Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul – the pulsating metropolis straddling the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia is the subject of a study by photographer Bruno Barbey.

In its 2,600-year history, Istanbul – in 2010, the European Capital of Culture – has experienced splendour and misery like hardly any other city. Today, its 14 million inhabitants are experiencing an unprecedented boom – just ten years ago the country was bankrupt, hyperinflation was rampant and banks were disappearing.

Barbey’s images reflect the open and Mediterranean attitude of the inhabitants and the ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity. (Images: Bruno Barbey/Magnum)