About

Me away from code: where I live, what I love and what makes me who I am.

My roots are in Trabzon; I was born and raised in Istanbul. I love Istanbul, though it is neither heaven nor hell; a strange mix of the two, at most. To get away from its chaos, its noise and its traffic, I moved to Sakarya, and now I live a quiet life in the middle of a forest, waking up to birdsong.

I love research and learning new things; my mind is always busy making something. Helping people, and touching their lives even in a small way, feels good. I also enjoy thinking something through from scratch, designing it, setting its strategy and running it with every piece in view. And I can't do without order: I file my photo archive city by city, neighborhood by neighborhood, so I can find any shot in seconds; even the books on my shelves are arranged by period.

I am attached to my roots and my culture. I love the age-old heritage, the traditions and the subtleties of these lands; knowing this heritage and keeping it alive matters to me.

If you want to say hello, write to me.

Ömer sitting on a wooden chair at Ormanya, looking up — A break among the trees at Ormanya.

Exploring cities on foot

I like to see more than a city's famous spots: its back streets, its cafés, its corner shops and its people. That is how I have walked through many of Istanbul's neighborhoods, one step at a time. What began as a way to get moving after long days at a desk soon grew into many kilometers, and brought new people and friendships along the way.

Photographing the colorful wooden houses of Kuzguncuk

Ömer on a cobbled street in Cumalıkızık, in front of blue houses

The wooden houses of Kuzguncuk and the cobbled streets of Cumalıkızık.

I came to love taking photos on these walks, and I share them on Instagram. I also sort the places I visit into themed, public lists on Google Maps, so others can discover them too.

Ömer watching the hot-air balloons at sunrise in Cappadocia — Sunrise in Cappadocia, as the balloons take off.

Collecting books

Ömer reading by the window at Nail Kitabevi in Kuzguncuk — The window seat at Nail Kitabevi in Kuzguncuk.

I love collecting books; buying one, finding it a place on the shelf and reading it are each a pleasure of their own. I am drawn most to Islam, Sufism, and Ottoman and Roman history. The bookcase at home has grown over the years, and I keep a list of what is in it on the Library page.

Chess

Chess is a mind sport I play for fun, to clear my head. I mostly play 5+0 blitz and watch a lot of chess streams. If I see someone playing, I immediately open the app on my phone and play a few games myself. You can find me on chess.com.

Favorites

Football club: Barcelona
Game: Football Manager
Color: Turkuaz
Film: The Lord of the Rings
Series: Leyla ile Mecnun
Artist: Sagopa Kajmer