As part of the commemorative events marking the tenth anniversary of the treacherous coup attempt on July 15, 2016, 3D video mapping shows were held at Galata Tower and Maiden's Tower, two of İstanbul's most iconic landmarks. Presented under the theme “Our Will, Our Victory!”, the projections used digital art to portray the Turkish nation's historic resistance on the night of 15 July and its victory in defence of democracy.
The shows, which took place in two sessions at 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., combined three-dimensional animations specifically designed for the architectural textures of Galata Tower and Maiden's Tower with sound recordings, music, and lighting effects. The projections imprinted a visual memory on İstanbul's historic silhouette.
A narrative extending from a deep-rooted state tradition to the night of 15 July
At the start of the shows, motifs representing Türkiye's deep history and state tradition were projected onto the surfaces of Galata Tower and Maiden's Tower. The visual narrative began with golden-yellow motifs and continued as the Turkish flag appeared along the architectural lines of the structures.
The structures were then painted in dark and steel-grey tones to represent the threat the coup attempt posed to the state, nation, and democracy. The attack on the national will on the night of 15 July was portrayed with a symbolic narrative through the fracture and crack effects.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s historic call resonated once again
The projections then featured President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s historic call inviting the nation to take to the streets. During this part of the programme, particular emphasis was placed on the message, "I have known no power greater than the power of the people." President Erdoğan’s call was presented to the audience through three-dimensional visuals and waves of light emerging from the centre of the architectural structures.
The resistance written by the nation with bare hands was brought to life.
The displays used three-dimensional visuals to also portray the unwavering determination of millions of citizens who took to the squares on the night of 15 July and stood against the coup plotters. Human silhouettes appearing from the lower sections of Galata Tower and Maiden’s Tower and joining together symbolised the nation’s unwavering determination to defend its homeland, flag, and national will.
The projections also featured an animated silhouette of the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, while red and white light effects depicted the struggle of citizens who confronted tanks and resisted the coup plotters. Steel-grey visuals symbolising darkness broke apart under beams of light representing the nation’s resistance. The stones of the structures were then brought back together, stronger than before, symbolising the unbreakable unity between the state and the nation.
253 Martyrs commemorated with lights rising into the sky
Projected onto the Turkish flag, the images of the 253 honoured martyrs of 15 July symbolically portrayed the heroic epic that has left an enduring mark on the nation’s collective memory.
The displays concluded with the message “Will of the Nation, Victory of Democracy” and the 15 July logo displayed prominently in large letters across the towers. The final section of the programme concluded with lights ascending into the sky with the lines, "Salute to those who set out saying ‘my shroud is on my back'; shame on the dishonourable who turned their weapons against their own people".
Accompanied by a dignified and inspiring narration, the 3D mapping displays once again, brought to life on İstanbul’s historic landmarks, the unparalleled resistance displayed by our nation on the night of 15 July, the triumph of the national will, and the enduring memory of our revered martyrs.
