The photo archive of the Istanbul Department has access to more than 100,000 image carriers.
The focus of the collection is on historical photographs of cities since the late 19^th century as well as on images of Türkiye's archaeological monuments. Much of the image archives from the excavation projects at Aizanoi, Hattuşa, and Pergamon are available at the Istanbul Department. Records of other excavations are also archived elsewhere (Miletus in Hamburg, Didyma in Berlin and Halle, Priene in Frankfurt, and Aizanoi partly in Berlin), but can be accessed via the digital platforms of the DAI (idai-objects).
The basis of the image archive of the Istanbul Department are black-and-white photographs of Türkiye's inhabitants, buildings, and archaeological artefacts. The historical records of the photo library comprise 10,235 glass plate pictures, 44,182 spool film negatives, 40,665 small-format negatives, and 2,213 large-format negatives. Additional 114,000 image carriers and historical photo records of the Pergamon excavations, consisting of 3,440 glass plate photos, 48,567 spool film pictures, 62,297 small-format and 182 large-format negatives are consultable in the photo library of the Pergamon excavations.
The most important task of the photo archive is to index, preserve, and to make the records accessible for the public. To this end, the DAI puts its images at disposal for research and issues reproduction rights for commercial users.
Traditionally, research in the archive which is arranged by subject is done by aid of prints glued to cards that contain some extra information. Much of the collection has already been digitised and transferred to the online service at iDAI.objects for external users to directly access the images and the therewith associated information.
Another aspect of the work of the photo archive is to actually create image stocks of present-day situations and to store them for future use. Emphasis here is laid particularly on the rapid changes in the city of Istanbul.
Moreover, the photo archive regularly stages themed exhibitions during which the public may get an impression of the department's image stocks. During the COVID pandemic and resulting closures of cultural institutions, the virtual platform Visual Narratives was created in order to stage online exhibitions.

The photo archive of the Istanbul Department focusses on:
1. Archaeological finds in Turkish museums
2. Archaeological sites in the various Turkish regions
3. Historical buildings of Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul
4. The Turkish population and its way of life through the centuries