The 15th work of the Sermet Muhtar Istanbul Library is “Deep Sciences” in Old Istanbul. It brings together the writings the author penned between 1931 and 1963 in the newspapers Akşam and Son Posta, and in the Yeni Mecmua and the Istanbul Encyclopedia, regarding what he termed the “deep sciences” of old Istanbul life.

Many interconnected subjects—where mentioning one immediately brings the others into the conversation—such as “The Evil Eye, Magic, Luck, Intent, Fortune Tellers, Dream Interpretation, Hypnotism, Physiognomy, and Old Wives' Tales,” have come together in this work as quite an interesting color and nuance of old Istanbul life. These subjects, as old as humanity itself, have been seen by some as a solace to take refuge in and by others as a means to draw back the curtain on the unknown, even if they are mostly met with suspicion. In any case, these topics have maintained their dominance in human existence—as much as, and perhaps even in spite of, widely accepted scientific data—like a form of folklore, or perhaps a popularized metaphysics. They could neither be entirely disregarded and rejected nor receive explicit acceptance. Magic, luck, hypnotism, physiognomy, the evil eye… beyond being intriguing and curiosity-inducing narratives for gatherings of friends, they have also always maintained their relevance among the mysterious subjects of literature and folklore, even more so than the science of psychology.

The articles that make up this book, in which Sermet Muhtar—who surprises us with his topics in the preparation of every one of his books and practically records every state of Istanbul and its people—expresses his observations and memories, are an example of these narratives concerning literature and urban culture.

Sermet Muhtar has become an author whose narrative style our readers are now familiar with through his works, which have been prepared by compiling specific topics. He describes the now-lost past life of "Dear Istanbul" to the people of today in every state and from every aspect. Büyüyenay’s Sermet Muhtar Istanbul Collection continues to be published gradually, topic by topic. Each book and each topic will make the portrait of Istanbul's past times even clearer.