Anatolia Alight is a historically significant photo book. It portrays vintage images of Turkey from an era long gone.The book will showcase to the reader the beauty of a mystical Anatolia in all its exquisiteness and complexity. Anatolia also known as Asia Minor is the land mass that makes up the majority of Turkey. The region borders the Black Sea to the North, the Mediterranean Sea to the South and the Aegean Sea to the West. The Marmara Sea connects the Black and Aegean Seas through the Bosphorus Channel and the Dardanelles straits thereby separating Anatolia from Thrace on the European mainland. A cradle to numerous civilizations Anatolia also hosted the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans. The Turkification of Anatolia commenced with the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century and further intensified under the Ottoman Empire. The book starts with Bursa and Canakkale and takes the reader to Izmir and Aydin, Denizli, Antalya and Alanya, Cappadocia, then to the South East of Turkey to Sanliurfa, Kilis, Corycos and Tarsus and ends at the capital Ankara with a visit to the Mausoleum of Ataturk the founder of modern day Turkey and the countries first President.. The ancient sites of Ephesus and Aspendos, the settlements of the early Christians and the travertines of Pamukkale are of course the highlights of Anatolia Alight and they are supplemented with less known and visited destinations.There are also plenty of photographs depicting the everyday life of the peoples in this unique destination. The pictures stem from a time period about two decades after WWII.When viewing the pictures in this book please remember that these photos are over 50 years old and are representative of an of relatively basic photo lenses and darkroom developing technology.The photos in this book have been digitized to best reflect the qualities of Kodak Ektachrom Film that was used.Whereas the book consists nearly exclusively of 1960's era photos, photos depicting the South East of Turkey are from a later period.Why buy a book of historic or vintage photography? Historic and vintage photos allow a trip into the past and into a time of less development and less people.Not necessarily into a better time or place but a time reflecting a moment in time that was perhaps unspoiled and less used if you will. What makes Anatolia a unique destination is reflected in everyday life through the history, the remnants of civilizations as witnessed in the architecture, its mix of people and the warm interaction between locals and visitors.The photographs have been arranged so as to give the reader the closest possible experience akin to being there. The large format of the book and layout allow the reader to better experience the sights and sounds of a unique way of life as it unfolds. Photography is both an art and a science. A mix of light, opportunity, time and space. It is to be at the right place at the right time as well as with the right subjects and objects. Sometimes what is in front of the camera is just as interesting as who is behind the camera. The photo represents an outcome that consists of all social and cultural paradigms both in front and behind the camera as well as technical and social skills of the photographer.


Jim Kayalar is an award winning Photographer, International Author, Public Speaker and Professor of Business with over 30 years of business experience in 29 countries. Jim holds various academic degrees from prestigious Universities around the world. Born in Turkey, Jim started his photographic journey at age eight and Turkey, especially Istanbul has been a photographic inspiration for him.