Kaptonbul is Istanbul’s subterranean district. After all of the city's informal areas had been re-developed following the Yapsat principle, public space in the city centre that wasn’t rigorously controlled by private actors virtually didn’t exist anymore. Since the state had sold almost all of its property to investors, there was only one way left to occupy public land: to dig down, into the realm of extraction. By constitution, the resources underground belonged to the state only – and those who were able to prove that they could mine them were allowed to do so. Armed with only pickaxes and shovels, the people of Istanbul created for themselves a realm of hidden splendor, where they could rest, dream and conspire once again.