Until a recent urban renewal project that forced most residents out, the neighborhood of Tarlabaşı was home to a diverse array of Istanbul’s minority populations.
In the early 20th century, Tarlabaşı’s winding streets and colorful buildings were home to many of the city’s Greek residents. After violence against the Greek population their mass emigration from Turkey, Roma and Kurdish families moved in. But today, a municipal plan to turn the area into a wealthier, more mainstream neighborhood has forced out most families — and is making life miserable for the residents who refuse to leave, reports independent media agency Bianet.
Forced to collect rainwater for drinking
The Ber family profiled by three Bianet reporters are, like many modern residents of the neighborhood, recent immigrants to Istanbul from Turkey’s eastern regions.
Their house is certified as cultural heritage by the Istanbul municipality. But because it stands in the way of the urban renewal plans, they were offered approximately 35,000 Euros two years ago to leave and move to a different part of the city. For a family of ten, it will be impossible to find a suitable house for that amount on today’s market, so they refused the offer and stayed.
Other Tarlabaşı residents who demanded more money for their houses were personally threatened, so most of them caved in, took the money, and left, says Ali Ber.
The city is already sending the Bers threatening messages. Recently, their water was cut, forcing the family to collect rainwater for drinking. When Ali Ber asked the municipality why, he was simply informed that the family “could have already been evicted.”
More information about the ongoing gentrification of Tarlabaşı can be found at Tarlabaşı Istanbul.
A recurring problem
“Urban renewal” projects in Istanbul rarely renew their target areas.
The neighborhood of Sulukule was also predominantly inhabited by Roma until the city evicted most residents to make way for planned gentrification. By the time an Istanbul court annulled the project last year, saying it violated the area’s heritage protections and the residents’ rights, most houses had already been destroyed and hundreds of new villas were under construction.
In the city’s main square, Taksim, a more high-profile controversial renovation has begun. The Taksim Project, as it’s known, will replace the square’s adjacent park with a reproduction of old military barracks and a shopping mall, and will isolate the square from surrounding neighborhoods by transforming streets into highways.
Construction on the Taksim Project is now underway, despite the protests of many urban planners, environmentalists, and citizens, none of whom were consulted on the project.
via Istanbul Municipality Forces Neighborhood To Make Way For Planned Gentrification | Green Prophet.
Istanbul is one of those cities that leaves everyone who’s been there hankering to go back. But if you’re about to make your first appearance, here are five things you won’t want to miss.
Istanbul’s Blue Mosque. Photo / Megan Singleton
1. Aya Sofia or Hagia Sophia – This is the most breathtaking building in all of Istanbul. Originally built as St Sophia orthodox cathedral in the 6th century, it had the largest dome in all of Christendom and pure gold mosaics on the walls. In the 15th century it became a mosque and Muslim symbols were added. Today it is a museum with artefacts and mosaics dating to its beginning.
2. The Grand Bazaar – This 600 year old market is a maze of 60 covered streets crammed with 5000 vendors selling everything from antique rugs, glass lamps, ceramic bowls, leather coats, jewellery, cushion covers and more. Get your game face on and prepare to haggle – over a cup of hot apple tea. But the quality of goods can be amazing. Remember, the old adage is true, you get what you pay for. Oh, and James Bond rode his motorbike through here on Skyfall.
3. The Spice Market – Start here for your first foray into the world of doing business Turkish style.
It’s smaller than the Grand Bazaar but no less skill is demanded. You’ll find piles of dried spices and tea and plenty of fresh Turkish delight and other shops selling some of what the Bazaar sells. But the best thing is, you can declare your vacuum-packed spices and bring them home.
4. The Blue Mosque – The main mosque in Istanbul, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, is located near Aya Sofia in the tourist area of Sultanahmet. Nicknamed for its 20,000 handmade blue Iznik tiles, this is the mosque that pilgrims try to get to once in their lifetime. The public can enter and take photos. Scarves are provided for women and shoes are carried in plastic bags.
5. A Turkish Bath – Probably the most eye-popping experience you can have as a traveller. Pay for the works including the bath, massage and hair wash and prepare to leave your modesty at the door as you are scrubbed with a mitt by a middle-aged Turkish woman (in the women’s hamam that is), soaped up like a car and sloughed down with bowls of warm water until your skin is soft and smooth.
bloggeratlarge.com
– nzherald.co.nz
By Megan Singleton
via Top 5 things to do in Istanbul – Travel – NZ Herald News.
Visit Istanbul, Turkey, one of three ways: on a budget, spending a bit more, or when the getaway calls for a splurge.
Trip tips: When dialing direct, use the prefix 011 followed by 90 (country code) + 212 (city code) + phone number shown below. For practical visitor information, visit .
Getting there: Rates from $915 round-trip on departures through March 10; from $935 April 1-May 16; valid on Delta (one Europe connection required; stopovers not permitted).
BUDGET
Stay: Hotel Lausos is located close to St. Sophia, Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. Ottoman-style guest rooms at this pretty boutique hotel are from $108, including a buffet breakfast. Klodfarer Caddesi 33, Sultanahmet (Old City), 638-0707, www.hotellausos.com.
Eat: Tiny Kara Mehmet Kebap Salonu is in the Grand Bazaar (opened in 1461) inside a courtyard on a caravanserai (shelters for travelers, goods and animals along ancient caravan routes). This quiet, out-of-the-way spot gives a different prospective to this remarkable market of more than 50 streets and 3,000 shops (city and Bazaar maps at www.istanbultrails.com). After a kabob (under $5), try a dessert of kenafeh (shredded phyllo dough and cheese pastry soaked in sugar). Ic Cebeci Han 92, 527-0533.
Experience: Orientate on arrival with an open double-decker bus city tour. Get off at any of 40 stops to look around and then board another bus to continue the tour (buses operate every 60 minutes); about $27; www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com. Check out the treasury of jewels and the elaborate harem chambers at Topkapı Palace, the palace of sultans from 15th to 19th century; about $14 ($8.50 more with harem entry). Sarayici, 522-4422, www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr. Istanbul’s official sea bus and fast ferry company offers Bosphorus cruise from Eminonu to the Black Sea, and back. The ferry makes five stops on the six-hour cruise. Get off at the final stop, Anadolu Kavagi, for a fresh fish lunch or a visit to the hilltop Yoros Castle. Audio guides explain more than 70 points of interest along the way; twice daily service (Bogaz Hatti dock No. 3 near Galata Bridge); about $14. www.sehirhatlari.com.tr/en.
MODERATE
Stay: Located in the heart of the Old City, Hotel Amira offers spacious accommodations with signature bedding and hand-painted ceilings. On-site are a rooftop lounge, a library and a wellness area with a gym, Jacuzzi, sauna and massage service (fees apply). Room rates, including buffet breakfast and afternoon tea buffet, start from $130. Kucuk Ayasofya Mah. Mustafapasa Sok 79, 516-1640, www.hotelamira.com.
Eat: Take a sea bus (fast ferry) to Princes’ Islands, a lovely traffic-free archipelago of nine small islands just off Istanbul’s Asian shore. Horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the means of transportation. Ferries depart from Kabatas (easy to get to from Old City via tram) and take about 35 minutes to Heybeliada (about $10 round-trip); www.sehirhatlari.com.tr/en. Head to Heyamola Ada Lokantasi (just opposite the ferry) for a cold meze lunch (small dishes about $6) or hot meze from a vast tray selection such as grilled octopus ($10-$12) — or ask for a tasting selection. Heybeliada, (0216) 351-1111.
Experience: Visit Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar, built in 1663 to accommodate camel caravans on the Silk Road. Best buys are loose cumin, curry, saffron, dried fruits and nuts and specialties such as caviar, Turkish Delight and coffee. Closed Sundays; Marpuccular Caddesi 7. Enjoy the authentic atmosphere and the famous whirling dervishes (the dance is a form of prayer) at the Galata Dervish House, the oldest city lodge established in 1491. Witness ceremonies (semas) daily at 7:30 p.m.; about $25; closed Mondays. Galip Dede Caddesi 15, 245-4141, www.rumimevlevi.com.
SPLURGE
Stay: Hotel Sultania is located on a quiet street, close to many local museums, restaurants and shops. It’s just a one-minute walk to the Gulhane Tram, which gives easy access to many corners of the city. On-site are two restaurants and an indoor swimming pool. Deluxe double room rates from $222 with buffet breakfast. Ebusuud Cad. Mehmet Murat Sokak 4, 528-0806, www.hotelsultania.com.
Eat: Akdeniz Hatay Sofrasi prepares a number of traditional Syrian and Turkish dishes in a wood-fired oven and offers a range of kabobs, stews, soups, salads and tarts. House specialties, chicken or lamb stuffed with rice and slow roasted in a salt crust needs to be ordered at least 2.5 hours in advance. During presentation, the succulent dish is set on fire before the crust is broken; $12-$40. Ahmediye Caddesi 44, 444-7247, www.akdenizhataysofrasi.com.tr.
Experience: Immerse yourself in an authentic city experience with “The Other Tour” — a 14-hour journey that includes a private Bosphorus cruise, walks through varied neighborhoods (some with the highest populations of billionaires in the world), a visit to young students at a local school, a home-cooked lunch at a Turkish household, a trip to local markets and a Turkish Bath experience with massage and scrub. Offered Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; 200 euros cash per person (U.S. dollars accepted, about $270). Contact Fethi Karatas, (505) 884-0495, www.theothertour.com.
Clara Bosonetto is a retired travel consultant.
via A weekend in … Istanbul, Turkey | www.ajc.com.
Dervishes whirl, muezzins duel from minarets, and continents are crossed multiple times in a day. Home to millennia-old monuments and cutting-edge art galleries (sometimes in the same block), it’s a destination where eating, drinking and dancing are local priorities, and where everyone is welcome to join the party.
Istanbul’s Top Sights
Aya Sofya
There are many important monuments in Istanbul, but this venerable structure – commissioned by Emperor Justinian and consecrated as a church in 537, converted to a mosque by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453 and declared a museum by Ataturk in 1934 – surpasses the rest due to its rich history, religious importance and extraordinary beauty.
Known as Hagia Sophia in Greek, Sancta Sophia in Latin and the Church of the Divine Wisdom in English, it is commonly acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest buildings.
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world’s museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful concubines and scheming eunuchs lived and worked here between the 15th and 19th centuries when the palace was the seat of the Ottoman sultanate.
Visiting its opulent pavilions, landscaped courtyards, jewel-filled Treasury and sprawling Harem gives a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the sultans and their families, as well as offering an insight into the history and customs of a once mighty empire.
The Bosphorus
This mighty strait runs from the Galata Bridge all the way to the Black Sea (Karadeniz), 32km north. Over the centuries it has been crossed by conquering armies, intrepid merchants, fishermen and many an adventurous spirit.
To follow in their wake, hop aboard the 90-minute ferry cruise that travels between Eminonu and Anadolu Kavagi, marvelling at the magnifi cent yalis (waterside timber mansions), ornate Ottoman palaces and massive stone fortresses that line the Asian and European shores (to your right and left, respectively, as you sail down the strait).
Grand Bazaar
When Mehmet the Conqueror laid the Kapali Carsi’s foundation stone in 1455, he gave the imperial imprimatur to a local mercantile tradition that has remained strong ever since.
Located in the centre of the Old City, this atmospheric covered market is the heart of Istanbul in much more than a geographic sense – artisans learn their trade here, businessmen negotiate important deals and tourists make a valuable contribution to the local economy (sometimes, it must be said, against their better judgments ).
Kariye Museum (Chora Church)
Istanbul has more than its fair share of Byzantine monuments, but few are as drop-dead gorgeous as this mosaic-laden church. Nestled in the shadow of Theodosius II’s monumental land walls and now a museum overseen by the Aya Sofya curators, it receives a fraction of the visitor numbers that its big sister attracts but offers an equally fascinating insight into Byzantine art. Virtually all of the interior decoration – the famous mosaics and the less renowned but equally striking frescoes – dates from 1312.
If you want a metaphor for modern Istanbul, look no further than the Marmaray tunnel. It’s currently being dug under the Bosphorus to link Sirkeci Station, near the Grand Bazaar, with the ferry port of Uskudar on the Asian shore. The work will take three years to finish; maybe more because workmen keep discovering ancient objects that have to be removed and lovingly catalogued.
These objects aren’t just shards of pottery: they include the world’s oldest medieval galley, and the remains of a fourth-century port. How neat it is that the modern project linking east k and west Istanbul – but also linking Europe to Asia, and bringing the Western world closer to the Middle East – keeps tripping over its own awe-inspiring historical past.
Istanbul is undergoing an explosion that started in the 1980s, after years of anarchy and military rule in Turkey yielded to an economic boom followed by tidal waves of migration. In 2011, Turkey was named the fastest-growing economy in the world. Millions of peasants from Anatolia flooded into Istanbul, followed by Iraqis, Afghans, Russians, Moldovans, Armenians…
The city’s population has risen from three million to 15 million in the past 40 years. Investment money has poured in from the West. The streets have been cleaned up, new pedestrian precincts and parks introduced, business visitors welcomed without visas. The Western goods in the shops along Istiklal Caddesi (the Regent Street of Istanbul) are available to Russia’s well-heeled travellers who don’t want to go all the way to London or Paris. Visitors from Kuwait and Dubai can buy designer clothes here, safe in the knowledge that they’re in an Islamic country. No wonder Istanbul is the most popular kid on the 21st-century global block.
But of course, the city is also fantastically old. Its streets and buildings echo with 2,000 years of conflict, invasion, plunder and (nervous) peace. It’s been the capital of not one but two world empires, the Byzantine and the Ottoman. And much of the old Imperial swagger remains.
Look, for example, at the Pera Palace, one of the world’s most gorgeous hotels, now part of the Jumeira Group. It was built in 1892 by the owners of the Orient Express, because they wanted an exceptionally grand hotel to house Western travellers at the end of their long, haute-luxe train ride. The Palace staff met the travellers at Sirkeci Station with sedan chairs to ferry them across the Galata Bridge to the hotel. The hotel stands all by itself like a beautiful, floodlit, gilded wedding cake. Its balconies overlook the Golden Horn sea and the mosques of Sultanahmet. Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express in room 411, now renamed the Agatha Christie Suite; other rooms and suites are named after honoured guests from the 1920s: Hemingway, Pierre Loti, Garbo.
It is, I’m afraid, mandatory to spend a day gazing at the mosques and palaces of Sultanahmet. The Blue Mosque is gigantic and attended by six minarets. You have to queue for ages and discard your shoes to be rewarded by the awesome dignity of the interior with its huge columns and blue, Iznik tiles; the effect is slightly marred by an array of lights that dangle down from the roof and make an ugly cat’s cradle of wires.
Much more beautiful is the sixth-century Hagia Sophia, built by the emperor Justinian shortly after the fall of Rome. Originally Christian, it was nabbed by invading Ottoman Turk armies in 1453 and converted to a mosque. Today it is deconsecrated, but the past battles are reflected in the art – paintings of Christ and the Virgin Mary hang cheek-by-jowl with cartwheel-size wooden circles bearing angry scribbles of Islamic scripture. The dome is absolutely gorgeous, as are the mosaics.
Nearby, the Topkapi Palace offers up some relics of the old Sultanate (and of The Arabian Nights): rooms full of chalices, daggers, plates, jewellery, swords and rings, all crammed to bursting with rubies, emeralds and amethysts set in gold; and the warren of rooms in the Harem, where women were virtually imprisoned for life, where they plotted and schemed to become top concubine and tried not to fall foul of the chief black eunuch. There’s a uniquely spiced and claustrophobic atmosphere here, a ghastly whiff of ancient power struggles and blank terror.
You must take the ferry on a round-trip up the Bosphorus to where it spills into the immensity of the Black Sea. You must spend an afternoon (and probably too much money) getting lost in the roar and dazzle of the Grand Bazaar, whose grid-system aisles contain 1,000 bargains in towels, rugs, lamps, soap and incense. You must hang around Galata Bridge, watching the fishermen cramming every inch of casting space, and the shoe-shine guys scamming the tourists by offering free shines, then demanding 20 Turkish lira.
Inside Sirkeci Station, you can find a restaurant that’s a shrine to the Orient Express and to Ms Christie’s book – and next door, you can marvel at a display of five whirling dervishes, in their Mevlevi costumes of flowerpot hat (representing a tombstone) and wide white skirt (representing a shroud), performing the Sema Ceremony, of losing the self in order to find God.
Mostly, though, you must spend your time across the bridge in Beyoglu, the posh shopping, drinking and dining area. It’s the most Westernised district, where the groovy Istanbulites hang out. Fashionable bars and OK restaurants (the food in Istanbul isn’t great; there’s nowhere that deserves even one Michelin star) can be found around Galata Tower. An uphill walk brings you to streets of music shops and the super-cool Tunel, where everyone sits outside, drinks raki, chats and smokes half the night.
The Istiklal Caddesi begins here, a mile-long shopping mall. Ignore the dismayingly vulgar eateries and nip down the narrow alleyways to right and left. You’ll find fabulously pretty, Montmartre-style bistros with globe lamps, and rooftop hookah cafés. And you can wander for hours among the art shacks and antique shops of the Cukurcuma neighbourhood, where Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s greatest writer, grew up.
It’s here that you’ll find the Museum of Innocence, an actual museum containing all the nostalgic details of a family’s history – toys, teacups, lamps, photographs, film posters, ashtrays, shoes – so lovingly described in The Museum of Innocence, Pamuk’s novel about an obsessive love affair. The museum is a unique and astonishing tribute by a writer to his hometown – a fitting compliment to the bustling, history-haunted mega-city of Istanbul.
John Walsh
Prolific writer and commentator John Walsh contributes columns to the paper as well as writing features, interviews and restaurant reviews. He has been editor of The Independent Magazine, literary editor of the Sunday Times and features editor of the London Evening Standard.
Istanbul, Turkey Midwest-born girl. East Coast transplant. Professional pastry chef. Avid photographer. Expat in Istanbul. Join me as I cook, eat, travel and write about my adventures in my new country. Afiyet Olsun!
I’m going to stray away from my normal happy topics about the pazar, baking and our Turkey trips to talk about some local news.
I’m sure you’ve heard about the missing American woman from New York in Istanbul. Local police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations have been searching for Sarai Sierra, 33, who has been missing in Istanbul since Jan. 21, when she didn’t return to NY. I feel sorry for the family and hope she is found, but there are a lot of strange circumstances surrounding the story.
Since I’ve been following the story, I have seen and heard many comments online following these news reports and in particular comments being made about Istanbul, Turks and Turkey. Of course, this story is discussed quite differently among my expat friends and me here in Istanbul.
I’m quite angry and frustrated by these ridiculous, zero-fact based and ignorant comments. I have a difficult time believing these statements are being made by Americans whom have actually traveled to Turkey. Unfortunately, many of these comments are based on stereotypes.
It’s no surprise Americans have misconceptions about Turkey when less than half a percent of the population traveled to Turkey in 2011. Millions of Americans travel to Mexico and Canada every year while only a couple thousand visit Turkey.
According to 2011 statistics released by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the top 3 outbound destinations Americans traveled to were Mexico, Canada and Europe. Mexico received 19.9 million U.S. visitors while Canada was visited by 11.5 million U.S. travelers. In third place, Europe received 10.8 million U.S. visitors. In fourth place, 6 million Americans traveled to the Caribbean.
In comparison, according to a Jan. 6, 2012, article in the Hurriyet Daily News, 733,193 tourists from the U.S. visited Turkey in 2011 compared to 619,000 Americans in 2010. That’s an 18.45 percent increase.
In the past few years, Turkey and Istanbul have been declared top travel destinations by travel experts such as Travel & Leisure, Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor. Last month, CNN placed Istanbul on its Europe’s 10 Hottest Destinations for 2013.
For the record, I’ve lived in Istanbul as an American with my husband for nearly three years. I’ve gone out late at night in Taksim and met my girlfriends – by myself. I’ve never had any problems. I’m not going to walk down a dark, barren street by myself. I wouldn’t do that anywhere.
My husband has never feared for my safety nor NOT allowed me to go out by myself. (Some commentators have said men shouldn’t allow women to travel to Turkey by themselves. I hate the word – allow.)
During the day in Istanbul, I walk around the city all by myself and sometimes with girlfriends. I’ve walked across the Galata Bridge dozens of times. I visit outdoor markets, small stores and the Grand Bazaar that are run by male Turks. I’ve never been assaulted. The occasional rude comment is ignored. I consider myself a big city girl and am smart about what I do.
Generally, Turks are very helpful and kind people. They will go out their way to help you if you are lost and probably will offer you tea along the way.
There have only been a couple of occasions, on crowded buses and the subway, where I felt uncomfortable because a Turkish man was trying to get a little too friendly. Learn a key phrase like “Terbiyesiz” and shout it out. People will assist you. And even if you don’t speak Turkish, you’ll be fine if you tell someone to F*** off in English.
Bad things can happen anywhere.
How safe is America?
For more than six years, I lived in NYC, Washington D.C. and Baltimore in the U.S. Each of these metropolitan cities has bad neighborhoods where you just don’t go. I’ve been out late at night there too, but I’ve played it smart. By the way, rude and horrible men live in these cities too.
In fact, Baltimore has consistently ranked in the top 10 of America’s most dangerous cities, according to the FBI. Have you watched The Wire? In 2010, Baltimore’s violent crime rate decreased about 5%, but it’s still plagued with drugs and poverty and ranks in the top 15 U.S. cities for all violent crimes but forcible rape. Despite these crimes, I’d move back to Baltimore in a heartbeat.
Do I need to mention all the gun-related problems that have happened in the U.S. lately?
Do you think parents in Newton, Conn., sent their children off to school knowing a crazed shooter would kill 26 people at this elementary school?
How about the mass-murder shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, that killed 12 and injured 58 others last year?
How about the recent nanny in NYC and several parents who have drowned and killed children in bathtubs during the last few years in the U.S.?
I repeat – bad things can and DO happen everywhere.
Misconceptions about Turkey
Now, I’ll address some of the comments I’ve heard online recently and in the past by friends and acquaintances.
‘Isn’t Istanbul a desert?’ I was asked this by an American woman at the Charlotte International Airport in N.C. last year. Nope! Istanbul is bordered by the Bosphorus, Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.
Turkish women have no rights. In fact, Turkey granted women the right to vote in 1930 – while France and Italy didn’t until 1945. Isn’t that interesting?
Istanbul isn’t safe because it’s so close to war-riddled Syria. Please take a look at a map! Syria is located about 1,200 km away from Istanbul.
‘Do you ride a camel?’ I heard this one from a friend when I first moved here and laughed. The only time I’ve been on a camel is while sightseeing in Cappadocia, Turkey.
All Turkish men have harems. From 1453 to 1922, harems were part of the Ottoman Empire and the Sultans in power, but that ended when the Turkish Republic was established. I have heard of married Turkish men having mistresses, but that’s no different than American men having affairs either.
All women are covered and wear traditional burqas. While many women in Turkey do wear head scarves and long trench coats, you rarely see women wearing a full black burqa unless it’s a tourist from Saudi Arabia or other Middle Eastern countries. In fact, you’ll see plenty of modern-day Turkish women wearing short dresses or skirts and colorful high heels in Istanbul. Despite the uneven, cobblestone streets, Turkish women seem to love wearing insanely high heels.
Now, I’m not saying life in Istanbul or Turkey is fine and dandy for everyone. The city and country certainly is not without its faults and bad people. Minority populations such as the Armenians and Kurds have experienced terrible things here too. In the past few months, there have been four violent attacks against Armenian elderly women and an Armenian school teacher was killed.
I also think the Turkish government has a fair number of issues, but I won’t delve into that topic.
I repeat: bad things can happen anywhere.
So this is just my two cents from an American woman in her mid-30s who is living happily and safely in Istanbul.
