Istanbul Is a City Divided by Class and Religion

The Divide (2010): According to a Turkish saying, the earth in Istanbul is made of gold - but not everyone has such a rosy view of the city.

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A crossroads between Europe and Asia, Istanbul has always been a city full of contradictions. But as the economic hothouse booms, and a new, Islamic middle-class emerges, mini-skirts and mosques collide.

Ayse runs a cafe in the upper class Bebek district, an area of clubs and couture. She describes her wealthy lifestyle as 'cosmopolitan', comparing her city to New York. Her chef, Rafet, sees Istanbul very differently: "I have nothing at all in common with these people. My life and theirs are poles apart". On the other side of town, religious Anatolians like Rafet live far more modestly. Divided along both economic and religious lines, the more secular elites and the emerging Islamic middle class may be living side by side, but the gulf between them is huge.

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