Istanbul is being transformed at full speed; it is a melting pot of cultures and a meeting point of continents. The city has already shed the skin of its history and invented itself anew numerous times, and perhaps this is now taking place again. To comprehend Istanbul, one must understand its history. Whoever strolls through its quarters today will constantly catch a glimpse of its history, tiny stones of a mosaic on which the inhabitants of Istanbul have been working for centuries and which will never be finished because they are constantly reinventing not only their city, but themselves.

This book deals with 111 unusual mosaic stones from yesterday, today and tomorrow - some of which glow in colourful splendour, while others emanate an uncanny fragrance.