i'm starting at the pera museum, once an exclusive hotel in the heart of istanbul's diplomatic districtthink of anywhere else quite like it, a unique, privately run museum, with a collection exploring the relationship between east and west — a centuries—long exchange that culminated in a controversial art movement known as orientalism. i'm here, though, to find out how people in turkey feel about orientalism today. for art historians, orientalism is quite a specific concept that draws upon the argument of this very famous book published in 1978 by the intellectual edward said. and it refers to a period, principally during the 19th century, when western artists relished depicting subjects from the near east, including turkey. to make their compositions convincing, these artists, who sometimes didn't even travel outside europe, stuffed them full of supposedly authentic details. yet often, they ended up painting these opulent fantasies that said and others later criticised for a colonialist mindset. it almost feels unfair to single out one work in particular to exemplify orientalism. but t