'James Bond' Istanbul filming begins with damage to historical building
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Two of Istanbul’s most crowded streets will be partly closed to car and pedestrian traffic in different days for the shooting of ‘Skyfall.’ DAILY NEWS photos, Emrah GÜREL
A 400-year-old wooden building on Aynacılar Street in the Grand Bazaar was damaged on the first day of Istanbul filming of the latest addition to the James Bond series, 'Skyfall,' yesterday, when motorcycles, which were driven in front of a jewelry shop, missed the corner and hit the structure, daily Hürriyet reported.The shop, called Boybeyi, provides the jewelry used in the popular Turkish TV series “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (A Magnificent Century).
The shop window and the marble of the building were broken during the accident and its columns also suffered damage. The owner of the jewelry shop, Mete Boybeyi, called the police following the incident.
“This is one of the oldest buildings in the bazaar. A fire could have started because of sparks from the motorcycle, and this building could have burned down. We did not even know that there would be filming in this area. Some shop owners said their shop windows were also broken. Permission for the shooting was obtained from the Grand Bazaar Artisans Association but nobody asked us,” Boybeyi said.
Two of Istanbul's busiest and most crowded neighborhoods, Eminönü and Sirkeci, will be the setting for the film’s Istanbul scenes. For the filming, the historic post office building in Sirkeci has been completely repainted, with workers completing the interior and exterior painting of the building over the weekend.
The shooting will continue until May 6, while Eminönü Square is also set to be closed to traffic for four days due to the filming. At the same time, some streets and avenues will also be closed to pedestrian and car traffic on different days.
Signboards have already been hung out on the streets that will be closed to traffic. Also, a special area has been formed for peddlers and setting up equipment. Security guards have now been posted to keep watch over the area, which has been covered with canvas to prevent rain from damaging the filming site.
The production company will pay daily sums to shop owners on the street to cover their three-week loss. Owners will open their shops but will not be able to make any sales; only döner sellers will continue working in the shooting area.
“We will appear in the film and continue cutting döner during the filming,” said one döner shop owner, without elaborating on how much they would be paid. For the film, the Mısır Çarşısı (Egyptian Bazaar), the Yeni Cami (New Mosque), the Old Post Office, Bankacılar Avenue, Sultanhamam, Balat Kiremit Avenue and the Grand Bazaar will be turned into a natural film platform.
