“Operation Fortune” and 10 more American films in which the historical places of Turkey were lit up.A detailed analysis of lovely movies you know nothing about their shooting locations.

I bet you didn’t know that many popular films were shot in Istanbul and around Turkey? 😉

Istanbul and the whole of Turkey have more than once become the scenery for famous films 😎 The color of the country allows it to become a suitable background for filming, so both “Inferno” based on the novel by Dan Brown, and “Charlie’s Angels” in 2019, and the new film “Operation Fortune: The Art of Winning” were filmed here. Today I suggest you go on a little journey in the footsteps of movie heroes to experience their adventures with them 💕

Inferno (2016)

In the movie “Inferno”, the main character Robert Langdon and his assistant Sienna Brooks go to Istanbul to solve the last part of the riddle and destroy the deadly virus, And yes, the film’s denouement takes place in the Basilica Cistern, which is also known as Yerebatan. This underground reservoir is located in Istanbul.

The ceiling of the tank is supported by 336 columns with a height of 8 meters, each of which is illuminated. At the bases of two are the heads of the Gorgon Jellyfish, one is turned sideways, the second is inverted. It is believed that this way they will be safe for others. At the end of the tourist route there is also a pool of desires, where you need to throw a coin 🤯

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

This picture is based on the novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. The train in which the famous detective Hercule Poirot investigated the murder sets off from Istanbul🤓 The station and the train really existed — since the end of the XIX century, the Orient Express route connected Paris and Istanbul.

Now the station, which was the terminus of the Orient Express, is called Sirkeci Railway Station. It was built in 1890 in the Orientalist style and has not been rebuilt since. And near it you can see a steam locomotive, which was one of the first in the composition of the locomotive of the Orient Express.

A historic waiting room is open to visitors, which is quiet and sparsely populated. Orient Express Restaurant is also open there. Its walls are decorated with photos from the filming of the 1974 film Murder on the Orient Express 😍

Charlie’s Angels (2019)

The new part of “Charlie’s Angels” was also filmed in Istanbul. Sultanahmet district was in the frame, and for the first time the heroines appear against the background of the architectural monument Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya). It was an Orthodox cathedral during the Byzantine Empire, a mosque during the Ottoman Empire, and since 1985 it has been considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site 😧

A row of windows under the central dome with a diameter creates the feeling that it is floating in the air. The walls are lined with marble, and the columns are made of silver and decorated with gold fragments. Mosaics depict the Mother of God and Christ on the walls. And the sign of the Muslim mosque is the carved marble pulpit of the mullah, a chandelier of lamps and medallions with Arabic script 😌

From Russia with love (1963)

James Bond is basically a fan of Istanbul. And the first of the Bond films that was filmed in Istanbul was the film “From Russia with Love”. The same Hagia Sophia Mosque flashes in the frame. It is there that James Bond takes the documents left for him near the columns. In addition, part of the story develops at the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) 💕

And the Basilica Cistern, which we will see later in Inferno, here becomes a secret channel through which the agent gets to the embassy by boat. In addition, in the film James Bond and his companion leave Istanbul on the famous “Orient Express” from the equally famous station

007: Coordinates of “Skyfall” (2012)

The action of the film begins in the center of Istanbul. A British spy is chasing a criminal in the Eminonu area. In the frame, real stalls and shops built specifically for filming flash by in a huge covered spice market. By the way, the directors distinguished themselves here, because in the frame appears not the Grand Bazaar, but the Egyptian Bazaar, or Spice Market (Spice Bazaar, Mısır Çarşısı). It still works now. There are about 80 shops there that offer a huge selection of spices, dried fruits, sweets and other goods 🥰

And the whole world is not enough (1999)

And James Bond again! Here the agent rescued his partner from the Maiden Tower (Kız Kulesi). The tower itself was built about 2000 years ago. At various times it was used as a tax collection center, a protective structure and as the main lighthouse for ships on the Bosphorus. To swim to her, you will have to use the ferry, because she finds 200 meters from the shore 😌

Taken 2 (2012)

The main role in the action movie was played by Liam Neeson. He embodied on the screen the image of Brian Mills, a retired special agent who works in Turkey. His wife and daughter become targets for Albanian crime bosses, and, of course, he tries his best to save the family from death. So the chase scenes that we constantly see in the frame take place in Istanbul. And the audience can see the New Mosque and the streets around the Grand Bazaar. And some episodes were filmed in the Chamberlitash Turkish bath. This is the most famous and oldest hammam in the city 😎

Operation Argo (2012)

In 2012, the film “Operation Argo” won an Oscar in the nomination “Best Film”. Ben Affleck’s picture tells about an attempt to rescue diplomats who were held hostage in Iran. And the very scene in the Tehran market that the audience sees was actually filmed at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul 😉
The Water Seeker (2014)

The war drama, in which Russell Crowe both played the main role and acted as a director, was also filmed in Turkey. His character is an Australian farmer who comes to an eastern country after the First World War. His three sons went missing after the Battle of Gallipoli. So the search leads the man to Istanbul 🤔

Thanks to the shots that were shot in historical places, the drama managed to convey the post-war period with almost documentary accuracy. And the audience saw the Jewish quarter of Balat, the Pera district, the Hagia Sophia Cathedral and the ancient underground reservoir of the Basilica Cistern, which is already familiar to us from many other paintings 😌

Operation Fortune: The Art of Winning (2023)

Guy Ritchie’s new film “Operation Fortune” was also shot in Turkey. Antalya with its alluring landscapes perfectly fit into it, and the luxury hotel also managed to light up. By the way, the director likes to work in an eastern country, and he even attracted two Turkish actors to shoot in this film — Kaan Urgandjioglu (“Black Love”) and Tim Seifi (“Gift”) 😋

Bonus: Ministry of Non-Gentleman’s War (2024)

Now Guy Ritchie has started working on another film, the setting of which will be Turkey. The main roles in it will be played by Henry Cavill (“The Witcher”), Asa Gonzalez (“Baby on the Drive”), Henry Golding (“Gentlemen”) and other famous actors. It is not yet known exactly which places the audience will see, but it definitely has to be something impressive 😍