Standing uniquely in Istanbul’s Asian Side‘s historic Jewish quarter Kuzguncuk, one artist is building entire worlds by hand. Meet Uğur Emre Yürük, a master of miniature, gravity-defying floating cities. In our first Local Heroes installment, we step inside his studio to discover the craft and imagination that capture the true, authentic soul of Istanbul.
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The Man Who Builds Floating Cities in Kuzguncuk
In a tiny shop on İcadiye Street, one artist is building entire worlds by hand—and inviting you inside. This is the first installment in our Local Heroes series. We are sharing stories about the remarkable people who make Istanbul the city it is. These are not the famous names or history-book figures, but the artisans and creators who pour their souls into their craft every single day.
There is a moment near the Kuzguncuk ferry pier when the pavement narrows and the neighborhood reveals itself. Colorful wooden houses lean gently toward each other while the scent of fresh simit drifts through the air. This magical space is Muhayyer. The man inside, carefully shaping another tiny rooftop with his bare hands, is Uğur Emre Yürük.
My clients and I have purchased his pieces many times, taking a small piece of Kuzguncuk’s soul home with us. Emre is someone I always look forward to seeing, and he is one of the very first people I want our guests to meet when they step into this neighborhood.
Bittersweet Magic of a 23-Year-Old Shop
The name itself is a clue that this space runs deeper than it appears. Muhayyer is taken from a bittersweet melodic mode in Turkish classical music—the kind that catches you off guard and lingers long after the final note.
The shop has stood on this street for over two decades. Emre has been its guardian for the last nine years, transforming it from a secondhand curiosity shop into a living gallery: part studio, part museum, and part portal to another dimension.
Surrounded by the discarded objects and forgotten stories of his father’s original secondhand shop, Emre first felt the pull of creation. It wasn’t an urge to paint, but a profound desire to build entire worlds small enough to hold in your hands.
Inside the Miniature World of Muhayyer
Stepping off İcadiye Street into Muhayyer is like crossing the threshold into a living daydream. This isn’t just a workspace; it is a sanctuary where gravity is suspended and imagination takes physical form. To truly appreciate Emre’s craft, you have to look closer at how these worlds come alive.
A Universe in Every Corner
The shop is undeniably small. That is the very first thing you notice when you step off İcadiye Street and through the door. But almost instantly, you stop noticing the physical size of the room entirely, because every single surface, shelf, and shadowed corner is a universe unto itself. Fantastical floating cities hang suspended from the ceiling by invisible threads. Intricate miniature streets line the windowsill, catching the afternoon light.
On the main workbench, half-finished pieces sit patiently, their plaster still fresh, awaiting the careful watercolor brushstrokes that will breathe life into them. If you look closely, you will spot details you’d easily miss on a quick glance: a tiny wooden ladder leaning against a rooftop, a window left slightly ajar, or a delicate clothesline strung between two buildings holding garments the size of grains of rice.
Plaster, Watercolor, and Bare Hands
Right at that crowded workbench, Emre’s staggeringly difficult technique unfolds daily. He begins with a standard, unassuming block of drywall plaster—the exact same material you might find behind your living room wall. From there, he carves entirely by bare hand. There are no molds, no 3D printing, and absolutely none of the convenient shortcuts that modern technology would happily provide.
Each deliberate cut of his blade reveals a textured wall; another cut opens a window; another carves out a winding staircase no wider than a single matchstick. Once the raw architecture emerges, he begins to layer delicate washes of watercolor.
He blends ochre, terracotta, slate blue, and moss green until each tiny building looks as though it has stood for centuries, weathered by wind and rain from a world of his own imagination. A final coat of varnish locks the magic in place, giving each piece a subtle, warming glow, as if the city is perpetually caught in the golden hour.
A Space for Intimate Workshops
Muhayyer isn’t merely a place to observe art; it is an invitation to actively participate in its creation. Beyond admiring or purchasing his finished pieces, visitors have the unique opportunity to join one of Emre’s intimate, hands-on workshops right there in the heart of the shop.
Gathering in small groups of no more than four people, you can spend three to four hours sitting side-by-side with Emre, carving and painting your own miniature creations from absolute scratch.
This is not a quick, rushed souvenir-crafting session designed to pass the time. It is a genuine, meditative deep dive into the discipline of miniature art, guided by a local artisan who clearly loves sharing the philosophy behind his craft just as much as he loves making it.
The Neighborhood That Nurtures the Art
To truly understand Muhayyer, you must understand Kuzguncuk. Perched on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, it is a rare Istanbul neighborhood that feels like a smaller, gentler city. Here, mosques, synagogues, and churches stand just a short walk apart, a testament to centuries of different faiths sharing the exact same streets in genuine peace.
While the demographics have shifted over time, the neighborhood’s unique, welcoming soul remains completely intact. Beneath the shade of the old plane trees on İcadiye Street, Kuzguncuk is exactly the kind of place that doesn’t just tolerate an artist carving miniature cities—it actively nurtures him.
Explore Muhayyer With Us
Exploring Muhayyer means stepping into the authentic heart of Istanbul. When you walk the quiet streets of Kuzguncuk with our hand-picked guides, you don’t arrive as just another tourist peering through a window—you arrive as a friend. We take the time to sit with Emre, hear the stories behind his gravity-defying creations, and soak in the magic of a neighborhood where history and culture coexist in perfect harmony.
Whether you want to admire his floating cities, take a piece of Kuzguncuk home, or join an intimate, hands-on plaster carving workshop, we can seamlessly weave Muhayyer into your day. Every journey with The Other Tour is completely private and tailored to your curiosity. Fill out the form below so we can start designing your custom itinerary together.
