ISTANBUL — The domes of the great mosques, covered in white. The soaring minarets that draw Istanbul’s singular skyline, peeking out behind a gray haze of flurries. The street carts selling roasted chestnuts, the old tram making its way slowly, the street cats huddling around heaters in cafes — all gave the city the feel of an old black-and-white photograph.

Snow in Istanbul always feels magical, but for a few days this week and last, a blizzard — at more than a foot, it was the heaviest snowfall since 2009 — was just what the city needed. It acted as a balm for the chronic fear and anxiety that had taken over amid terrorist attacks, political instability and the deep purges of civil society that began after a failed coup last summer.

“This all blends into a feeling of suspension of normal daily life,” said Orhan Pamuk, a Nobel laureate who coincidentally wrote an acclaimed novel called “Snow.” “And perhaps this time, because of horrors of politics — tens of thousands of professors and people are being fired from their jobs, and journalist and writer friends are being pushed into prisons — at least for five minutes this is a consolation.”