Photographer Docuements Turkey’s Decadent Abandoned Mosques

Photographer James Kerwin is known for his images documenting abandoned buildings worldwide. His latest series, The Sanctuary, takes him to Turkey, where he explores the abandoned mosques present in small villages across the country. Many of the structures are over 500 years old and have been left in favor of more modern spaces for worship. Thanks to Kerwin, we’re able to appreciate their beauty and architectural detail.

To create the series, Kerwin, who is based in Istanbul, passed through approximately 18 towns and cities and visited over 40 villages, covering five of Turkey’s seven vast regions. Each visit was truly an adventure, as Kerwin didn’t know what he would find until he arrived at his destination.

“I never scouted the places prior in the flesh but tried to make sure there was at least some fairly recent news,” the photographer tells My Modern Met. “However, it failed with four of my top targets—I arrived, and they had vanished.”

Luckily, even with this hit-and-miss strategy, Kerwin found plenty of architecture to spark his creativity. As he’s particularly inspired by color, he was pleasantly surprised to find many mosques retaining their vibrant interiors. His photography reminds us of the incredible artistry and craftsmanship that went into these religious structures and is an important testament to their existence.

Through this series, Kerwin hopes to share the rich heritage of Turkey and its architecture. To him, it’s particularly important given that most tourists only visit a small fraction of the country.

Check out some of our favorite images from the series below and see the full gallery on Kerwin’s website.

James Kerwin: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

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