Istanbul Encyclopedia brings a fresh gaze to that familiar backdrop. The story pairs two women at opposite points in life. Zehra is a hopeful architecture student who thinks the city will unlock her future. Nesrin is a celebrated surgeon who feels Istanbul has taken more than it has given. Their paths cross in a shared apartment, setting up a gentle clash between new dreams and tired memories.
The series uses real locations instead of studio sets, so Istanbul itself becomes a main character. Viewers see graceful Ottoman mansions, busy university halls, and a lighthouse that blinks over the Bosphorus at night. Each place carries the weight of memory for Zehra or Nesrin, and that weight now invites you to visit in person.
Reşad Ekrem Kocu’s Istanbul Encyclopedia
In 1944 historian and novelist Reşad Ekrem Koçu set out to write what he called “the grand register of the city.” His plan was bold: twenty-four volumes that would capture every street, story, and eccentric character of Istanbul. Eleven volumes reached print between 1944 and 1973, ending at the letter G. The entries range from grand mosques and forgotten fountains to coffeehouse gossip, murders, tourist habits, and urban legends. Each piece reads like a short tale, often backed by lively illustrations created by well-known artists of the day.
Koçu wrote most of the text himself but also invited leading historians, literary scholars, and academics to add their voices. The result blends the Ottoman tradition of tezkires (biographical anthologies) with Western-style encyclopedias. It is more than a reference work. It is a portrait of Istanbul seen through everyday life, recorded at the very moment the city was shifting from imperial capital to republican province.
After Koçu’s death, boxes of drafts and sketches for the missing volumes sat untouched until Kadir Has University acquired the archive in 2018. More than forty thousand documents now give researchers a rare look at his working method and at mid-twentieth-century Istanbul itself.
Who Was Resad Ekrem Kocu?
Koçu was born in Istanbul in 1905. He studied history at Istanbul University and taught the subject at several high schools, including the Kuleli Military High School. To make ends meet he contributed popular history columns to newspapers such as Cumhuriyet and Milliyet and to magazines like Hayat Tarih Mecmuası. He also published historical novels and lively monographs on Ottoman figures.
In November 1944, he released the first fascicles of the Istanbul Encyclopedia. “From now on I will squander my life on it,” he told friends, and he kept that promise. Financial troubles halted the work in 1951, yet he restarted it in 1958 and kept going until 1973. By then he had published 173 fascicles across eleven bound volumes, stopping with the entry “Gökçınar (Mehmed).”
Koçu lost his savings, his inherited mansion, and eventually his health in the process. He died on 6 July 1975 and was buried in Sahrayıcedid Cemetery. Admirers later discovered that even the exact spot of his grave had vanished, a final echo of the sacrifices he made to tell Istanbul’s endless story.
Inside Netflix’s Istanbul Encyclopedia
The limited series landed on Netflix worldwide on April 17, 2025. It runs for eight hour-long episodes (most sit between forty-five and fifty-two minutes) and streams in Turkish with subtitles and dubs in several languages.
Story and setting
The plot follows two women in Istanbul who share an apartment yet see the city through very different eyes. Zehra (Helin Kandemir) has just arrived to study architecture and wants to taste everything Istanbul promises. Nesrin (Canan Ergüder) is a renowned surgeon who feels the city has drained her spirit and plans a fresh start abroad. Their daily clashes and quiet moments reveal how a single street can signal hope for one person and exhaustion for another.
Creator and cast
Writer-director Selman Nacar brings the same careful realism that earned him festival awards for his films. The main cast pairs veteran star Canan Ergüder with rising talent Helin Kandemir, while Tolga Tekin and Müjde Ar round out the ensemble. The series is produced by ANS Productions and Evrensel Film for Netflix.
A-to-Z episode structure
Each chapter is named after an entry in Reşad Ekrem Koçu’s unfinished encyclopedia, starting with “A – Alçakdam Slope” and “B – Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan Mosque.” The alphabetical march echoes Zehra’s coursework as she documents the city, and it gives viewers a playful checklist of real locations to track down on their own walks.
Themes to watch
The show asks what it means to “belong” in a city that never stops changing. It weighs ambition against contentment, tradition against reinvention, and always keeps Istanbul’s streets, cafes, and ferry decks in the foreground. Reviewers have praised its slow-burn pace, careful cinematography, and layered performances that avoid easy heroes or villains.
Why it matters for travelers
Because the production filmed on location, almost every episode doubles as a travel guide. University courtyards, Ottoman mansions, and a blinking Bosphorus lighthouse all appear exactly as you can see them today. In the next sections we will map these spots and share tips on how to reach them so you can step into the series frame by frame on your own Istanbul trip.
Walk the Screen: Real Places From *Istanbul Encyclopedia* and How to Visit Them with Istanbul Tourist Pass®
Visiting the filming spots lets you feel the same first-day thrill Zehra feels and the same city-fatigue that sits on Nesrin’s shoulders. Below you will find five key locations that appear on the show, plus easy ways to fold them into your own itinerary with the Istanbul Tourist Pass®. Keep your phone ready because your Pass sends instant QR tickets the moment you get close to an included attraction; no paper, no waiting.
Bomonti Fransız Fakirhanesi (Şişli)
A nineteenth-century red-brick complex that once sheltered the elderly now plays the role of Nesrin’s apartment exterior. Its long balconies and arched windows give the series a quiet, old-world mood. The building is still a nursing home, so limit your visit to respectful photos from the street or check local listings for occasional art fairs that open the courtyard to the public. Afterward walk ten minutes to Bomontiada for coffee, then hop on the Metro to Taksim where your Pass unlocks the Museum of Illusions on İstiklal Street and the Galata Tower entry with audio guide.
Local tip: The neighbourhood wakes up late. Arrive after eleven in the morning if you want the bakeries and cafes in full swing.
Istanbul Technical University Ayazağa Campus (Sarıyer)
Every classroom scene was filmed inside this modern campus. Zehra studies architecture here and sketches façades between lectures. Visitors can enter the main courtyard during daylight with a simple ID check at the gate. Once you are inside, look for the marble-lined auditorium shown in Episode Two. From the campus gate it is a short taxi ride to Rumeli Fortress, where your Pass gives skip-the-ticket-line entry plus an audio guide that tells the story of Mehmed the Conqueror.
Local tip: The student canteens serve cheap Turkish breakfast until noon and welcome guests politely as long as you clear your tray.
Kireçburnu Lighthouse (Bosphorus North)
The green-and-white lighthouse flashes in Episode Four when Zehra walks the shore at dusk. Ships curve around the point while the Bosphorus Bridge glows behind her. You can reach the lighthouse by bus from Sarıyer square, then keep walking north for a quiet water-side stroll. Your Pass includes several Bosphorus cruises that depart from Kabataş and cruise right past this very beacon, so you can grab the same view from the deck without extra cost.
Local tip: Buy a warm açma from the bakery on the corner and watch local anglers land horse mackerel right below the lighthouse wall.
Maiden’s Tower (Üsküdar Off-Shore)
The tiny islet never hosts a major scene yet appears in almost every skyline shot. Directors love its lonely romance and so will your camera. Your Pass covers the Maiden's Tower museum ticket, plus a free audio guide that untangles every legend from doomed princesses to Byzantine fire beacons. Time your visit for late afternoon and you will sail back under a peach-orange sky.
Local tip: Sit on the Üsküdar promenade after sunset. Street musicians gather here, and the tower lights flicker like a film set.
Galata Bridge and Karaköy Back Streets
Episode Seven opens with Zehra crossing the bridge at dawn while fishermen cast lines beside her. She soon weaves through Karaköy’s narrow lanes and grabs tea in a tiled café that used to be an Ottoman bank. With the Pass you can climb Galata Tower a five-minute walk uphill and listen to the audio guide tell you why Genoese merchants once ruled this hill. Finish the loop with your free Turkish coffee tasting under the bridge, another Pass perk.
Local tip: The bridge railings hide small brass number plates that mark each fishing spot. Regulars have favourites and will proudly tell you why plate fifty-six is lucky.
How to Stitch These Spots into One Easy Day
Morning: Start at ITU Ayazağa campus, enjoy student breakfast, then ride Metro M2 south to Şişli for Bomonti photos.
Midday: Walk to Taksim and use your Pass for the Museum of Illusions and Galata Tower.
Late afternoon: Take the tram to Kabataş, board the Bosphorus Sunset Cruise included in your Pass, glide past Kireçburnu Lighthouse, and watch the city turn gold.
Evening: Disembark at Üsküdar, catch the last shuttle to Maiden’s Tower, and sip salep on the quay while the skyline twinkles.
Nearly every step is covered by your digital pass with its 100+ attractions and services, so you only pull out your phone, tap the QR code, and walk in. No paper tickets, no queues, lots of screen-worthy moments.
Quick Pass Reminders
- 100+ attractions and services all around Istanbul
- Choose one to five day validity.
- Instant WhatsApp support if you get lost.
Ready to film your own chapter of Istanbul Encyclopedia? Grab the Istanbul Tourist Pass® and the city becomes your open set.
