Behind Istanbul's delicate Ramadan displays that light up the night, a centuries‑old tradition known as "mahya," is 70‑year‑old Kahraman Yildiz, one of the last masters of this fading craft.

For more than five decades, Yildiz has climbed the minarets of Sultanahmet to hang each bulb with precision, carrying on a practice that began with oil lamps in Ottoman times. But few young people in Turkey are willing to take on the demanding work.