Allison and Tauhid are a wonderful couple who came from Houston, Texas, USA to have their religious wedding in Istanbul. They both converted to Islam a few years ago through their friends while living in America. They loved Islam very much. After getting married in America, they wanted to have their religious wedding in a foreign country. You can find the rest of the “Islamic Nikah in Turkey” article under the photos.
When Allison reached out to me, I first explained to her in detail how a muslim nikah is performed here. They were coming as two people. So they didn’t have anyone with them. For this reason, my friend Gökhan from Story Films and I witnessed their nikah ceremony together.
The Outdoor Shoot Begins
First, we met at a cafe in Karaköy around one in the afternoon. I had the chance to talk to them while drinking our coffees and listen to their stories that brought them here. Although they were both Americans, their very authentic, slightly African and Middle Eastern inspired outfits caught my attention. They said that they normally dress like any other American, but they ordered these clothes from Amazon for this shoot. I think it was actually quite accurate.
We started with the outdoor shoot in Karaköy and Eminönü regions. Both of them were really comfortable in front of the camera. We had a really fun shoot, especially on the Galata Bridge. We did the finale in this area in the courtyard of the New Mosque.
Imam Nikah
We were at the Sultanahmet Mosque around 3:00 pm. We had a nikah ceremony here that lasted about 15 minutes. The couple said their prayers and toured the mosque. Then we moved on to our photo shoot in Sultanahmet Square. Although it was summer heat, it was quite windy and I loved it. Those wonderful clothes were flying in the wind and the couple’s energy was also accompanying it.
First, we started the shoot in the square using both the Hagia Sophia Mosque and the Sultanahmet Mosque. The Hurrem Sultan Hamam was right next to us. I really love showing the wonderful wall of this place and the Hagia Sophia in the same frame. Our next stop was the unique backdrop of the Third Ahmet Fountain. Frankly, the couple’s timeless outfits and this backdrop matched perfectly for me.
Actually, we were going to make the finale with Soguk Cesme Street, but the couple’s energy was so good that we walked towards Sirkeci seafront together. As we chatted, I found myself first in the metro and then in front of The Marmara Taksim Hotel where they were staying. I am so happy to have met this wonderful couple, I wish them endless happiness.
Islamic Nikah in Turkey by Ufuk Sarisen
