For many Westerners, visiting Turkey is an exotic experience. Eat, drink, shop and one quickly understands the allure of the country and why the Turks are renowned for their incredible hospitality. Istanbul is a city divided. In fact only about three percent of its landmass is in Europe.The remaining geographically diverse landmass is in “Asian”Turkey also known as Anatolia or in ancient times Asia Minor.The Bosphorus separates the European side from the Asian side and the European side is itself divided by the Golden Horn.
The Golden Horn is an 8 km long inlet that lies between the Old City to the south and the New Town, known as Beyog˘lu, to the north. Istanbul has plenty of hillsides and vantage points from which to take in scenes of the city’s busy waterways and exotic skyline. What will strike you more than the meeting of East and West is that Istanbul is a juxtaposition to the old and the new,of tradition and modernity.Modern hotels and office towers creep up behind historic old palaces;women in jeans and designer couture pass others wearing long skirts and head coverings; beat up bicycles compete for tarmac space alongside torque donned BMW’s. At dawn,one can hear the call to prayer rebounding from the dozens of minarets as the celebrated are making their way home from nightclubs and bars while other residents kneel on their prayer rugs facing Mecca.
To appreciate the beauty and magic of the Old City head to the Galata bridge a the mouth of the Golden Horn where this inlet meets the Bosphorus. When embarking on site-seeing tours it is recommended to check and confirm opening times when planning your outings. Turkey has a long and fascinating history. It’s a country that has won and lost greatness and nowhere else but in this part of Istanbul do you get such a rich feel for the magic of this ancient city.
At the eastern edge of the Old City, Topkapi Sarayi sits perched on the promontory overlooking the Bosphorus and the mouth of the Golden Horn while situated behind the palace rise the imposing dome and dominant minarets of the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya.To the west you can see the congested span of old buildings that make up Sultanahmet (named after the Sultan who built the Blue Mosque) with Yeni Cami close to the waterfront of the Egyptian Bazaar aka The Spice Market. Istanbul is a great walking city and truly the best way to experience it is to wander about.
Driving in Istanbul is out of the question for the faint hearted. Simply put, just taking a taxi will leave you thanking your lucky stars that you have arrived at your destination in one piece. Just the recollection of a few rides leaves me laughing uncontrollably at just how absurd it is that we arrived safe and sound. For the most part, however, taxis are a cost effective way to get around and they’re abundant. Most drivers however do not speak English so ask the doorman to tell him where you would like to go and ask for the address to be written down on a piece of paper.
We found having the hotel business card with us handy as we often returned back in the wee hours of the morning when no translators were to be found! Each night we made our way to the impressive and plentiful nut and chocolate shop. Each night we tested and savoured a new delight. Thank goodness we knew the following day would involve miles and miles of walking to work off what we enjoyed the previous night. More and more, Istanbul is becoming a shopper’s delight—especially for upscale shopping.Residents no longer have to run to Milan,Paris and New York as a majority of international exclusive retailers have opened shop in Istanbul. The highlight of my time in Istanbul came early in my trip.We discovered a shop in The Spice Market (EFE Carpets.) My friends started to talk with the owner about the recent bombing of the US Embassy and discussion ensued resulting in an invitation to go downstairs to view his carpet collection.
As Ugur rolled out carpet after carpet, I turned to my friend Stephen and admitted that given Ugur was now standing 18 inches off the floor, one of us was buying a carpet! Well, after the service of a few rounds of apple tea we ended our 4-hour preview with the purchase of a half dozen gorgeous Turkish carpets. DHL courier was called and with my own eyes I saw them fold and wrap my new living room carpets into compact parcels.The carpets were shipped and arrived back home before I did! It is recommended to negotiate the shipping as part of the price of the carpet.
Bartering is half the fun and I earned the nickname of Egyptian Queen for taking more of my travel mates back to the shop 71 to negotiate on their behalf. In the end, we all became friends and we were hosted at their home for an incredible feast.Turkish hospitality was truly amazing.
Go to stall EPECarpets (Store 71) in The Spice Market and ask for Ugur or Zulkuv! For large pieces, shipping by courier is completely safe and most importantly reliable. Make sure however, it is by air and not by boat. Barter! Barter! Barter! It’s encouraged and expected. Take your time and know your measurements to ensure a great fit when you get back home Ask the Carpet vendor to give you the history of each category of carpets to gain more knowledge about what it is you are buying. For smaller carpets carry them home with you.
They will give you a travel bag. It was unanimous in our group that the Grand Bazaar was not an enjoyable as The Spice Market.We found items to be more expensive and merchants to be far more aggressive. Although bargaining is the norm every vendor has his or her own style. The seller will offer you an initial price and it is not uncommon to reply with a price of nearly half to start the bargaining process. Feel free to walk out any time if your price is not being met but once the seller agrees it is deemed bad manners to bargain aggressively only to decline the offer.
Bargaining takes time but good deals do come in a hurry if you are a good at it! Turkish cuisine maintains a place of great importance among the cuisines of the world. Indeed, the fame of Turkish dishes, whose flavors are unparalleled, is known throughout the world.
Advice on buying a carpet in Istanbul:
Go to stall EPECarpets (Store 71) in The Spice Market and ask for Ugur or Zulkuv! For large pieces, shipping by courier is completely safe and most importantly reliable. Make sure however, it is by air and not by boat. Barter! Barter! Barter! It’s encouraged and expected. Take your time and know your measurements to ensure a great fit when you get back home Ask the Carpet vendor to give you the history of each category of carpets to gain more knowledge about what it is you are buying. For smaller carpets carry them home with you.They will give you a travel bag. It was unanimous in our group that the Grand Bazaar was not an enjoyable as The Spice Market.
We found items to be more expensive and merchants to be far more aggressive. Although bargaining is the norm every vendor has his or her own style. The seller will offer you an initial price and it is not uncommon to reply with a price of nearly half to start the bargaining process. Feel free to walk out any time if your price is not being met but once the seller agrees it is deemed bad manners to bargain aggressively only to decline the offer.
Bargaining takes time but good deals do come in a hurry if you are a good at it! Turkish cuisine maintains a place of great importance among the cuisines of the world. Indeed, the fame of Turkish dishes, whose flavors are unparalleled, is known throughout the world
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To visit Istanbul without eating döner is unthinkable!
Döner, which has been a crucial part of Turkish cuisine since the second half of the 19th century, is a type of kebab prepared with lamb, which is turned and roasted on a spit over a coal fire.In addition to red meat,döner made with sausage and chicken is also widely consumed. While different types of döner are typically served on a plate over rice,döner is also sold with pide (long bread) and as dürüm (wrap).The most famous way of döner is probably the iskender Kebab in which döner is combined with a tomato sauce and butter, and served with yogurt delicious!
Eating fish on the Bosphorus is superb!
Turkey’s sophisticated culinary culture involving fish, stems from the fact that the country is surrounded by seas on three sides.The Bosphorus is a particular fishing ground in Turkey, where many different species of fish, with substantially different flavours are caught. For this reason, the area of Istanbul that is most associated with seafood is Bo¤aziçi.You can sample both seasonal fish and seafood mezes at any of the restaurants that are found all along the Bosphorus, on both the European and the Asian Side.
The king of the table: Raki
Raki,an alcoholic beverage with a history not as old as that of wine or beer, was first produced by the Ottomans.Because raki was known as “lion’s milk”, it was served in containers decorated with embossed figures of lions. In fact, the color of raki does indeed resemble milk.Raki is produced from the razaki Photos by Stephen Puddister grape,and,in the past,was known by such names as “araka”and “araki”.
raki is made from grapes.First,water is added to both dry and moist grapes. After the mixture becomes moist (unfermented grape juice), the process of fermentation begins. Later, after this mixture is distilled, its extraction becomes a type of alcohol known as “suma”(in essence, raki before it has been flavoured with anise).
Finally, after aniseed is added, the suma is fermented again, and turns into raki. raki must be drunk according to certain customs. Above all, raki must be consumed slowly at a table set specifically for this purpose, adorned with different kinds of mezes, hot dishes, meats, and fruit. raki can either be drunk with water or straight up. Ice may be added if desired. Thank goodness we discovered raki just two nights before we were due to leave Istanbul!
Shopping:
Beyog˘lu is one of the districts that depicts the cosmopolitan structure of Istanbul at best.Beyog˘lu is the SOHO of Istanbul. In the past, while mentioning fashion, the first thing that came to mind was Beyog˘lu,which is composed of 45 streets. In the past, Beyog˘lu streets welcomed citizens from high-income levels most of whom were foreigners,and today it welcomes middle-aged people with high cultural and artistic knowledge and the youth preferring alternative/marginal dressing style along with the punk
style side by side. In Beyog˘lu,you can find chain store brands such as Diesel,Nike and Puma whose prices are above the average level, but there are also relatively smaller shops and costume-makers that are not discovered by the majority. If you want to take a break and rest or have a nice dinner while shopping in Beyog˘lu, some ideal places are the Leb-i Derya, 360, Arka Sokak, Fado Irish Pub, Sir Winston Tea House and Le Caprice in Cezayir Street.
Nisantasi
Nisantasi is doubtlessly the most important shopping and fashion center of Istanbul. Its name originates from the target stones, which were built during the Ottoman period. Nisantasi reminds one of the popular cities such as Paris and Vienna with its magnificent historical buildings,luxurious shops and cafes.
There you can see the most luxurious cars, the most elegant elegantly dressed people of Istanbul and of course stores with the most expensive brand names. The district has four main avenues: Teflvikiye Avenue, Valikonag˘ Avenue, Abdi – I -pekçi Avenue and Rumeli Avenue. In Teflvikiye Avenue, which starts in Maçka and goes to Valikona¤i,there are the stores with brands such as Emporio Armani, Gucci and Zara. Armani Cafe and Teflvikiye Cafe are among the ideal alternative places where you can take a break and have a rest before continuing to spend your Turkish liras.
One of the most popular avenues of Nis,antas,i is the Abdi – I -pekçi Avenue. On this street, you can see the shops of many other famous brands such as Valentino,Louis Vuitton,Roberto Cavalli,Hugo Boss,Alexander McQueen one after another. In addition to its historical and cultural heritage, the variety of culinary and entertainment choices that Istanbul offers make it a unique and exciting destination to visit. One can never tire from wandering, discovering and experiencing this jewel among global icons of travel.
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Restaurants
360 – Perched on top of the Misir Apartments off Istiklal Caddesi, this is one of the most fashionable places in Istanbul (0212) 251 10 42
Mikla – Located in the Marmara Pera Hotel, Mikla combines terraces, a bar area nad top nothc cuisine. The roof top deck boasts one of the most incredible views of Istanbul! (0121) 293 56 56
Seasons – The Istanbul Four Seasons is one of the city’s ritziest hotels, and it is also home to one of the city’s finest restaurants. (0212) 458 22 70
DoyDoy – Unlike many other spots in tourist filled Sultanahmet, this place is where locals go to enjoy a meal. Doy-doy is a Turkish expression for “full.” Candy, Ugur and I had one of yummiest meals here! (0212) 517 15 88
Sunset Grill – On a hill overlooking the Bosphorus, Sunset Grill’s menu is all over the map! With a menu choice of japanese (great sushi bar), mexican, italian and turkish there is something for everyone. (0212) 287 03 57
Ciya Sofrasi – Located on the Asian side, I was told this was a must! So in the pouring rain we trecked over there and found ourselves savoring every bite and toasting to the journey! It is outstanding! It will be one of your most memorable Turkish meals. DELICIOUS! (0216) 330 31 90
Upon my return I found an incredible book called turquoise: a chef’s travels in Turkey. It brought back so many memories with its extensive collection of authentic recipes that are easy to follow! Pick one up before or after your trip. It’s a Turkish Delight!
