Orhan Pamuk says some stunning things about his love for Istanbul.

They made me wonder whether all people who love a city feel something very similar.

Here’s what he says:  What do you think?

“What gives a city its special character is not just its topography or its buildings but rather the sum total of every chance encounter, every memory, letter… and image jostling in its inhabitants crowded memories.”

“Anything we say about the city’s essence says more to about our own lives and our own states of mind.”

“Why should we expect a city to cure us of our spiritual pain? Perhaps because we cannot help loving our city like a family.”

“I embraced the city as my own – no one had ever seen it as I see it now. Once I had mastered this new poetic outlook, I chased with unchecked ardor after anything and everything connected with the city.”