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Tag: Sirkeci

  • Sirkeci main railway station in Istanbul

    By nuclearagent

    A hostess offers Turkish delight for Orient Express passengers at Sirkeci main railway station in Istanbul. The Venice Simplon-Orient Express train recreates the original Orient-Express route from Paris to Istanbul once a year with restored cars and luxury suites from the 1920s to accommodate tourists.
    A car attendant adjusts his hat as he stands in front of the Orient Express at Sirkeci main railway station in Istanbul.
    An Orient Express passenger, who identified herself as Kawana from Virginia of the U.S., is helped by a car attendant as she leaves the train at Sirkeci main railway station in Istanbul.

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  • Istanbul: readers’ tips, recommendations and travel advice

    Istanbul: readers’ tips, recommendations and travel advice

    Readers offer their advice for holidays in Istanbul. Send us your tips for the chance to win a break in Val d’Isere.

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    Dancing dervishes of the Sufi order Mevlevi liven up the historic Sirkeci train station

    5:27PM GMT 22 Nov 2011

    This week’s winning tip

    Head for Eyup

    One of my favourite places in Istanbul is Eyup. This is one of the holy places of Islam; the tomb of Eyup Ensari, a companion of the Prophet Mohammed, is a site of Islamic pilgrimage. Take the ferry from Eminonu up the Golden Horn, a great trip in itself. Walk up to the Eyup Camii and visit the tomb and mosque with the faithful. It is a wonderfully moving and memorable experience. You are always welcome but you must be respectful and follow strict dress codes (ladies should always carry a headscarf with them in Istanbul).

    Continue your walk up to the beautiful Eyup cemetery for wonderful views of the Golden Horn. If you really want to see Islamic Istanbul, don’t just go to the Blue Mosque. Visit other mosques around the city which are not full of visitors.
    Mary Biswell, Bedfordshire

    More advice from readers

    Five-day wonder

    Istanbul is one of the most interesting cities to visit and there is so much to see you would ideally need at least a five-day break.

    Flying in to Istanbul Atatürk Airport means a 30-minute journey into the city centre. The Mina Hotel (0090 212 458 2800; minahotel.com.tr) is very close to the major sites and will arrange transport from and to the airport.

    The big sites, such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Cistern and the Grand Bazaar, are all within 10 minutes’ walk of the hotel and the hotel’s rooftop terrace provides a wonderful view over the Bosporus and Marmaris Sea.

    A short tram journey takes you to the waterfront at Eminonu where a day’s ferry cruise is available up the Bosporus to the entry to the Black Sea and calling at various stops on either side for around £10.
    Antony Rouse, Herefordshire

    Terrace with a view

    Istanbul’s skyline is magical at night, and one of the best places to enjoy it is from a rooftop restaurant like the one at Adamar Hotel (511 1936; adamarhotel.com) in Sultanahmet. Just a stone’s throw from the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia, the intimate terrace has a show-stopping panoramic view.

    The Bosporus Bridge twinkles with ever-changing colours, the commercial district sparkles with modern skyscrapers, and the mosques and minarets glow with golden light. High above the rooftops, the sounds of the muezzins’ evening calls to prayer echo in the night air around you.

    And, if the weather is less than kind, there is an indoor restaurant with glass walls on the floor below.
    Mandy Huggins, address withheld

    Think like a local

    A trip on the Bosporus is one of the iconic experiences – and recommended even if you aren’t that interested in the Asian side of the city. Many companies offer hugely expensive cruises but they are a complete waste of money. Local boats and ferries are constantly criss-crossing the Bosporus and they offer the chance for visitors to get on the water, experience a slice of local life and all for less than the 10th of the price of a “cruise”.
    Steven Green, address withheld

    Go north – or south

    Stroll among the fishermen on Galata Bridge, taking in the roar of the traffic and the horns of the boats on the Bosporus. Look south to the old city, with its ancient mosques, bazaars and palaces – Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi, the Grand Bazaar…

    North of the bridge is the “newer” district of Beyoglu. Here you’ll find grand hotels, trendy bars, designer shops and swish apartment blocks.

    At Eminonu, on the south bank, catch a ferry to Uskudar for views of the city skyline and the stunning Ottoman timber villas along the shore (fabulous when floodlit at night).

    A great place to stay is the Richmond Hotel (252 5460; richmondhotels.com.tr) in Pera, with a rooftop bar overlooking the Bosporus. The hotel is just a short walk from Çiçek Pasaji, the old flower market with a choice of busy restaurants (meze, fish, raki) in a historic covered courtyard.

    Kumkapi, near the main fishing harbour in the old city, has dozens of small seafood restaurants clustered around the square and the narrow cobbled streets.
    Jean Gardiner, Warwickshire

    Take a bath

    Don’t visit the big hammams mentioned in guidebooks, but wander through the back streets and find one that looks friendly. Ask if they will do you a deal at a quieter time. My partner and I did this and we had the whole place more or less to ourselves and were able to enjoy the experience together (most hammams have separate men or women sessions only), in a wonderful 16th-century bathhouse in one of the back streets in the old town.
    Trina Warman, Cambridgeshire

    Spice it up

    Don’t miss the spice market: you will be amazed at the variety of spices available and the wonderful smell will intoxicate you. Everything is very reasonably priced, so stock up.
    Laura Cope, West Midlands

    Ferry to Asia and Europe

    Take one of the municipal ferries on the 90-minute trip from Besiktas quay to Anadolu Kavagi, at the mouth of the Black Sea. The journey takes you criss-crossing between Europe and Asia along the length of the Bosporus, the scenery changing as you progress towards the fishing port. It provides welcome relief from pounding the city streets for an afternoon.
    Jane Jones, Lancashire

    Go underground

    Istanbul – you’ve got to go. The tram is fast and clean though you do need two lira to buy tokens from the roadside machine before you get onto the platform.

    The ambience of the city is welcoming, with very friendly people, and everywhere is spotlessly clean. The Blue Mosque is absolutely beautiful; Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, the spice market and Aya Sofia must not be missed; the underground Basilica Cistern is fascinating, too, and not highly advertised. It has a mystical but tranquil feel to it – the ambient lighting enhances the beauty of the columns reflected in the water, where you get glimpses of fish swimming around.

    If you take a boat trip along the Bosporus, stop at Anadolu Kavagi and climb the hill for the view.
    Linda Lawless, Southampton

    Princess for a day

    Just off Istanbul’s Asian coast are the Princess Islands. You can get to four of them by ferry from both the Asian and European side of the city, though you might not want to go in high summer when they tend to get very crowded.

    The islands are all car-free; you can rent bicycles or take a horse-drawn carriage. We would recommend a day on Buyukada, the largest of the islands; take a picnic and your swimsuit.
    Helena and Piers Dobbs, Cheshire

    In Christie’s footsteps

    Agatha Christie fans should stay at the Pera Palas Hotel (377 4000; perapalace.com) in Beyoglu. The hotel was built in 1892 for Orient-Express passengers and Christie is said to have been inspired to write Murder on the Orient Express here. Greta Garbo stayed for three weeks in 1924; Hemingway loved it too. It’s not the city’s smartest hotel but it definitely has the best stories.
    Simon Burnet, Sussex

    Taxis and takeaways

    Istanbul’s public transport is quite complicated and not very efficient unless you know exactly where you need to get off. Taxis are recommended – they are quite cheap in comparison to the UK. But you need to make sure that you have asked for the price before getting on the taxi, otherwise you may be charged a lot.Try kumpir (stuffed baked potato), Istanbul’s favourite fast food.
    Shima Najdaki, address withheld

    Trams and Shanks’ pony

    My wife and I have visited Istanbul several times and initially it can be a slightly intimidating place. Use the excellent tram system whenever possible, and walk as much as you can. The locals are usually helpful and friendly but take the same precautions you would in any big city and never be persuaded to go with someone to visit a shop or bazaar. Our tip for the best place to visit: Topkapi Palace.
    Roger Bowden, Perthshire

    What to avoid

    Hold back

    When going to Topkapi Palace in Istanbul do not go as it opens – the scramble to get in is chaotic and dangerous. But they only seem to have one kiosk open – it’s madness.
    W Egginton, Staffordshire

    Look then leave

    The restaurants in the Sultanahmet area are a rip-off. See the sights, then go elsewhere for drinks or snacks. Try the Turkish coffee – but don’t drain your cup. You’re not supposed to drink the sludge at the bottom.
    Lorraine Voss, Dorset

    Traffic warning

    Don’t even think of hiring a car: the traffic in Istanbul is terrible and the standard of driving worse. We didn’t feel entirely safe in taxis either, but contrary to what we’d been told, our drivers were all charming and didn’t try to cheat us.
    L D Gates, Beds

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/your-travels/8903830/Istanbul-readers-tips-recommendations-and-travel-advice.html

  • Sirkeci Gare – Istanbul’s emblematic train station

    Sirkeci Gare – Istanbul’s emblematic train station

    Orient Express and Sirkeci Gare are two tightly connected key words. Although the famous luxury train no longer runs all the way to Istanbul, a visit to the station is a worthwhile trip down memory lane.

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    The pink brick, white stucco and black wrought iron structure is a prime example for late 19th century Ottoman architecture which sought to combine oriental elements with western modern style. The architect of the train station was a German, August Jachmund, who had come to Istanbul to study Ottoman architecture and ended up lecturing at Istanbul’s polytechnic. The building was completed in 1888 and inaugurated in 1890.

    Approach the station from the street car stop of the same name and admire a gleaming steam engine which is exhibited at the left of the side entrance. The exterior is beautifully maintained whereas the interior serves as a modern day train station which connects Istanbul to the Balkans and Greece.

    However, 19th century nostalgia remains very much in evidence. First is the Orient Express restaurant which serves excellent food and is full of photographs and memorabilia of times gone past.

    Next to it is a tiny museum. Admission is free and it’s only one room, but you can admire a lot of exhibits connected to the Orient Express, like old log books, the reconstruction of a luxury dining car, a conductor’s uniform, even cutlery and crockery which was used on the famous train. The charm of this museum lies in its small size and the fact that, short of touching, you can get really close to the exhibits and study them at your leisure.

    Also within the station is a community hall. For some reason this is the venue where several nights a week the Sufi lodge of Istanbul arranges a performance of the whirling dervishes, the best I have seen outside of the festival in Konya because the performers are Sufi who have trained many years to achieve perfection. Tickets to the event can be obtained from many shops and kiosks in the vicinity or along Divan Yoglu.

    Leave by the front entrance, cross the square and take a last look at the graceful structure which is an important historical landmark of Istanbul before crossing the Galata Bridge to sample some fish buns and perhaps proceeding to visit the Galata Tower.

    via Sirkeci Gare – Istanbul’s emblematic train station | Tips from the T-List.

  • Sirkeci Gare – Istanbul’s emblematic train station

    Sirkeci Gare – Istanbul’s emblematic train station

    sirkeci orientOrient Express and Sirkeci Gare are two tightly connected key words. Although the famous luxury train no longer runs all the way to Istanbul, a visit to the station is a worthwhile trip down memory lane. Sirkeci Gare’s main front The pink brick, white stucco and black wrought iron structure is a prime example for late 19th century Ottoman architecture which sought to combine oriental elements with western modern style. The architect of the train station was a German, August Jachmund, who had come to Istanbul to study Ottoman architecture and ended up lecturing at Istanbul’s polytechnic. The building was completed in 1888 and inaugurated in 1890. Side entrance of the train station Approach the station from the street car stop of the same name and admire a gleaming steam engine which is exhibited at the left of the side entrance. The exterior is beautifully maintained whereas the interior serves as a modern day train station which connects Istanbul to the Balkans and Greece. Steam engine outside Sirkeci Gare However, 19 th century nostalgia remains very much in evidence. First is the Orient Express restaurant which serves excellent food and is full of photographs and memorabilia of times gone past. Orient Express restaurant Next to it is a tiny museum.

    Original Source Sirkeci Gare – Istanbul’s emblematic train station

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