In the summer of 2022, on a late afternoon, we are on a shoot for Aposto's food culture publication, apéro. We find ourselves in the courtyard of an apartment building in Elmadağ, a place I had always heard of but never visited. Its reputation precedes us, reaching us before we even arrive. Just a few hundred meters from one of Istanbul's bustling and noisy central squares, we step into a quiet street that instantly lightens the mood, leading us to a courtyard shaded by wise, ancient trees. We are here to document the story of a shared table.Our host is <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/tulinbo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Tülin</a>, the embodiment of elegance and the creative force behind <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/toulineceramics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Touline</a> ceramics. She is the ultimate table-setter, a creative mind with a passion for the refined and the antique; and, as we soon discover, the kind of neighbor one would want to have. We meet Tülin, purslane and peaches in hand, ready to set a table in the courtyard. "At the end of the day, the courtyard is for setting up long tables. Everyone brings what they have from home, and often unexpected guests join us," she explains, recounting past gatherings in the courtyard.Meanwhile, extra chairs for the "unexpected guests" arrive from the store next door. Someone comes out of the building and asks if anyone needs anything from outside. The tablecloths, matching Tülin's ceramic sets, come from another neighbor. Then <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/mustafaotar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Mustafa (Otar)</a> appears from the building with a cast-iron skillet filled with eggs he's cooked for tonight's feast. This is my first glimpse into the fabric of this neighborly community.Once again, in the courtyard, on another summer evening, we talk about the meaning of sharing a table, the neighbors who live and create together in this historic Istanbul apartment, the presence of Arif Paşa in Elmadağ, and the culture of the neighborhood. On a day when I realize more than ever how much we need neighborly relationships in Istanbul, I recall a moment from years ago when I was living in a beautiful house and neighborhood, but felt unsatisfied, and understood the true value of good neighbors."Don't buy a house, get a neighbor" became my guiding principle.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2024/9/4/1729198559325.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.67" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Elif Bayram: How did you find out about the Arif Paşa building?Tülin Bozüyük: I saw the building for the first time in the early 2010s. I was impressed by its architecture and size. Around 2013, I rented a shop further down the street to open a restaurant. During the construction, I would pass by the building and dream of finding a home there. However, due to permit issues, the restaurant project moved elsewhere. Years passed and I opened the restaurant, but I couldn't find the plates I wanted, so I started making ceramics. While looking for a studio, I met Neslihan and Emre from Nauna Linen, who had a shop in that beloved building. That's when I learned about its history. I even discovered that Turkey's first ceramic artist, the beloved Füreya Koral, had lived in this building and had a kiln where my kiln now stands. I learned this from our late neighbor, Şebuh Abi, who ran a locksmith shop on Turna Sokak. I shed a few tears of joy when I heard this.<h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">"I feel like I've been given a responsibility, almost like a baton. I dream of leaving a trace, even if not as significant as hers. Füreya lived and worked here, loved to set large tables and entertain other artists. It feels like a natural connection." </h3>EB: It must have been significant for you to know that Füreya lived here.TB: It's a very sensitive and emotional issue for me. I feel like I've been given a responsibility, almost like a baton. I dream of leaving a trace, even if not as significant as hers. Füreya lived and worked here, loved to set large tables and entertain other artists. It feels like a natural connection. She faced many challenges, much like I do. For example, working with the power grid is difficult—frequent blackouts and insufficient power. Recently, our neighbor Memiş, the local grocer, told me how Füreya had installed a thick cable for her kiln, which a shopkeeper cut off, saying, "The woman struggled with the electricity. It sounds simple now, but I'm sure she had many sleepless nights, just like the rest of us.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2024/9/4/1729198907419.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.67" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">EB: So you settled into the building by renting a shop in the courtyard for your studio.TB: Yes, then I also rented an apartment in the building. Touline Ceramics found its soul here. When I started, my studio was in a room in my house because it was important for me to have access to the kiln and the studio 24 hours a day. Moving here has brought everything together. I can get to the studio in a minute and have a home away from the dust. The emotional impact is also profound—the memories and lives that pass through these spaces. My ceramics embody the grace and strength of a ballerina. This building gives me the same feeling: majestic, robust, and elegant in its details.<h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">"The shared courtyard has helped us connect more quickly as neighbors. We turned 'We’ll come over if you’re free tonight' into 'We’ll eat in the courtyard tonight if you’re free.'" </h3>EB: We're talking about a building whose foundations were laid in 1894 and completed in 1902. It was designed to allow those who were forced to leave the palace to maintain the same lifestyle, with high-ceilinged apartments and connected rooms for servants in the attic. How do you perceive these historical traces and architectural needs in your home?TB: I'm not sure about this narrative, but it makes sense that the workers did their laundry in a communal area on the top floor, away from prying eyes and dust. Kitchens were the smallest rooms, probably because provisions were stored in natural cold rooms in the basement, minimizing the need for large kitchens. Over time, apartment living became more individualized. Yet we still have access to each other's pantries. We find what we need in each other. The communal aspect continues in various ways. Yet, we still have access to each other’s “provision cabinets.” We find what we need in each other. The communal aspect continues in different ways.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2024/9/4/1729198937657.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.67" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">EB: As you mentioned, the architecture of the apartment is very different from that of contemporary buildings in Istanbul. How does it affect your daily life, especially the communal courtyard?TB: The shared courtyard has helped us connect more quickly as neighbors. We turned “We’ll come over if you’re free tonight” into “We’ll eat in the courtyard tonight if you’re free.” This made it easier to bond, bypass formalities, and quickly set up celebratory tables. The creative and design-minded neighbors transformed these tables into visual feasts, often with minimal planning.EB: How does the location of the building in Elmadağ affect your life here?TB: Over the years, the neighborhood and the building have lived together. This is not a gated community but a place within life. The courtyard is one of its breathing spaces.<h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">"Istanbul has many beautiful buildings, but it's the people that make a place special. Without these wonderful neighbors, I'm not sure I would be as happy here." </h3>EB: What is Elmadağ like for you, both emotionally and physically?TB: Physically, Elmadağ is limited to the few streets around the building, but its emotional boundaries are much deeper. &nbsp;Although the concept of a neighborhood isn't what it used to be, we still have pillars that make us feel secure: people knocking on your door every day, leaving home without your wallet, knowing that someone has your key, and having a community coffeehouse that feels like a town hall. We even have a local upholsterer who works miracles in a tiny shop. Unfortunately, the building that houses the upholsterer is slated for redevelopment, which is hard to accept after seeing so many schools and institutions moved or be demolished.<h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">"For me, neighborliness is sharing a meal together. The neighborliness in our apartment is free-spirited, creative, talented and very sharing." </h3>EB: Looking at the bright side, what does living in such a historic and special apartment add to your life in Istanbul?TB: Istanbul has many beautiful buildings, but it's the people that make a place special. Without these wonderful neighbors, I'm not sure I would be as happy here.EB: What does "neighborliness" mean to you?TB: You know, when we were kids, a neighbor would bring over some food or something... Everyone loves the food cooked in their own home the most, but some dishes from other houses are just delicious. For me, neighborliness is sharing a meal together. The neighborliness in our apartment is free-spirited, creative, talented and very sharing.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2024/9/4/1729198994621.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.67" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">Editor’s note: This text is adapted from the interview featured in the first issue of Soli, "Belonging." Full version <a fr-original-style="" href="https://solimagazine.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">here</a>.

Soli

We are in conversation with Tülin Bozüyük about neighborhood-apartment-community relations and sharing meals in the courtyard.

In Elmadağ with Tülin Bozüyük

<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/1/1661787848446.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.75" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">A bowl of life-prolonging food<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">3 - <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/kismetlokantasi/?hl=en" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Kısmet Restaurant</a>Where? KonacıkWhat to eat? Olive oil delicacies served with Bodrum tangerine-flavored soda. Try soup specials prepared differently every day. Our favorites are cibes, purslane&nbsp;with yogurt, roasted black cabbage, and beet.Why should you go? To taste the local dishes with reasonable price tags.When to go? After 9 a.m for its soup and between 12 p.m - 3 p.m for its lunch. Make sure to visit it before 6 p.m. to find something to eat.

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