The following Constantinople map of 1892 shows the locations of the stories of Stambul. To select one of them, just click on one of the pins and the corresponding background information (German language) on the location will open.
Why a map of Constantinople for Stambul?
Maps in general are an useful tool for historical novels in order to better immerse into the structure of an earlier society. Thus, this Constantinople map also helped in the making of the book “Stambul”. To ensure that readers also benefit from it, the map is printed in the front of the book. For a better resolution of the map you can click on this link. Here you can get the Constantinople map even without the markings above.
At this point, however, some readers may wonder why we are talking about Constantinople and not Istanbul – even though the Ottomans had been ruling the Bosphorus for over 400 years at the time of the stories. The question is justified, but easy to answer: although the city has long been called “Istanbul” by its Muslim inhabitants in the vernacular, the government officially referred to it as “Constantinople” until the founding of the modern Republic of Turkey.
Besides the map material, photographs and postcards from that time also have an important function in Stambul. The pictures printed in the book and some more can be found on this page.
