Black is the colour of misery following western Turkey's biggest earthquake in a century. Seen from the air, huge stretches of Istanbul remained in darkness 24 hours after it struck. As ever, the poor are the worst hit, as the jerry-built creations of the 20th century collapsed like cards under the force of the tremors.
By contrast, the minarets and domes of the Istanbul's finest buildings, including the Blue Mosque, St Sophia and Topkapi Palace still stand.
More than 2,000 people have been killed and up to 11,000 wounded in the powerful earthquake that rocked Turkey's western and central Anatolian provinces yesterday. The government crisis centre in Ankara last night put the toll at 2,011 dead and 10,764 wounded.
All along the highway which connects the city of Istanbul with the airport thousands of homeless people slept in the open last night with nothing more than a blanket for protection.
On the surface, Istanbul appeared to function as normal with the bright lights of the city's top-class hotels and apartments proudly proclaiming their survival. But at ground level, the story was one of crumbling building and collapsed tenements.
Turks are waking up this morning faced with the daunting task of rebuilding their homes and their cities. Already yesterday, essential services were restored in many areas of Istanbul and the airport resumed normal services.
The telephone system groaned under the pressures as thousands of Turks desperately sought news of their families and loved ones.
