At the boundaries of reality and imagination. Istanbul during the period of Abdülmecid from the world of travelers of french writer, painter and archaeologist (1840-1850): Gérard de Nerval, Camille Rogier, Eugène Flandin

Travels to the East, which were known to have increased in the 19th century, became easier with the scientific and technical developments experienced, and overseas travels were intensified by diplomats, missionaries, traders, painters, archaeologists and sometimes due to personal curiosity. Gérard de Nerval, Camille Rogier and Eugène Flandin, who are known for their writer, painter and archaeologist identities, are also French travelers who traveled to Istanbul during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid. During their travels, they will observe the new order movements in Istanbul, which coincides with the post-Tanzimat Edict, and they will look for traces of the Eastern world in their minds in daily life. The Age of Enlightenment on the eve of the 19th century, the French Revolution and then Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Egypt are the events that will mark the century. These events are followed by the understanding of perceiving the world through the mind, the achievements of the Grand Tour, the awareness of national identity, the scientific and cultural studies and the colonialism. The orientation to Antiquity that emerged with the Greek war of independence, Romanticism, which also included the theme of "escape", and the perception of the East, which was reshaped within the framework of Orientalism in the 19th century, will be the themes that affect the travelers. In this thesis, it is aimed to examine the effect of the interpretation of the East on the minds of travelers in 19th century France, the cultural and political events that influenced Nerval, Rogier and Flandin's experiences of traveling to the East and the travel books of the travelers in Istanbul during the reign of Abdülmecid in a comparative way.