9 Instagram Accounts to Follow Before Visiting Turkey

The freelance photographer and traveler Veysel Öztürk’s motto is ‘feel, discover, live.’ His photos certainly exude this feeling with their warm pastel colors. Whether it’s a particularly striking sunset in dark hues of pink that reflect in the Bosphorus, or the simple play of light and shadow on an ornate wooden door, we can’t stop looking at Öztürk’s gorgeous photos.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdcSwkiFCpM/?taken-by=vysloztrkphoto

The most popular magazine for tourists and expats in Istanbul, The Guide Istanbul is always the first to about new openings, essential sights and events. Their Instagram feed is a colorful journey through Istanbul’s most beautiful moments.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BenoqdGFYh9/?taken-by=theguideistanbul

With more than 1.6 million followers, Mustafa Seven is definitely one of the most popular Turkish photographers on Instagram. His beautiful photos travel through Turkey’s most striking landscapes, never shying away from portraits of people from all corners of the country.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfbD1FxnWtA/?taken-by=mustafaseven

Photographer Hasan Ilkay Özduman has a real talent for photographing some of Turkey’s most breathtaking natural landscapes, and often in the warmest and most beguiling colors. Based in Istanbul, Özduman travels all over Turkey (and sometimes the world) to capture the most beautiful moments.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcpoz5-HJMo/?taken-by=hasanilkay

The photos of Serkan Demirci often appear surreal because of his talent for manipulating color to create art works out of his photographs. He captures beautiful corners all over Turkey, where nature reigns free and moments are always peaceful.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Be_Fz7zj5Zd/?taken-by=sserkan34

Get to know the street art scene in Istanbul through the amazing Instagram feed of Istanbul Street Art (also an App) that documents every new work. Take a gander at the colorful murals by talented local and international artists.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNwA-QJgbYP/?taken-by=istanbulstreetart

The Instagram feed of architect and illustrator Hakan Kaleş is unique because of how he beautifully and comically brings together the worlds of photography and illustration. You’ll see a giant Santa Claus sitting on an Istanbul house roof, or a giant cleaning lady vacuuming the dirt of a construction site.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVGEpeunWDj/?taken-by=haakankeles

The Instagram feed of the award-winning photojournalist Abdurrahman Antakyali is an honest look the lives of everyday Turks. Every frame Antakyali chooses to focus on tells its own story with unique beauty.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXUwDWOhGa1/?taken-by=fotomuhabiri

Based in London and Istanbul, the black and white photographs of Osman Kaytazoğlu capture everyday moments in Istanbul that turn routine into small works of art. Istanbul’s cityscape, its people, its cats, and even its many seagulls take on a whole new meaning when they’re captured by Kaytazoğlu.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfGQoSDhXmX/?taken-by=krilov