First known as the city of Byzantium and then Constantinople, both of which are terms prominently displayed on drum cymbals to this day; Istanbul is a city alive with a blending a crashing cacophony and a delicate sizzle. For this sample pack we gathered field recordings made by Koç University Suna Kıraç Library Digital Collections students throughout 2015 which are all available for free re-use.
2015 isn’t a long time ago but Istanbul doesn’t always look or sound like 2015. For anyone who’s visited the city or even seen photos, the city can visually jump between eras. Sonically it’s no different. As you dig through these hours of recordings you’ll find clashes and combinations of sounds and frequencies that sound like they’ve already been mashed-up. They haven’t been. That’s just echoes of centuries past still making their voice heard in a modern, booming metropolis.
Download the sample here for free. All sounds licensed under a CC BY-NC license.