Istanbul. Late afternoon in Kadiköy. The sun was beginning to disappear behind the horizon, slipping between the ferries that connect this part of the city to others.

As I walked, a man caught my attention. He wasn’t someone you’d easily notice at first glance. The man was lying on the ground behind a drink stand, shaded by a tree, dressed in tattered clothes—almost invisible, were it not for his immaculate white beard, like a cloud, and his gaze… that was impossible to ignore.

It wasn’t the typical lost or desperate look you’d expect from someone living on the streets.

Two words. A gesture of approval to take his photo. I thanked him. He responded with a gesture. No other communication, just our shared gaze...!

I will never know who that man really was, but his gaze stayed with me. A moment stolen from the routine, a chance encounter that, like many others in this magical city, left a lasting impression.