Cengiz Onural
Listening to Istanbul
“We are one sound of Istanbul”
We wanted to speak with Cengiz because his work offers a way of understanding Istanbul that goes beyond images and landmarks. Shaped by both Turkish musical tradition and Western classical music, his compositions reflect how the city actually functions. Multiple histories, beliefs, sounds, and daily rhythms existing at the same time.
Because of his synesthesia, the city is not something he describes. It is something he hears. Istanbul becomes a composition made of contrasts. Sacred and ordinary. Calm and chaotic. Old structures carrying new meanings.
Through this conversation, Istanbul is not presented as a single narrative, but as a city built from many voices, each incomplete on its own. Cengiz offers one of them. And through our conversation, we felt a much greater appreciation for the city we were visiting.
We filmed this interview in Üsküdar, Cengiz’s favourite part of Istanbul. Ferries, tea, fishermen, and that steady Bosphorus light.
It’s a part of Istanbul, away from the rush.
