Ara Güler.

Ara Güler (1928–2018), nicknamed “the eye of Istanbul,” is undoubtedly the most influential Turkish photographer of his generation. In 1958, he became a photojournalist for Time Life, Paris Match, and Der Stern. His meeting with Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1961 marked a turning point in his career, and he joined the Magnum agency that same year. Photography Annual magazine named him one of the seven best photographers in the world. The recipient of numerous awards (“Master of Leica” in 1962, first prize for reporting from the Turkish Journalists’ Association in 1979, and “Photographer of the Century” in Turkey in 1999), Ara Güler has photographed iconic figures such as Churchill, Chagall, Dalí, Picasso, and Hitchcock. Through his lens, he captured everyday life in Istanbul and Turkey, leaving an indelible mark on the world of photography.

He is the author of Face of the Twentieth Century, Istanbul, and Sinan – Architect of Suleiman the Magnificent, published by Éditions du Pacifique.