – 24 December 1979) was a Turkish sculptor. He is famous for his abstract sculpture. Çalık was born in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, in 1917. In 1923, during the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey, he mo ...
, Mustafa Aslıer and Hüseyin Gezer. The committee commissioned 50 sculptures to celebrate the anniversary; they would be sculpted by 50 artists and placed in several public spaces in Istanbul, including parks and squares. Due to insufficient funding, the number of sculptures was reduced to 20 and the Board introduced more stringent qualifications to eliminate 30 artists; the sculptor had to be living in Istanbul and either have received a state award or have had established their personality in the arts sphere. In addition to Duyar, selected artists included Kuzgun Acar, Tamer Başoğlu,
Zerrin Bölükbaşı Zerrin Bölükbaşı (1919–2010) was a Turkish sculptor. She was of the first Turkish female sculptors, and the first woman sculptor to work on abstract sculptures. Life Early life Zerrin Bölükbaşı was born as Zerrin Ark to İhsan and Nevza ...
,
Ali Teoman Germaner Ali Teoman Germaner (1934 – 23 February 2018), was a Turkish sculptor. He is also known as Aloş. Life He was born in 1934 in Istanbul. Between 1949 and 1954 he was educated in the İDGSA Sculpture Department in the studios of Rudolf Bellin ...
,
Yavuz Görey Yavuz Görey (27 August 1912 – 1995) was a Turkish sculptor. Life Yavuz Görey was born in Geneva, Switzerland on 27 August 1912. He is the brother of graphic artist Ä°hap Hulusi Görey (1898–1986). After attending the primary and mid ...
, Zühtü Müritoğlu,
Füsun Onur Füsun Onur (born 1938) is a Turkish artist, based in Istanbul. She uses everyday materials in her painting and sculpture to reflect on space, time, rhythm and form. Early life and education Onur was born in Kuzguncuk, Istanbul. She attended th ...
, Kamil Sonad,
Nusret Suman Nusret Suman (21 March 1905, Veria – 15 August 1978, İzmit) was a Turkish sculptor and painter. He worked especially on portraits and monuments. His last work is the Hittite Sun Course Monument, which was the symbol of the city of Ankara in ...
and Seyhun Topuz. The committee did not provide stylistic or thematic guidelines, opting for diversity and suggesting each artist submit a work in their idiosyncratic style to represent the diversity of contemporaneous Turkish sculpture. The sculptors were told the placement of their proposed sculpture would be not be predetermined; but would be installed in a park, a square, or on a roadside. The design proposals were to be submitted to the
State Art and Sculpture Museum The State Art and Sculpture Museum () is a museum dedicated to fine arts and sculpture in Ankara, Turkey. The museum was openend in 1930 upon the direction of Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of Turkey. I ...
on 20 August 1973.
Gürdal Duyar Gürdal Duyar (20 August 1935 – 18 April 2004) was a Turkish sculptor who is known for his monuments to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Atatürk and his Bust (sculpture), busts of famous people. His art is characterized as having a Modern sculpture, ...
submitted the sketches for his proposal; a
nude Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. While estimates vary, for the first 90,000 years of pre-history, anatomically modern humans were naked, having lost their body hair, living in hospitable climates, and no ...
which he named ''Güzel Istanbul'' ("Beautiful Istanbul"). His proposal was approved during a meeting of the board that was attended by provincial and municipal representatives. The board selected his proposal to be placed in
Karaköy Square Karaköy Square is an area in Karaköy at the north end of the Galata Bridge on the northern bank of the Golden Horn. It is between the opposing directions of the Kemeraltı Street which temporarily splits at Karaköy Square. The metro stop on a p ...
. The design and the nudity were not considered an issue at any point in the process. The sculpture has alternatively been called ("Oh Beautiful Istanbul)".


Design

Duyar's concept was to create an allegory of Istanbul through a nude female figure whose arms would be bound by a chain, representing the defensive chain constructed by the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
to close off the
Golden Horn The Golden Horn ( or ) is a major urban waterway and the primary inlet of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey. As a natural estuary that connects with the Bosphorus Strait at the point where the strait meets the Sea of Marmara, the waters of the ...
from the Ottoman fleet in 1453. Duyar's portrayal of a woman attempting to break the chains was intended to represent the Ottoman
conquest of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city was captured on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 55-day siege which ha ...
, which was later renamed Istanbul. Duyar said he had identified Istanbul, his home city, with the natural beauty of the female body. In Duyar's final design, the female figure leans slightly backwards with her arms wrapped behind her, and her head is inclined backwards as she looks at the sky. The hands are shackled with a chain, which is not visible from the front. The upper part of the sculpture rests on a plinth that is decorated with reliefs depicting pomegranates, figs, honeysuckle and a bee. According to Duyar, the pomegranates in the relief represent Istanbul's many legends; figs its divinity; honeysuckle its air; and the bee its population density, dynamism and abundance. In addition to its historical and political symbolism, Duyar's work has also been interpreted as a universal representation of the
emancipation of women Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
. The sculpture, when first installed, was high and used of
poured concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufacture ...
.


Erection and removal

On 10 March 1974, ''Güzel İstanbul'' was erected in Karaköy Square, Istanbul, a crowded and open space near the northern end of the
Galata Bridge The Galata Bridge (, ) is a bridge that spans the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey. From the end of the 19th century in particular, the bridge has featured in Turkish literature, theater, poetry and novels. The current Galata Bridge is just the la ...
. It garnered particular attention that led to a campaign against it.
Ahu Antmen Ahu Antmen Akiska (born 1971 in Mersin) is a Turkish writer, translator, academic and columnist. Biography She got her degree between the years 1989-1994 at Ä°stanbul Ãœniversitesi Faculty of Communications. Between the years 1994-1995, she c ...
said this was due to its placement in a crowded open space while
Onat Kutlar Onat Kutlar (25 January 1936 – 11 January 1995) was a prominent Turkish writer and poet, founder of the Turkish Sinematek and cofounder of the Istanbul International Film Festival. Biography Onat Kutlar was born in Alanya, Turkey, on 25 J ...
said this was due to the sensuality or realism present in Duyar's sculptures, including ''Güzel İstanbul''.


Güzel İstanbul Affair

Other nude sculptures had previously been installed in public areas of Istanbul, and around this time there were numerous nude sculptures on display in
İstanbul State Art and Sculpture Museum The Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum () is a museum in the Tophane area of European Istanbul, Turkey. It is part of the large Galataport complex. The museum was originally housed in the mansion of the crown prince attached to the Dolmabahç ...
. None of these had been found indecent or objectionable or caused any controversy. It has been suggested the officials involved Duyar's commission had not anticipated the sculpture's nakedness would cause controversy. The installation of Duyar's sculpture was met with an immediate backlash and calls for its removal by politicians due to its perceived indecency, particularly by members of the
National Salvation Party The National Salvation Party (, MSP) was an Islamist political party in Turkey, founded on 11 October 1972 as the successor of the banned National Order Party (''Millî Nizam Partisi'', MNP). The party was formed by a core group of working cadres ...
, traditional conservatives who were part of the recently formed coalition government. The ensuing controversy and public debate, which was precipitated by major media outlets and fueled by prominent Turkish political figures, is referred to as the ''Güzel İstanbul Affair'' (). An anti-''Güzel İstanbul'' campaign occurred in the media; for 10 days, the press described the sculpture as indecent and erotic. The newspaper ''Sabah'' presented strong opinions; on 21 March 1974 it printed a front-page article that said the sculpture was corrupting the morals of Muslim Turks. This led to the sculpture appearing on the government's agenda; Deputy-Prime Minister
Necmettin Erbakan Necmettin Erbakan (29 October 1926 – 27 February 2011) was a Turkish politician and political theorist who served as the 23rd prime minister of Turkey from 1996 to 1997. He was pressured by the military to step down as prime minister and was la ...
stated it was immoral, and on 17 March suggested its removal. The Minister of the Interior,
Oğuzhan Asiltürk Oğuzhan Asiltürk (25 May 1935 – 1 October 2021) was a Turkish politician. He served as Minister of Industry and Technology and Minister of the Interior as well as chairman of the executive board of the Felicity Party. Biography Asiltürk at ...
, said the sculpture should be removed because it disgracefully represented Turkish mothers. The mayor of Istanbul
Ahmet İsvan Ahmet İsvan (1923–2017) was a leftist Turkish politician. He served as the mayor of Istanbul between 1973 and 1977. He was among the pioneers of the municipal socialism in Turkey. Early life and education İsvan was born in Istanbul in 1923. ...
stated he disliked the sculpture because he found it tasteless, not because it was a nude. The Governor of Istanbul
Namık Kemal Şentürk Namık Kemal Şentürk (24 July 1922 in Merzifon – 14 April 2020) was a Turkish politician. He was the son of Bayburt lawyer Sinan Şentürk (son of Hasan Efendi, grandchild of Nazim Effendi, son of Hasan Effendi, grandson of Huseyin Effendi, ...
stated he was unable to judge the sculpture on an artistic level but that the choice of location had been wrong and thus he had the sculpture removed. Republican intellectuals and others defended the sculpture and its right to remain, leading to an intense debate. Seyhun Topuz, a sculptor who also participated in the 50th Anniversary sculptures, said ''Güzel İstanbul'' almost ended Turkey's less-than-two-months-old governing coalition. The CHP (
Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party (RPP; , CHP ) is a Kemalism, Kemalist and Social democracy, social democratic political party in Turkey. It is the oldest List of political parties in Turkey, political party in Turkey, founded by Mustafa Kemal ...
), the other party in the coalition, supported the MSP (
National Salvation Party The National Salvation Party (, MSP) was an Islamist political party in Turkey, founded on 11 October 1972 as the successor of the banned National Order Party (''Millî Nizam Partisi'', MNP). The party was formed by a core group of working cadres ...
) position the sculpture is indecent to avoid political friction. In doing so, the CHP took a position that opposed its own views and ethical values. Scholar Hüseyin Gezer defended the sculpture's right to stay and stated there is a "difference between a naked woman and a nude sculpture".


Removal and public backlash

On the night of 18 March 1974, nine days after its installation, ''Güzel İstanbul'' was removed from Yıldız Park. In a midnight "sledgehammer operation", the sculpture was broken off its plinth and damaged: its arm was broken off and its plinth motifs destroyed. It was removed from the park and placed on a pile of sand near the
Kumkapı Kumkapı (meaning "sand gate" in Turkish) is a quarter in Fatih district of Istanbul. It is located along the northern shore of Marmara Sea. Up to recent times, Kumkapı is the center of the Armenian community of the city, boasting a school and ...
municipal
construction aggregate Construction aggregate, or simply aggregate, is a broad category of coarse- to medium-grained particulate material used in construction. Traditionally, it includes natural materials such as sand, gravel, crushed stone. As with other types of ag ...
site. The front page of the newspaper ''
Milliyet ''Milliyet'' ( Turkish for "''nationality''") is a daily newspaper published in Istanbul, Turkey. History and profile ''Milliyet'' came to publishing life at the Nuri Akça press in Babıali, Istanbul as a daily private newspaper on 3 May 1950 ...
'' showed a photograph of people posing on top of the empty plinth on the night the sculpture was removed, as well as the rubble resulting from the plinth's destruction. An article in the newspaper ''Sabah'' stated the goal of their campaign to have the sculpture removed had been accomplished and that the paper was the
voice of the people ( ) is a Latin phrase (originally ''Vox populi, vox Dei'' – "The voice of the people is the voice of God") that literally means "voice of the people." It is used in English in the meaning "the opinion of the majority of the people." In journa ...
concerning the matter. This was countered by articles in the newspapers ''Milliyet'' and ''
Cumhuriyet ''Cumhuriyet'' (; English: "Republic") is the oldest up-market Turkish daily newspaper. It has been described as "the most important independent public interest newspaper in contemporary Turkey". The newspaper was awarded the ''Freedom of Press ...
'', which described the sculpture's right to remain as a necessity for democracy. Some Turkish intellectuals reacted to the events.
Burhan Felek Burhan Felek (May 11, 1889, in Istanbul – November 4, 1982, in Istanbul) was a Turkish journalist, columnist, sportsperson and writer. He was born on May 11, 1889, in Istanbul. After graduating in 1910 from Istanbul Law School, later the Facu ...
criticized the removal, saying a sculpture should not be removed just because a minister does not like it, and that there is not a referendum of beliefs for every issue.
Melih Cevdet Anday Melih Cevdet Anday (13 March 1915 – 28 November 2002) was a Turkish people, Turkish writer whose poetry stands outside the traditional literary movements. He also wrote in many other genres which, over six and a half decades, included eleven ...
criticized the government for choosing what the people should and should not like. Hıfzı Veldet Velidedeoğlu stated dominance of the mentality that puts forward religious conservative traditions in the context of fine arts would regress Turkey to a desert of bigotry. ''Güzel İstanbul'' was also defended by cartoonists and caricaturists such as Erdoğan Bozok, Altan Erbulak, Nejat Uygur, Yalçın Çetin, Ferruh Doğan, and Nehar Tüblek, who published cartoons commenting on its removal. One of the cartoons represented those who would remove the sculpture as backwards and outdated, another criticized the politicization of art, and another criticized the censorious mindset; and others asked why fake issues were being fabricated in the news. Cartoonists and artists who opposed the removal considered protesting it by covering all sculptures in Istanbul in black cloth but they cancelled their protest. The removal from Karaköy Square was seen as an infringement of
freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...
in art; in protest, the Association of Turkish Sculptors organized an exhibition around the theme of nudity to show that the creative will of artists would not be inhibited. Many sculptors participated in the show, including
Füsun Onur Füsun Onur (born 1938) is a Turkish artist, based in Istanbul. She uses everyday materials in her painting and sculpture to reflect on space, time, rhythm and form. Early life and education Onur was born in Kuzguncuk, Istanbul. She attended th ...
, who made an assemblage titled ''Nü'' (Nude). The debate about ''Güzel İstanbul'' spread beyond Istanbul; provinces
Manisa Manisa () is a city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province, lying approximately 40 km northeast of the major city of Ä°zmir. The city forms the urban part of the districts Åžehzadeler and Yunusemre, with ...
and
Zonguldak Zonguldak () is a List of cities in Turkey, city of about 100 thousand people in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is the seat of Zonguldak Province and Zonguldak District.obscene An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin , , "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Generally, the term can be used to indicate strong moral ...
. According to a news report, if the sculpture was found to be obscene, the 50th Anniversary Committee would face prosecution under articles 426 and 576 of Turkish law. In a 2010 publication, Mustafa Aslıer, who was a member of the committee reflected on the events that led to the removal of ''Güzel İstanbul''; he had been implicated in the statements and publications by the press and the MSP that led to the charges.


Relocation

On 3 May 1974, through the quiet intervention of
Bülent Ecevit Mustafa Bülent Ecevit (; 28 May 1925 – 5 November 2006) was a Turkish politician, statesman, poet, writer, scholar, and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of Turkey four times between 1974 and 2002. He served as prime minister in 197 ...
, ''Güzel İstanbul'' was taken to Yıldız Park and left lying on its side underneath a tree. The move ended the heated political and public debate regarding the sculpture which had lasted almost two months, although ''Güzel İstanbul'' was left in an poor physical condition. In the subsequent months, photographs of the sculpture lying on its side in the park appeared; several newspapers published opinion pieces — including articles by
Burhan Felek Burhan Felek (May 11, 1889, in Istanbul – November 4, 1982, in Istanbul) was a Turkish journalist, columnist, sportsperson and writer. He was born on May 11, 1889, in Istanbul. After graduating in 1910 from Istanbul Law School, later the Facu ...
and Bedi Faik — describing the sculpture being left in this state and asking why the process was disrespectful to the artwork and the artist. The statue was eventually mounted onto a new makeshift plinth without the motifs, all of which had been destroyed. , the sculpture stands in an inconspicuous corner near the park's
Ortaköy Ortaköy (, ''Middle Village)'' is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Beşiktaş, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population is 9,121 (2024). It is on the European shore of the Bosphorus. it was originally a small fishing villag ...
entrance. According to some press accounts, it has not been well maintained; parts of its concrete are crumbling and its inner structure is exposed.


Later events

Gürdal Duyar Gürdal Duyar (20 August 1935 – 18 April 2004) was a Turkish sculptor who is known for his monuments to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Atatürk and his Bust (sculpture), busts of famous people. His art is characterized as having a Modern sculpture, ...
, the sculptor of ''Güzel Istanbul'', said little about the statue's fate and did not participate in the controversy. In 1995, Turkish journalist Nebil Özgentürk asked Duyar about the repeated removals of the artist's work. Duyar said his role as the artist was limited to creation of sculptures, adding: "Our job is making sculptures; removing, breaking or changing their location is a different area of expertise". In 2017, the Istanbul Municipality obscured the sculpture by surrounding it with a fence made of saplings following complaints from parents about its visibility from a nearby playground. After news of this censorship spread, a campaign on social media criticized the censorship and succeeded in having the saplings removed.


See also

* List of public art in Istanbul


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Güzel İstanbul documentary
''Hiç Bilmiyordum'', Season 2. Episode 8.
Güzel İstanbul, Beşiktaş Kültür Sanat
– via Beşiktaş Municipality {{Authority control 1974 sculptures Nude sculptures of women Concrete sculptures in Turkey Sculptures of women in Turkey Monuments and memorials in Istanbul Outdoor sculptures in Istanbul Sculptures by Gürdal Duyar