Memories of Istanbul and the City is an autobiographical memoir written by Turkish novelist Ferit Orhan Pamuk and freely translated by Maureen. The memoir tells us about Istanbul, the culture and the melancholy of the pamuk. And these memories mainly focus on the Bosphorus and the past of Istanbul as well as the place of residence of Orhan Pamuk. From his childhood, Orhan Pamuk was attracted to literature, which is why he mentioned many names of writers and poets like Yahya Kemal, Ekrem Moçu, etc. in his book. He also included his school adventure and how he became interested in painting. And above all, he tells readers about the Bosphorus and the evolution of culture. The Bosphorus was a fishing village for Greeks for centuries, but in the 18th century, when Ottoman worthies began to build their summer residences, mainly around Goksu Kucuksu Bebek Kandilli Rumelihisari and Kanlica, an Ottoman culture was born who viewed Istanbul as exclusive from the rest of the world. The river is an important factor for the development of the city. The river is the easiest way to provide water in large quantities at any time. The Bosphorus was a very deep and wide river, so the chances of it drying up were very low. In his memoirs, Pamuk wrote a lot about the Bosphorus and its culture. The writing style is melancholic, which means Pamuk tells readers about his feelings and memories. My understanding of the memoir is that the people of Istanbul are the reason why they are influenced by Western culture. The other main reason for the change in culture is the Bosphorus, as it is a rich source of unlimited water for the city. For any place to improve faster, the river is a very effective source. At that time, steamships were used for transportation, so business started thanks to the Bosphorus. To expand...... middle of paper ...... rest of the world. The Bosphorus is a deep, dark river that gives a marine appearance. Pamuk's childhood was spent in Istanbul and so he frequently visited the Bosphorus. Pamuk expressed in his memoirs that whenever he felt sad, the Bosphorus comforted him. The Bosphorus was Istanbul's main source of water. For the development of a city, the river is one of the main important criteria. In any city, the river plays an important role as it provides water to the city. Most industries use river water to cool their machines. If the Bosphorus had never existed, Istanbul might not have been developed as it is today. Westerners were looking for a place where they could set up industries to produce goods. The Bosphorus attracted Westerners and with them their culture. The Bosphorus was the path for other cultures to connect and understand the culture of Istanbul..