The Mocan Yali is relatively old, decidedly large and incontrovertibly pink. Sultans stayed in it, Liszt played in it, and whenever it finds its new owner, it will become the last of the grand Istanbul waterfront houses to be parted forever from the family it was built for.
Other full-length feature articles on the yalis and houses of the Bosphorus:
Part II of Patricia Daunt's two-part Palaces of Diplomacy focuses on the summer embassies on the Bosphorus: Cornucopia 6
David George's photographs also appear in The Road to Godhead, by Brian Sewell Cornucpia 2:
Post script: the Mocan Yali was purchased by the Toprak family shortly after this article was published. The interior of the house was gutted and only the facade remains. The images published in this article are a unique historical record of a centuries-old house and were taken by David George for Cornucopia. For reproduction rights, please contact the editor
The Cruel Hoaxing of Pierre Loti By Ömer Koç
The French novelist Pierre Loti caused a stir in the 1930s when he championed the cause of Turkish women. But just who were the three veiled women who gave him his information? Ömer Koç reports on an infamous literary deception.
The Golden Fleece, Trebizond, Sumela... Jeremy James's itinerary in Turkey's dramatic Black Sea Mountains promised a string of ancient wonders. The past left him chilled and saddened, but high above the sea, where the mountains rise out of the water like monsters' backs, he found a land as grand as it is remote.
Related Cornucopia articles:
Cornucopia 12 is devoted to the Black Sea, with articles on the Coruh Valley, Camlihemsin, Trabzon during World War II, and the Georgian communities of Sapanca.
Cornucopia 28 returns to the Kackar Mountains and the Caucasus.
Cornucopia 42 Black Sea architecture, festivals, music, butterflies and wildflowers
Sinan: A Forgotten Renaissance By Brian Sewell
Photographs by Ara Güler
He was the most prolific architect of all time and his legacy endures in the great mosques created for Süleyman the Magnificent. Yet, as Brian Sewell discovers, this contemporary of Michelangelo is barely known to the West.
Where have all the flowers gone Text and photographs by Andrew Byfield
Exquisite bulbs, once uprooted in their millions, may be saved by a scheme to satisfy both gardeners and conservationists. Botanist Andrew Byfield reports in the first in an occasional series of articles on Turkey's flora
Capsules of concentrated energy, nuts are healthful as well as delicious. From chestnuts to walnuts, from pistachios to pine kernels, they are a mainstay of Turkey's celebrated cuisine. Berrin Torolsan unearths some splendid traditional nut recipes including:
Keskul Almond milk pudding Badem Ezmesi Marzipan Kestaneli Dolma Cabbage leaves stuffed with chestnut Tarator Hazelnut sauce Iç Pilav Rice with pine kernels Pistachio ice cream Incir Tatlisi Dried figs with walnut
David Tonge reviews Asil Nadir and the Rise of Polly Peck, by David Barchard Buy from Amazon
JM Rogers selects art books from Istanbul's Sahaflar book market. Email special requests for books published in Turkey. Cornucopia Magazine may be able to help.
David Barchard review Alan Palmer's The Decline and Fall of the Ottoman Empire Buy from Amazon
A Quiet Vision: The pastels of Liotard
Noah's Ark: Richard Dorment on the Istanbul Biennial
Capital watershed: John Murray Brown on Istanbul's looming water supply crisis
A head start with henna: Hafize Nireb on how to take advantage of nature's best conditioner and colorant
A handle on the cups: Turkish offshore racing, by Natasha Curry, with photographs by Gilles Guitard
Cruising into trouble: On the Black Sea Anthony Bryer found confusion in every port
Bagging the best: Penny Oakley picks the cream of carpets and textiles
Sheer revelation: skiing in Turkey
Memories of Old Mostar: by Marian Wenzel
The Gravy Train, by Christopher Ryan, including Club 29, Kuruçesme Divan, the Marmara and the Tugra Restaurants
