Tag: Istanbul

istanbul – places

istanbul – places

finally, additional to the post from couple of weeks ago on my visit to istanbul, I tried to put together a small selection on nice places to go to eat, drink or shop. since the city is really huge it is hard to mention or even less – to see all those nice places scattered in this versatile city, but I hope you’ll stil find them interesting enough to give them a try if you’re travelling there sooner or later…. so, here they are.

renting an apartmen in cihangir, beyoglu was the right thing to do. 10 mins. on foot from taxim square it is a very lively, creative, alternative and young part of the city.

the best discovery on serving breakfast was found at the 49cafe

even though a franchise shops, two other cafes cought my attention on the interior design, food and drinks offer as well as the food presentation. first one is the house cafe. the same group owns the beautiful design the house hotels in istanbul – all designed by my favorite design duo: autoban.

the other one is kahve dünyasi, the one relly nice is we visited was here

we had this lemonade and mint-granita there, which was very refreshing at 36°:

as I just checked their page I found out that they have opened their first franchise also in london, near piccadilly circus.. well, well..

so, now about some restaurants… friend, kivanc, who wrote his last review on the city for me in abovemetioned post, took us there: ficcin, one of few circassian restaurants, and ficcin itself is the name of the main pasta dish… imagine kind of ravioli filled with meat or vegetables in a sauce with herbs, of delicious smell and taste….

meze by lemon tree

münferit (design again by autoban):

other restaurants you should check:

sahin lokantsi (closed sunday’s)

cukur meyhanesi

asmali cavit

two great foody-blogs to check

istanbul eats

istanbul food

istanbul eats also issued a book under the same name we bought ther + some other literature we used as help for getting around:

of course, while in istanbul a visit at the autoban showroom was a must go:

also designed by autoban, in chihangir was this wonderul bakery, komsufirin

interesting fashion lables were: mudo, polo garage & twist

*istanbul from a plane by DVN*

Source :

July 31, 2012
9 Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips For Your Disabled Trip to Istanbul By Sage Traveling

9 Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips For Your Disabled Trip to Istanbul By Sage Traveling

Istanbul has noticeably more accessibility challenges than many popular tourist destinations in Europe. From cobblestones to hills to steep ramps, wheelchair travelers to Istanbul are likely to encounter challenges on their trip. Sage Traveling provides list of 9 Istanbul Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips that tell you how to do it. With these handicapped travel tips you’ll travel like a pro by avoiding problems, saving time and money, and doing more than you thought was possible!

Some examples of our disabled travel tips for below will help minimize the challenging experiences while in Istanbul Turkey..

1. Double and triple check accessibility at your hotel before you arrive
Every European city has some hotels that claim to be accessible but really are not. Istanbul has more of these than any other city. Many of the “accessible” hotels have no ramp at the hotel entrance or a ramp that is so steep no wheelchair user could get up it without assistance. In room accessibility also varies greatly. Double and triple check the accessibility at your hotel before you arrive or you risk having a serious complication on your trip.

2. Avoid trying to approach the New District by walking or rolling
The Taksim square in the New District is a 2.2 km (1.5 mile) uphill journey from the Galata Bridge that spans the Golden Horn. Wheelchair users should hail a taxi rather than wear themselves out pushing up the hill.

3. Accessible bathroom location
Many of the bathrooms in Istanbul are not wheelchair accessible. When looking for accessible toilets during the day, your best bets are to try modern hotels, restaurant chains, and museums.

4. The Basilica Cistern is accessible from the exit
Although not well advertised, Istanbul wheelchair travelers are actually able to visit the Basilica Cistern. The exit is locate 2 blocks downhill from the entrance and has a wheelchair lift.

5. Group the sights by proximity
The Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, and Hagia Sophia are within 1 km of each other. It may be a stretch on your time to see them all in a day, but if you only have 1 day in Istanbul, make sure that you visit these three attractions.

6. Start each day at the high spots
The advice is both figurative and literal. Visit the can’t-miss items in the morning when your energy is high. If you get tired and need to end your sightseeing early, you can cut out some of the lesser sights. You should also literally start your day in the high spots and roll downhill during the rest of your day.

Get a list of 9 Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips to Istanbul and related information, Please have a look at below..

Contact us at info@sagetraveling.com or 1-888-645-7920, and we can get started immediately planning your accessible vacation in Istanbul!

The Istanbul disabled travel agents at Sage Traveling use our expertise in Istanbul accessible travel to create custom accessible holidays for disabled and senior travelers. Disabled visitors to Istanbul will encounter challenges during their travels, but nearly all can be avoided or overcome if you obtain the proper information before your trip. Our Istanbul disabled travel agents provide you with accessible hotel accommodations, accessible transportation within and between cities, detailed accessibility information on tourist attractions, and custom accessible itineraries to move you efficiently between tourist sights. We make your dream accessible vacation in Istanbul a reality!

About Us:
Sage Traveling is committed to providing customized accessible holiday travel for our clients. We deal exclusively in disabled travel to Europe and make it our job to understand all the challenges that disabled travelers may encounter and how to overcome them. Sage Traveling offers comprehensive, detailed, and organized disabled travel information on accessible European tourist attractions, hotels, and transportation.
Let our passion for European travel and research take the stress out of planning your European travel and let us customize a hassle-free accessible holiday for you!

Contact Us:
Sage Traveling
Address: Houston, Texas – USA
Ph. No. 888-645-7920
info@sagetraveling.com

July 30, 2012
Istanbul attractions: what to see and do in summer
Istanbul attractions: what to see and do in summer

Our Istanbul expert, Terry Richardson, suggests what to see and do in the city this summer, with advice on upcoming exhibitions and shows, and where to stay.

Midsummer is a great time to enjoy an outdoor meal at a Bosphorus-front fish restaurant Photo: Alamy

11:40AM BST 26 Jul 2012

Istanbul has become a year-round destination. Midsummer is sultry, but this is a great time to enjoy an outdoor meal at a Bosphorus-front fish restaurant, or Turkish coffee at a pavement cafe.
- Read Terry Richardson’s complete travel guide to Istanbul
July and August
Istanbul Modern (istanbulmodern.org) hosts Fifty Years of Urban Walls (continues until September 23), a retrospective of the works of Burhan Doğançay. At the same venue After Yesterday documents the development of photography in Turkey from the Ottoman-era to the present (until September 23).
- My hotel pick: Richmond Hotel – a well-run hotel, mixing period charm and contemporary style.
Up the Bosphorus, the wonderful Sakıp Sabancı Museum (muze.sabanciuniv.edu) hosts Cobra – 1000 Days of Free Art (until September 16), an exhibition of the works of post WW2 avante gardists of Amsterdam, Brussels & Copenhagen.
The gardens at the Sakip Sabanci Museum (photo: Alamy)
Related Articles
- Your guide to Istanbul22 Nov 2011
- Istanbul city break guide27 Sep 2011
- Istanbul: old city, new spirit03 Sep 2011
- Istanbul city break guide24 Aug 2011
- The perfect place to escape the apocalypse09 Sep 2011
- Turkey’s best ancient sites19 Sep 2011
Also here, the calligraphy collection has been re-vamped and re-launched as the Arts of the Book and Calligraphy Collection, plus While a Country is Changing – an expo of Turkish painting from the Ottoman reformation to the Republic.

Well-regarded Canadian singer-songwriter Feist takes stage at trendy Santralistanbul (santralistanbul.org‎) on August 25.
- My hotel pick: Büyük Londra Hotel – a budget option right in the heart of buzzing Beyoğlu.
The shopping district in Beyoğlu (Alamy)

September

Funk-rock superstars Red Hot Chili Peppers hit Santralistanbul on the 8th. Six days later another American soul legend Stevie Wonder also plays former power-station cum arts centre Santralistanbul (14th).

French-Canadian Cirque du Soleil perform their acrobatic spectacular Alegria at Ülker Sports Arena on the 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th.

Classical music lovers will flock to the Haliç Congress Centre to see the Berliner Philharmoniker on the 27th, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.
July 29, 2012
Destroying Istanbul

Kerem Uzel/Bloomberg News

ISTANBUL — Here’s a bit of hyperbole I’m prepared to defend: the Yenikapi district of Istanbul, located along the Sea of Marmara, is one of the most important historical sites on earth. In 2004 excavations for a major subway station uncovered the harbor of Byzantium and a treasure trove of objects, including 36 boats. The ships’ cargo alone offered a unique guide to medieval life around the Mediterranean Sea.

“Our generation’s discovery of the pyramids” is how the Harvard University history professor Michael McCormick once described the finds to me. The same excavations also uncovered 8,000-year-old human remains from the Late Neolithic period — evidence that the area was inhabited even before the Bosphorus Strait was formed, dividing the land into what we now call Europe and Asia.

Now here’s a bit of hyperbole I wish I didn’t have to defend: the damage now being done to Istanbul rivals the damage done to Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade. The so-called Latin invaders of 1202 looted Byzantium in the name of religion; today the city is being pillaged in the name of progress and profit.

I should temper my criticism. Like many great cities, Istanbul faces the challenge of squeezing the vast infrastructural requirements of a modern metropolis into the narrow alleys of its ancient past. To their credit, after the finds of 2004, city authorities made the painful decision of delaying the construction of a much-needed metro system to allow archaeologists to conduct excavations first.

And again, to its credit, in 2010 the municipal government organized an international competition for the redevelopment of Yenikapi with a view to building not only a new subway station and tunnel but also archaeological parks that would showcase what for millennia had laid buried under the city. A three-way tie was declared in mid-April, and the co-winners, all well-known international architecture consortia, were asked to put their heads together and come up with a joint plan.

But then, on orders from the central government, the municipality dropped a bomb: it announced as a fait accompli a plan to fill in about 2.8 square miles of the waters off Yenikapi to create an assembly ground for political rallies and outdoor fairs. This vast space will be big enough to accommodate 800,000 people, perhaps even one million.

Wanting to add some bulbous growth to the side of the peninsula of Istanbul is a folly so grand it’s hard to take seriously. It’s like wanting to straighten the Seine or turn the Colosseum into a football stadium.

Related in Opinion

Op-Ed: Turkey’s Hypocrisy

Turkey must atone for its own past crimes before lecturing others on human rights, writes Taner Akcam.

Read the Op-Ed in Turkish »

Why would anyone contemplate building a monstrous wasteland within hailing distance of masterworks like Hagia Sofia or the Blue Mosque? No one really knows the answer because the Yenikapi project was cooked up in some backroom in Ankara without a shred of public consultation (let alone an environmental impact study).

One explanation, so banal as to be plausible, is that there is so much digging and tunneling going on around Istanbul that contractors need somewhere to dump the debris.

Another explanation is that the project is a display of rank power — the Erdogan government’s latest attempt to leave a visible mark on Istanbul. It is doing it because it can.

Andrew Finkel has been a foreign correspondent in Istanbul for over 20 years, as well as a columnist for Turkish-language newspapers. He is the author of the book “Turkey: What Everyone Needs to Know.”

via Destroying Istanbul – NYTimes.com.

July 28, 2012
How to drink like a lion in Istanbul

By Kara Newman

Mon Jun 25, 2012 7:31am EDT

(Reuters.com) – Bridging Europe and Asia, Istanbul has become Turkey’s financial, cultural and historic centre. In addition to quality local wines and beers, the city’s tipplers consume their fair share of distilled spirits – particularly vodka, tequila and whiskey – with a cocktail culture on the ascent.

“The most popular drink in Istanbul is raki,” says Cevat Yildrim, bartender at local restaurant Lucca (<www.luccastyle.com/>).

This clear, anise-flavoured spirit, widely considered the national alcoholic drink of Turkey, is made from grapes and distilled to an alcohol level comparable to vodka (40 percent alcohol by volume or higher).

Most consume the spirit straight up as a shot, or diluted with water, which changes the colour of the spirit to a milky white (leading to its nickname “Lion’s Milk” – also a reference to the courage of those who dare to drink raki).

According to Istanbul-based tour guide Burak Sansal, drinking raki has its own set of rituals. “Most important is what it is to be partaken with,” he writes.

“White cheese is the main and unchangeable ‘meze’ of raki,” though cold vegetable and seafood dishes also are favoured pairings.

The Bosphorus divides Istanbul in two, and most of the best places to eat and drink come with vast water views. Although many bars and clubs close their open-air terraces during the winter months, Istanbul is noted for its lively approach to nightlife and drinks flow freely.

In addition to his own establishment, Yildrim also recommends venues such as Sunset Grill & Bar (<www.sunsetgrillbar.com/>), noted for its stunning views of the Bosphorus, strong wine list and affluent clientele.

Other picks include Turkish-Italian restaurant Paper Moon (<www.papermoonmilano.com/>) and Ulus 29 (<www.group-29.com/>), a bar and club located on the hilltop of Ulus.

In addition, he recommends the bars of five-star hotels such as the Four Seasons Istanbul (<www.fourseasons.com/istanbul/>) which boasts two properties: Sultanahmet, closer to the tourist attractions of the Old City, and higher-end Bosphorus, where nightlife flourishes.

At these upscale bars and restaurants, raki will be available for the asking, but wine and fruity cocktails (such as the one below) fill out the menu listings. Be sure to raise your glass and roar: “Serefe!”

RECIPE: Chilli Passion Margarita

Courtesy of Cevat Yildrim, Lucca

2 ounces Patron Silver Tequila

1 ounce orange liqueur

1 ounce passion fruit

1 ounce lime concentrate

3/4 tablespoon chilli pepper juice

In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a Margarita glass. (Kara Newman is the author of “The Secret Financial Life of Food”, Columbia University Press; publication date autumn 2012. Any opinions expressed are her own.) (Editing by Peter Myers)

via The Spirited Traveller: How to drink like a lion in Istanbul | Reuters.

June 26, 2012
Daily life in Istanbul

The sun rises behind the Blue Mosque in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul on February 22, 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey. Though not the capital, Istanbul is the cultural, economic, and financial heart of Turkey with a population of over 13 million people. Situated on the Bosphorus strait, this metropolis, a former capital of the Roman Empire, spans Europe and Asia, the only city in the world to cross two continents. The city is dominated by historical monuments from the Byzantine and Ottoman era, with modern nightclubs, up-market restaurants and boutique hotels helping the city become a tourist hotspot. Istanbul was awarded the status of European Capital of Culture in 2010. Photo: Dan Kitwood, Getty Images / SF

via Daily life in Istanbul – SFGate.

more: https://www.sfgate.com/travel/slideshow/Daily-life-in-Istanbul-40225.php#photo-2588542

June 24, 2012