Tag: Istanbul
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Daily Secret offers insider intel for Istanbul, Athens, Shanghai and more
by Meg Nesterov (RSS feed) on Jan 7th 2012 at 12:00PM
Last month, I went to a designer-clothing pop-up sale in the back of a restaurant, scored an invite to an exclusive party with Champagne and gourmet truffles, and got the manager’s private phone number of a hot new nightlife spot. I’m not famous or especially well-connected, I’m just a subscriber to DailySecret.com. Daily Secret is website and email newsletter that delivers insider intel for twelve cities from Buenos Aires to San Francisco, plus English-language editions for Athens, Istanbul, and Shanghai. Founded in Athens in 2010, Daily Secret spread to Istanbul last March, with over 200 secrets and counting.The Istanbul secrets are compiled and curated by a team of 15 “scouts,” ranging from a fashion blogger, to a food critic, to a non-profit specialist in new companies who often hears about new ventures before they open. You can register with the site to receive the daily secrets, or search online by category, neighborhood, or date posted. Not all secrets are fancy or expensive, but they tend to be sophisticated and high-end. Daily Secret likes to be the first to write about a new service or business, or provide an added value for readers: an exclusive discount or giveaway, the unlisted phone number, or a spot on the guest list of an event.I met with Laura Wells, co-founder and editor of Istanbul Daily Secret, to get her best tips and favorites for the Turkish cultural capital. With a background in news journalism, Laura is an American expat with a discerning eye and impeccable tastes, who vets each secret and hopes that if you like the secret’s description, you’ll like the place too.
A year after the Capital of Culture is over, why travel to Istanbul in 2012?
Istanbul is not about trends or time-sensitive titles, though it is ‘hot’ these days. Istanbul has been around for thousands of years, and there’s nowhere else like it. It’s exotic, and yet also very accessible to foreigners, in terms of culture and things to do.Essence of Daily Secret in one sentence?
We discover the best insider ‘secrets’ of each city for our members (in our case, Istanbul), that most locals don’t even know about!Favorite museum/culture spot with no tourist buses in sight?
Turkey is now becoming known internationally for its modern art market. The most impressive art museum in Turkey, I think, is actually a private, family-owned museum. Its collection pairs renowned artists from around the world with local Turkish talents, and entrance is free! The Elgiz Museum/Proje 4L often has receptions & exhibits of emerging Turkish artists as well as many panel discussions in English. It’s one of Istanbul’s best-kept secrets, truly!Where to go for an only-in-Istanbul souvenir, that’s actually made in Turkey?
I love artistic souvenirs that can become heirlooms, and we recently discovered a brand-new company started by Turkey’s Minister of EU Affairs, Egemen Bagis. His wife Beyhan has worked with local artisans to develop Anatoli, which offers three lines of exquisite pieces for the home ranging from straight traditional to modern based on an old motif. Beyhan Bagis conducted research with a professor of Turkic Studies to resurrect these designs and unusual pieces; for instance, Anatoli carries an incredibly elaborate silver-plated, hand-wrought sculpture that’s actually an Ottoman-style rose water holder to make the room more fragrant. It’s the closest thing to owning an antique (there are many fakes here!). The prices start at 65 TL, so nearly anyone can purchase something, and they’ll all fit in your carry-on. Read more here.Best new hotel in a hip neighborhood?
For a reasonably-priced (and now very hip) hotel, Georges is a standout! The co-owner & manager Alex Varlik, a Parisian transplant, is very hospitable, and I love that they preserved this historic building’s original details. You’re steps from the Galata Tower, but the entrance’s in on such a quiet, little cobblestone street. Even Istanbul’s glamorous set is now flocking to this “old town” establishment, the intimate restaurant/bar Le Fumoir. Just opened this month across the Golden Horn, HHK Hotel is a charming new property with sauna, pool, and hammam, and we’re giving away a 2-night stay in February. The winner can be from anywhere in the world, you just have to be a Daily Secret member.Comfy and cool bar you wish was in your neighborhood?
To hang out with the young art crowd & intelligentsia, head to the less-visited Asian side, for your pick of funky hangouts on Kadikoy’s Kadife Street (aka Bar Street). Karga at #16 is an art and performance space in an old building designed by the same architect as the train station. It recently celebrated 15 years and has its own magazine. Hidden above street level, Dunia at #19 is a new 2-story restaurant/bar that prints its schedules so you can hear a performance, watch a movie, and see an exhibit. Arkaoda at #18 is a lounge for music lovers, and the kind of place the owner doesn’t necessarily want you to find – unless you know someone, that is.Where to splurge on a last-night-in-town dinner?
For a proper Ottoman meal and to try dishes you can almost never find anywhere else, as they did with the former Empire, try Pasha Bebek. Unlike many of the restaurants serving the traditional cuisine here, this is elegant, and in a ‘hot’ neighborhood. The hostess, Anita, is like an encyclopedia about all the dishes and she loves sharing the history behind them. She’s there every night and speaks wonderful English.Recommended tour guides for more insider intel?
One of Daily Secret’s employees, Resat Erel, is also a long-standing private tour guide, also fluent in English & French. He’s a member of TURSAB, the tourist guide association, and he mainly gives tours to visiting dignitaries. He knows all the ‘secrets’ of Istanbul and is a great asset to us! In return, we have to give him up on certain days. If you want to have a private tour based on your preferences, he’ll work with you to shape your itinerary. His email address is: resaterel@gmail.com, phone +90.532.670.1369. For a culinary tour to try lots of different dishes, in very little time, and get to walk around the city or cross the Bosphorus by boat – Delicious Istanbul is a new company providing cooking classes and tasting tours for 2-6 people.What’s happening in 2012 for Daily Secret?
Vancouver just launched, and we’re also launching Android & iPhone applications for each city this month (we’ll be announcing them on our sites, and they’ll be available through our sites and in the iTunes store), and people will be able to see the secrets in each neighborhood as they pass through, like a personal tour guide. We’re also working on English versions of all foreign cities. -
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 BridgeThe 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.
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Istanbul prepares for major earthquake
By Jonathan Head BBC News, Istanbul
Ercis is close to a fault-line caused by the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic platesRelated Stories
- Search for Turkey quake survivors
- How to measure earthquakes
- Can we predict earthquakes?
The precise time and place of an earthquake cannot be predicted – that is what you will hear from any seismologist charged with monitoring the grinding and shuddering of the earth’s surface in geologically active regions.
But they can state with confidence in which areas there is a very high probability of a big earthquake, within a few decades.
Ercis, a town of around 100,000 in eastern Turkey is in just such an area. It lies close to one of the many fault-lines caused by the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
The most recent major earthquake struck in the early afternoon on 23 October, so people were not caught asleep in the beds.
Yet more than 600 people died there, and in city of Van to the south. They died because multi-storey apartment blocks collapsed in a matter of seconds, one concrete floor pancaking onto another, crushing anyone who could not get out.
Wave of anger
Turkey was supposed to have learned its lesson in 1999, when a powerful earthquake hit the western city of Kocaeli, in one of the most industrialised parts of the country.
At least 17,000 died in that disaster, most again in poorly built high-rise residential blocks.
The rescue effort was slow and chaotic, provoking a wave of public anger against the government at the time.
Twelve years later, the search and rescue response was much better, but it was not perfect.
Some of the teams in Ercis complained that they were sent without adequate support.
It took days for tents to arrive; most were not suited to the harsh winters of eastern Turkey, and distribution was haphazard.
This raises a question never far from the minds of people living in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city with 15 million inhabitants.
How will the authorities cope when disaster strikes there?
There has been an average of one big earthquake every century in Istanbul for the past 1,500 years. The last one was in 1894. By any reckoning, the city is due for another.
“In the Istanbul metropolitan area there are around one million buildings,” said Mustafa Erdik, the director of the main seismic observatory in Kandilli.
“In a major earthquake we would expect 40-50% to receive some sort of damage; 3-4% would be very badly damaged, with perhaps 5,000 experiencing pancake collapses.
“Search and rescue in this situation would be very difficult to carry out”.
The problem is, officials cannot be sure which 5,000 buildings will collapse – there are tens of thousands which might. Strengthening them to modern safety standards is just too big a job to undertake.
Quake preparations
There are areas of Istanbul judged to be more vulnerable than others: Zeytinburnu, for example, a fast-growing suburb to the west of the city, built on soft soil near the Marmara Sea.
Seyda Sever works for a disaster awareness campaign group, and spends a lot of time in Zeytinburnu, trying to help its inhabitants prepare themselves for a quake.
Many victims die because multi-storey apartment blocks collapse in a matter of secondsShe believes many of the buildings there would sustain significant damage. Zeytinburnu started as a slum area, where people built their own houses, and then added floors to them, without any inspection for structural strength.
Reinforcing them, she says, would cost more than the value of the buildings – it would be better to knock them down and rebuild.
The government has offered to move residents to new, safer housing estates further out from the city, but this has not proved a popular idea.
“The people know this is a risky area to live in, but they don’t want to move,” said Ms Sever.
“They’ve heard a lot of gossip that the government will build big hotels here, and that their land will become more valuable. And this is their home – it’s not easy to ask people to move somewhere with no neighbourhood structure.”
In the absence of any other solution, Ms Sever focuses her training on smaller safety precautions, like having and knowing how to use a fire extinguisher, and working out safe places to shelter when an earthquake starts.
Alarming cracks
Some of Zeytinburnu’s residents have made efforts to strengthen their own homes.
Ilhan Ozkaya owns a four-storey building which houses his extended family. After the 1999 disaster he put concrete buttressing at the corners of the building, which he is confident will help it resist the lateral shaking that brings many structures down in an earthquake.
But he cannot be sure, because he has never had it professionally checked.
“Even if they want to check their buildings, it costs five thousand lira (£1,750; $2,700) to have it done properly by a university,” said Ms Sever. “Not everyone can afford that. This is one area where the government could help, by making it more affordable”.
Next door to Ilhan Ozkaya, Ayse Bestan took me up to her fourth floor apartment, and showed me a number of alarming cracks in the walls.
“A woman from the municipality came here, and said she could not see a single safe place to hide in an earthquake,” she said. “With every tremor, some pieces fall off the walls.”
Ms Bestan is a widow, with a son to look after, and only part-time work. She says she cannot afford to do anything to improve the home she lives in – she does not own it, and the owner is not interested.
Wait and hope
Turkish rescue teams are trained how to cope with the aftermath of earthquakesMustafa Erdik is confident most recent buildings in Istanbul have been constructed to a high standard.
The building codes have already been good for many years – the problem has been making sure contractors adhere to them.
With the dramatic growth of the economy, he says big developers have moved in, building hundreds of houses at a time, and they tend to have higher safety standards. But he believes the government should do more.
“They should introduce professional engineering in Turkey,” he said. “Currently any engineer with a four-year degree can sign any project he wants.
“The second step is licensing the contractors, with proper insurance schemes for malpractice. The third step is the proper quality control.”
Over time, the number of substandard buildings will decrease in Istanbul. The millions of people still living in them can do little else but hope that the big earthquake hits Istanbul later, rather than sooner.
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Renaissance Tower: Tallest in Istanbul
This tower designed by award-winning firm FXFOWLE, the tallest on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, makes a memorable presence for the headquarters of a dynamic construction and development company. Occupying an “edge-city” context at the intersection of two major highways, the tower is completely freestanding and seen in the round. Functioning like an obelisk, it marks the end of long vistas and announces the entrance to the city from the east.
This tower marries sculptural massing rooted in locale, a solar responsive skin with allusions to Islamic tradition, and the incorporation of green spaces throughout. Rooted in the particular spirit of Istanbul, it offers an antidote to the universal application of conventions that has regrettably become the norm for many international practices.
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I Put the Jew Back in Jewelry
Today I bought every piece of jewelry in Istanbul. Jill and I took a Grayline tour today to the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofya. There were both very beautiful and I have the pictures to prove it. OUr tour guide kept telling us that we had 20 minutes to “wisit” this and 15 minutes to “wisit” that. Jill and I were giggling. Of course, it wouldn’t be a guided tour without a stop at some store with “special prices”. We went to a jewelry/rug store and they did a rug demonstration about different weaving methods, materials, etc. They gave us all hot tea and it was apple flavored, it was delcious! Who wants a box? In Turkey it is good manners to offer tea to your guests, so every shop we stopped in to look, they offered tea to us.
Most important of all, we went to the Grand Bazaar and boy, was it grand! Wikipedia Link I could be happy just exploring that the entire time I’m in Istanbul. You cannot imagine what it was like. Supposedly there are 4,000 shops inside; and it’s covered. It wasn’t like the markets in Asia that are “covered” by a tarp or a corrugated metal “roof”. You could walk around pleasantly. There are alleys or sections for each type of thing you want to buy. They have a jewelry section, a rug section, a leather section, and about a million other things. Unfortunately, we came in through the jewelry section and I literally could not walk 3 feet without looking in a window. Everything was so sparkly. They have the MOST gorgeous jewelry here, lots of unusual items. They have a lot of matte gold and oxidized silver and gold. EVERYONE should come to Istanbul and shop. You would think that each shop would have the exact same things as the other, but that wasn’t necessarily so. The men in the shops are very patient and schmooze with you but somehow they manage not to be pushy. Of course, everyone has “the best deal for you” and I walked out of there thinking I was the most beautiful person in the world, because they all told me so. I kept saying over and over how excited I was and how i’ve never seen so many goodies before in my life. Oh, how I wish I were in the market for a diamond piece of jewelry, they had so many beauties! I have to go back again. Maybe I will win the Turkish Lottery and they won’t allow me to take my money back to NY and I will have to spend it all here.. I could be so lucky!
They have the worst tv here, no Animal Planet, Sara. They have 6 English channels here and one of them doesn’t work. Two of them are news channels and one of them is dedicated to showing only the worst movies ever made. Ones that even I wouldn’t see.
Oh, and if I said everything smells like kebap yesterday.. today everything smells like cigarettes. The bazaar is sort of indoors but everyone is smoking. I had to take a shower the moment we got back to the room, which was around 5:00. After being on the go for about 9 hours today, we’d had enough.
Tomorrow we have a tour at 2:00 and we are going to the Asian side of Istanbul and going to see the Bosphorus. We are going to try to go to the Topkapi Palace in the morning after a unrushed (you like that word?) morning.
Have a wonderful day!
via I Put the Jew Back in Jewelry – Istanbul, Turkey Travel Blog.
This travel blog photo’s source is TravelPod page: I Put the Jew Back in Jewelry
