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Post by wikki on Sept 22, 2016 11:18:25 GMT 2
I read the 3 weeks Turkey thread. This made me wonder if any of you would be so nice to share their favourite places to go in Istanbul with me. I will be there in the first week of October for work (of course). My time will be limited, as always. Thanks for your input.
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Post by shrjeff on Sept 22, 2016 11:34:09 GMT 2
a cruise up the river...
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Post by Voy on Sept 22, 2016 15:48:24 GMT 2
yes. aside from the obvious - which should include the basement art museum , oaf mostly photography, when in doubt - take a ferry! the longer ride up the Bosphorus is really nice, but you can just get on a ferry at random...
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Post by tiltedflipcurves on Sept 23, 2016 5:11:19 GMT 2
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Istanbul
Sept 23, 2016 19:32:32 GMT 2
via mobile
Post by wikki on Sept 23, 2016 19:32:32 GMT 2
I heard about this culinary walks. I will check it out.
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Istanbul
Sept 23, 2016 20:42:53 GMT 2
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Post by happytraveller on Sept 23, 2016 20:42:53 GMT 2
I have never been there but my favourite would be meeting Zibi !
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Post by wikki on Sept 23, 2016 20:47:06 GMT 2
That's already in the works. :-)
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Post by kuskiwi on Sept 23, 2016 22:30:56 GMT 2
Two buildings I love - Chora and the Suleyman mosque and a walk down near the Galata Tower and over the bridge.
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Istanbul
Sept 29, 2016 14:36:28 GMT 2
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Post by pepecura on Sept 29, 2016 14:36:28 GMT 2
A-ha !
Seems like we will be spending some time around Kadikoy. There is the one and only reggae bar in Istanbul there worth to give a check-in, if you like some reggae vibes :-)
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Post by ninchursanga on Oct 4, 2016 18:34:07 GMT 2
Oh yes for Kadiköy!! If you like sweet things, then visit Cafe Baylan (http://baylangida.com) Their classics are Rokoko and Coup Griye. Across the street you'll find Haci Bekir, an old traditional sweets store. They still sell hand made sweets of all sorts, the well known Lokum and Helva but also handmade candy. Should you be there during the day you could stop by at the little Armenian church, which is just a few steps away.
Kadife Sokak used to be great for going out in the evenings and last time I was there it still looked good. Althoug it seems that most bars are owned by one company (http://www.kadyagrup.com/tr). I still like the alternative vibe of the area.
In the summer a friend of mine and I spent our time in the district of Karaköy, which seems to be upcoming. Lots of hipsters who cannot afford the trendy areas of Cihangir and Beyoglu seem to have moved there. Although my friend said, Karaköy is also very hip now. Anyways, lots of nice cafes have opened up there and many new stores run by local, young creatives. In the area is also the Jewish Museum of Turkey (http://www.muze500.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=132). Small but it is very interesting imho to learn about this minority.
My new favourite district to discover though is "Balat" (https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/mar/29/fener-balat-istanbul-design-district), the former Greek district.
Should you fancy a visit to a hamam I can only recommend to fork out the money for a visit to the Kilic Pasa Hamam in Kadiköy. It's probably the most expensive one in town, but I've been there several time and services have always been good and the it is the most beautifully restored historic hamam I've been to in Istanbul. Imho, well worth the fees and with the current exchange rates not even that expensive.
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Post by wikki on Oct 5, 2016 12:00:02 GMT 2
I went to lumis jewellery shop, used a ferry from the Asian to the European side, did a tour with the culinary backstreet tours, visit a hamman ( came out all fluffy...), met zibi (but not for a drink yet).... Karaköy is very hipp and Kadikoy too. I have some more spots that I wanna visit like the Cisterna Basilic.
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Post by Baz Faz on Oct 5, 2016 13:16:24 GMT 2
It is years (alas) since I was in Istanbul but I remember a restaurant actually under Galata Bridge. It was the Amateur Fishermen's Club (we weren't club members but got in anyhow). The fish of course was wonderful and other things were amazing. A lot of the food I didn't know. The salad contained ingredients I didn't recognise. We drank the house wine out of ceramic cups.
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Istanbul
Oct 5, 2016 17:21:40 GMT 2
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Post by pepecura on Oct 5, 2016 17:21:40 GMT 2
Sorry, I could not suggest any specific places which are out of the "well-known" sights. It's been a long time I had spent hours to discover things in and around the city. Family life, swaps between Munich and Istanbul in the last year, and bla bla.. I would not recommend to spend time around Taksim after it gets dark, it used to be a hit but in recent years the place got out of control due to the many reasons. I don't feel safe there at all. But, a day time walk from Taksim square down to Karaköy through Istiklal Street, passing the Galata bridge to Eminönü and taking the ferry to Kadikoy and having some drink/eat there would be still at the top of my list. If you have not done that. Eating in a fine fish restaurant with mezes, sipping some raki is also always a treat. ( I can ask my friend you met recommendations, he is pretty knowledgable in this field ) Yes, for Basilica Cistern.
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Post by lumi on Oct 5, 2016 21:51:46 GMT 2
The cisterns are my favourite place in Istanbul - I wish I visited there more than once but time got away. Pierre Loti is also quite a nice walk up with an interesting neighbourhood to explore. Rumelihisari is also fabulous though less so now that they made it safer and don't allow you to climb the high walls without barriers!!
I'd love to see a photo of what you bought from the jewelry store I recommended. I so regret not bying a couple of other pieces when I lived there. Wish I was still there now so we could have met as well! I lived very close to that jewelry store in a beautiful building with amazing views!
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Post by wikki on Oct 6, 2016 22:44:14 GMT 2
i am working on the picture.
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Post by ninchursanga on Oct 11, 2016 12:38:56 GMT 2
Not sure if wikki is still in Istanbul, but restaurant "Hamdi" next to the Spice Bazar (towards the Golden Horn, away from the Bosphorus) is a favourite of mine. It is more upscale but the food is great. In the Spice Bazar is a restaurant called "Pandeli" which is rather touristy but does serve great food as well. For a caffeine fix a la Starbucks try the Turkish coffee chain "Kahve Dünyasi"! In Beoylu, very close to the Tünel Funicular exit is a tiny "Lokanta Helvetia". It's my all-time favourite for simple homecooked style Turkish dishes. They serve the dishes a mother would cook at home. Not sure if this google search link will work... ( www.google.ch/maps/place/Helvetia/@41.0289084,28.9740617,20z/data=!4m7!3m6!1s0x0:0x65ab52019b39ca4f!8m2!3d41.0289964!4d28.9740754!9m1!1b1 ) What a pity btw. that the Taksim area has become so unsafe at nights...but the whole feel of Istanbul has changed in recent years.
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Istanbul
Oct 11, 2016 19:54:27 GMT 2
via mobile
Post by wikki on Oct 11, 2016 19:54:27 GMT 2
Not in Istanbul anymore. But I spent a short afternoon (short. Cuz I got lost and stuck in traffic,that made me 3hrs late....) with zibi. I have to say, I had a nice time in Istanbul. Just too many people and cars.
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Post by pepecura on Oct 19, 2016 10:11:37 GMT 2
That was a true Istanbul experience, simply trying to reach from one point to another, haha, I think you have done pretty well :-)
Agh, That kebap killed me !!
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