The oldest photographer of the TRNC has passed away at the age of 102

Mustafa Diana, one of the oldest studio photographers in the country, has passed away in Northern Cyprus at the age of 102. The legendary Turkish Cypriot photographer, whose real name was Mustafa Mehmet Salih Okey, was born on August 20, 1922, in Nicosia. In 2022, the legendary photographer celebrated his 100th birthday.

Mustafa Diana first became interested in photography at the age of 14. At 18, he moved to Israel, where he started working in a photo studio and became a true professional within four years.

Returning to Cyprus four years later, he opened his own photo studios on the island and became one of the most famous photographers among both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots.

Mustafa Salih Okey was known throughout the island as Mustafa Diana or Photo Diana. In a photo contest organized by the British-founded Cyprus Photographic Society in 1949, he took first place, surpassing renowned Greek, Armenian, and British competitors.

Among his regular clients were Cypriot politician and leader of the Turkish Cypriots in the struggle for independence, Fazıl Küçük, and the first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Rauf Raif Denktaş, whom he also taught photography. Additionally, among his works are photographs of the President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios. Most of the photographs that still hang in government institutions in Greece belong to the Turkish Cypriot photographer.

Mustafa Diana will be buried at the Nicosia cemetery on June 8, 2024, after the midday prayer.