Tag: Camlica

CAPA’s 10 Hidden Gems in Istanbul

CAPA’s 10 Hidden Gems in Istanbul

One of the most rewarding aspects of a studying abroad can be to step off the tourist trail and experience life as locals enjoy it. Here are 10 of CAPA’s favorite hidden gems to discover when you study abroad in Istanbul.

1. ÇAMLICA HILL. Çamlıca is the highest hill in Istanbul and the best viewing point for the city’s beautiful sunsets. It is 263 m. above sea level, full of fresh air and commonly used as a picnic area. You’ll find a few restaurants, a Turkish cafe and a park.

Photo: The view from Camlica Hill, Istanbul by jinxsi1960

2. THE BACK STREETS. The best place to discover a city’s hidden gems is to go exploring. Wander through Istanbul’s beautiful back streets and you’ll stumble on places like Suriye Pasaji, where you’ll find the world’s largest retro store, By Retro. Hazzopulo Pasaji is another pretty find. It’s low-key, with an arcade that opens into a lovely tea garden. You’ll find grape vines hanging down and a slice of calm. Poke your nose into some traditional Turkish taverns on Cicek Pasaji or head to Avrupa Pasaji if you’re looking for antiques and souvenirs.

Photo: Çiçek Pasaji by Wim Andrea

3. TAVANARASI RESTAURANT. This atmospheric food joint is popular with locals, especially students since it keeps its prices low. It’s a bit tricky to find, but once you get there, you’ll have a great view from this sixth floor loft-style restaurant’s windows. The food is traditional, including fresh seafood. It’s also a hit with vegetarians, offering plenty of non-meat options! If you have a bit of extra cash to spend and want to try some creative cuisine, Can Oba is a very popular option.

Photo: Tavanarasi from TripAdvisor

4. KARABATAK CAFE. In the eccentric neighborhood of Karaköy, an old warehouse has been converted into the Karabatak Cafe, a cozy gem with mismatched furniture, reasonable prices and a warm atmosphere were you can spend hours reading a great book or working on that study abroad homework.

Photo: Julius Meinl Cafe Karabatak Karaköy Istanbul by Adam Currell

5. PANORAMA 1453 HISTORY MUSEUM. Located within walls breached by the Janissaries, inside the “Topkapi Culture Park”, the Panorama 1453 History Museum is a kick back in time. It features a huge 2,350 square meter panoramic painting of the siege of the city and the main battle that caused it to fall. The painting took three years to complete and is impressive in itself, but the museum also uses sounds of battle and features objects from that era to help bring it to life.

6. CULINARY SECRETS OF THE OLD CITY WALKING TOUR WITH ISTANBUL EATS. Guaranteed to take you off the beaten path, Istanbul Eats’s tour is run by a group of local bloggers who know the city inside and out. They’ll take you to the places that tourists don’t usually find on their own: coffee warehouses, tea houses, street food, spice markets and meetings with master craftsmen (ustas). You can also buy an app that takes you through the city’s culinary back streets if you would rather explore on your own.

Photo: Istanbul Eats Tour by Victoria Rittinger

7. SETUSTU TEA GARDEN. Tucked away at the end of Gülhane Park there’s an open air tea garden that has some of the best panoramic views over Istanbul. Tea is served in a traditional Turkish way and usually lasts quite a while if you’re on your own working on that study abroad homework! If you need a break, wander over to the edge and you can occasionally look down as see dolphins jumping out of the sea.

Photo: Tea in Gulhane Park by Michael Pieracci

8. HACI BEKIR. It’s difficult to go all the way to Istanbul and not indulge in the local favorite Turkish delights, or “locum”. Haci Bekir opened the doors of their shop to the public in 1777, and is the very first one owned by the oldest and most prominent family in this locum business. The building itself is beautiful with its original marble floors and columns. The roof is wooden with tiles. And, there’s sugary samples galore!

Photo: Haci Bekir by Elif Ayiter

9. RUSTEM PASHA MOSQUE. While the famous Blue Mosque is crowded with tourists, the Rüstem Pasha Mosque leaves plenty of space to relax and take it all in at your own pace. It’s small, but covered in beautiful blue Iznik tiles with a bright red floor and has an authentic atmosphere about it.

Photo: Rüstem Paşa Camii by Vince Millett

10. ART WALK ISTANBUL. Led in both Turkish and English, the Art Walk Istanbul tours organized by Grizine will take you past some of the city’s best galleries and public art spots. The team have also organized a street art istanbul campaign on Instagram, so their knowledge extends beyond the curated collections!

Photo: Mural in Kadıköy by Araz Zeynisoy

April 6, 2013
Unplanned urbanization damages Istanbul’s silhouette irreversibly

As Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned mayors against unplanned and improper urbanization, experts have been quick to say that Istanbul’s historic silhouette has been irreversibly and irreparably damaged.

Erdogan’s critical remarks on Saturday at the Fourth Local Administrations Symposium organized by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara turned eyes once again to the ongoing projects in Istanbul that will have a permanent mark on the city’s landscape. Erdogan urged those who think only of “stone and concrete” when it comes to city planning to re-evaluate their ideas and create cities that have “souls and direction.”

But Today’s Zaman talked to experts who unanimously stated that the damage to Istanbul’s historic silhouette has been done — and they urged authorities to take action against further unplanned urbanization. In 2012, the traditional silhouette of Istanbul, which is comprised of the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque, was marred by a high rise building erected in the district adjacent to the historic peninsula. Currently, a new bridge under construction over the Golden Horn, a mosque on Camlica hill and the rearrangement of Taksim Square are being debated due to aesthetic concerns.

Architect Ahmet Vefik Alp, a member of the Council for Environment and Urban Planning at the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning, said mistakes are being made in zoning and urban planning in Turkey and that the country has failed in the subject of architecture. Alp agrees with the prime minister’s warning.

According to Alp, the bridge being built across the Golden Horn, which ignores the historic Suleymaniye Mosque, is “unacceptable.” Directing attention to a report prepared by UNESCO on the new bridge, Alp says UNESCO’s threat to remove Istanbul’s silhouette from the list of global cultural heritage sites was softened in the Turkish translation of the report. “Such issues will take a toll on Turkey,” added Alp.

On a similar note, the head of the Istanbul Chamber of City Planners (TMMOB), Tayfun Kahraman, says Turkey continues to build the new bridge on the Golden Horn despite the “warning of UNESCO to include Istanbul’s silhouette on a list of threatened cultural heritage sites.” For Kahraman, what has led to the ultimate damage of the city’s silhouette are the “privileged zoning rights” that are granted unlawfully.

“Traffic has become much worse due to the construction of buildings above the number of an acceptable limit,” said Kahraman, citing the example of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district. He stated that as they have “already gained rights,” the buildings that have been constructed already cannot be demolished — but further damage could be stopped by preventing new zoning rights.

According to Kahraman, further unplanned urbanization requires “a strong political will” and the prime minister’s warnings have come as a result of complaints from the public.

Stating the importance of a “wide consensus” in making construction decisions that could have an impact on the silhouette of the city, Alp said the project concerning the Camlica Hill mosque in Istanbul proceeded as a fait accompli. Although he supports the idea of a mosque on Camlica Hill and participated in the project contest, Alp rejects the idea of repeating the style of Ottoman-era mosques. He thinks that “a big mistake is being made in Camlica.”

Chamber of Environmental Engineers President Baran Bozoglu believes that Istanbul faces another problem in addition to the damage of its silhouette: greed. He said projects aiming for maximum profit in narrow areas and the money-centered approach of national and international firms have turned the city upside down.

He called on the government and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to reconsider projects such as the Istanbul Canal, a third bridge over the Bosporus, the Golden Horn bridge and the Galataport, a port along the Bosporus, since they would cause even more serious problems than unplanned urbanization.

via Unplanned urbanization damages Istanbul’s silhouette irreversibly.

April 4, 2013
Istanbul Camlica Mosque by Tuncer Cakmakli Architects

Istanbul Camlica Mosque by Tuncer Cakmakli Architects

PostDateIcon November 27th, 2012 | PostAuthorIcon Author: admin

Camlica Mosque Tuncer Cakmakli

Project: Istanbul Camlica Mosque

Designed by Tuncer Cakmakli Architects

Location: Istanbul, Turkey

Website: www.cakmakli.com

One of the shortlisted proposals for Istanbul Camlica Mosque competition is coming from Tuncer Cakmakli Architects, narrowed down from 62 considered projects. The jury has singled out 20 projects, placing two in the lead, the building is created as a major new landmark for the city of Istanbul. With capacity for up to 30,000 people, it will besides it’s religious function also come as a tourist hotspot accommodating a variety of hospitality openings as well as an educational center and a massive surrounding park.

Discover more of the project after the jump:

Camlica Mosque Tuncer CakmakliCamlica Mosque Tuncer CakmakliCamlica Mosque Tuncer CakmakliCamlica Mosque Tuncer CakmakliCamlica Mosque Tuncer Cakmakli

About the Project:

Istanbul Camlica Mosque has been located in the heart of nature and in a Garden of Eden on top of the most visual hill of Istanbul as a structure with the function of not only a prayer space but also as an area where Muslims gather, pray and receive education along with the function of public kitchen. Walls surrounding the mosque become solid in the mihrab wall and transform into a Garden of Eden around the courtyard wall.

Spaces acting as social complexes in ‘Kulliye’ structure in Ottoman period existing in many structural masses have been integrated into the Istanbul Camlica Mosque as one structural mass. The mosque, with transparent courtyard walls decorated with roses, jasmines and other flowers with many different colours on the inner and outer surfaces will provide the ambience and sensation of a Garden of Eden. Two minarets located on the sides of the mosque in Qibla direction will act as shafts aspirating fresh air and provide natural ventilation for the prayer room. Minarets will allow the prayer room to breathe with this new function.

Source WorldArchitectureNews. *

via Istanbul Camlica Mosque by Tuncer Cakmakli Architects.

November 28, 2012
Istanbul’s Million Dollar Views

It’s lucky Istanbul’s urban sprawl is gifted with nature’s beauty. Just when the clutter of houses and chaos of traffic start to choke, it suddenly gives way to glistening, lapping waves of three wonderful waterways. At the crossroad of the city lie the Bosphorus, Golden Horn and Marmara Sea, blessing Istanbul with amazing scenery and panoramic views. As the sky changes from day to night, the glint of the sun’s water reflection is replaced by the glitter of a million twinkling lights. Istanbul’s views are sure to etch themselves in your memory. These a just a few favourite places to enjoy the million-lira view without the price tag.

The Bosphorus Bridge

The single span of the suspension bridge is the first thing to attract your attention as you cross it. And while there’s beauty in this architectural feat, it’s hard to ignore the gleaming sun off the blue Bosphorus waters far below. From the Bosphorus Bridge, or Boğaziçi Köprüsü, you can really feel the magnitude of Istanbul as it spreads out its beauty with pride. The famous Sultanahmet skyline and Marmara Sea rewards viewers in one direction, and Ottoman yali’s (waterside residences) stretch all the way to the Black Sea in the other. As you swivel your head from side to side, a feeling of awe overcomes. The only way to enjoy this view is by driving over it, so for the longest viewing time, its best to get stuck in the bridge’s infamous traffic jams.

Ulus Park

The upmarket residences that surround Ulus Park hide the best-kept secret of the area. From the top of this park, the panoramic views are dazzling. Time disappears as you watch cargo ships steam under the Bosphorus Bridge on their way to the Black Sea. The jewels of the treasure lie with the emerald greens of the park complimented by sapphire Bosphorus blues.

Çamlica Hill

Being the highest point in Istanbul, Çamlica Hill offers some of the best panoramic sceneries of the city and its three waterways. Çamlica is split into Küçük Çamlica (Little Pine) and Büyük Çamlica (Big Pine), so head for the big one to feel on top of Istanbul at 267m above sea level. Across the Bosphorus, skyscrapers from the financial districts of Levent and Maslak climb out of chaotic clutter. If the weather permits, visibility reaches almost as far as the Black Sea, the Princes Islands and even to the snowy ridges of Uludag. The famous skyline of Sultanahmet’s minarets and domes is silhouetted as the sun signal the end to another day. A perfect postcard panorama gives it a romantic atmosphere. Camlica can be reached by car or taxi, or you can attempt local transport from Kadıköy, Üsküdar (4kms) or Altunizade.

After a breath of fresh air and relaxing views, the love for Istanbul’s crazy vibe is reenergized once again.

Meet the author

Casey

After moving overseas from Australia, Casey’s path landed her in Istanbul intially for a summer stint only. Once addicted to Istanbul’s eccentricity and charm, Casey has yet to find reason to leave five years on. An avid traveller of sorts, Casey spent most of her time after her studies roming across Europe and the Middle East looking for adventure and cultural experiences. Now a freelance journalist, Casey spends her days finding the words to excite the inner traveller in everyone.

via Istanbul’s Million Dollar Views « Turkey Blogs.

January 4, 2012