Famous Turkish Painter MUSTAFA PANCAR Passed Away... (1964-February 4, 2026-London)
Yedikule was a neighborhood where people migrating from Anatolia, refugees arriving from the Balkans, and old Istanbul families blended together — a place that smelled of rust, soot, and seaweed. It was working‑class, it was populist, it was both tough and artistic. All of this made you tolerant, yet when faced with injustice you would become as unyielding as the ancient walls. You could become a Mustafa, you could become a painter. Knowing him made you feel even more like a true Yedikule local. You'll hop on the 80T bus and be eager to show yourself off on Istiklal Street. Who knows, you might run into him, you might visit his studio. He would give you the courage and determination to walk toward higher goals. Your awareness would open, your horizon would widen...
...And so,
time passed.
Istanbul changed, Yedikule changed. Today the gasworks and the railway workshop no longer operate. Yet Mustafa continues to share with us the scent of seaweed drifting in from the shore through the window he opened to the world from Yedikule.
