Jason and I have both been to Istanbul before. Each time we were there for week at most, staying close to Sultanhamet, quickly visiting all the main sights and flying through the Grand Bazaar. All this before moving on to another beautiful city or town in Türkiye. Every time the place had the same effect on my heart : “This is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to, a place I will always want to return to.”
I was curious if a longer stay would taint the big city’s charm. You see, I believe there’s a great difference between places we travel through and the places we travel to. Would I still love her if I actually unpacked my backpack here and allowed myself to venture beyond the romance of simply being a tourist passing through her her streets. A season of flexibility and freedom allowed us to actually seek the answer for ourselves. We were there between February and June 2024.
Every time I see the Hagia Sophia my heart skips a beat – there’s something about an ancient beauty that can simply never get old. That counts for Galata Tower and a ferry ride on the Bosporus and a stroll through Balat and all the other things most tour agencies and travel blogs might point you to. Do it! Go and see it all! Get up early and go to bed past your cut-off time – especially if you only have day or two to spend in her streets. You can sleep when you’re old!
But then… when you’ve done it all and you still have time to spare and you still desire to see some truly local gems…then come and delve through this treasure chest of mine.
Here are some of my favourite finds and truly helpful tips that the Internet didn’t necessary tell me about:
Turkish is much less intimidating as it might sound like at first. Here’s my take on the pronunciation of those unusual letters to help you sound a bit less like a rookie:
- ç: ch like in “chips”
- ş: sh like “fish”
- ğ: a silent g that lengthens the vowel before.
- c: g like in “giraffe”
- ı: (i without the dot) e like in “the”
A normally quiet street now lined with tables overflowing with an array of vegetables and cheeses and olives and herbs and fruit. Most neighbourhoods in Istanbul have a weekly fresh produce market, or Pazaar, where you can fill your fridge for little by buying directly from the farmer. Just ask, I am sure any local will be able to tell you where and when the Pazaar close to you is. Beyoğlu’s Pazaar was on Fridays, Balat’s on Tuesdays and Kocamustafapaşa’s on Saturdays. Make sure you go prepared with cash and google translate. No need for haggling since all the products are clearly marked with price boards.
Oh, how I love a good secondhand find! Secondhand, not antique. There’s a difference. If you do find your neighbourhood’s Pazaar, wander a side street up or down and chances are good you’ll also find a thrifting paradise! Cheap clothes and shoes galore! Once again make sure you have cash at hand, and here you might try your hand at haggling a bit since very few things are marked with prices.
Being a creative I am always on the search for a peaceful place to sit with my journal or paint set – without having to pay too much for my lingering. There’s a lovely quiet walkway next to the Golden Horn with benches directly next to the water. Starting at the Cibali tram stop, all the way past Fener heading to Balat. Other marvellous lingering spaces were the renovated port buildings at Kadiköy, Kabataş and Moda ferry ports. Buy a TL20 tea and join many others in the quiet library overlooking the water. Modas’ setting and view was my favourite.
You can learn much about a people by looking at their language. The Turks have a word “yakamoz”. This is a single word to describe the shimmering of light, or moonlight specifically, as it reflects on water at night. How can you not love people with a word like that in their vocabulary?! Oh and what a sight to see something of Istanbul’s lights on Istanbul’s waters at night. Pierre Loti hill is a superb place from which you can see the beauty of the city as daylight makes way for the lights at night. Take the tram from Eminönü to Eyüpsultan Teleferik, then take the cable car up the hill – all this by simply swiping your Istanbul Kart. If you want to time it for sunset make sure you include about an hour of queuing time just in case.
Passionate about different nations and their peculiar habits and flavours, Jason and I loved to discover the kaleidoscope of cultures that Istanbul host. In Fatih somewhere between the İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi and Unkapanı bus stops there’s a marvellous Kurdish market area ending in the shadow of the old roman aqueduct. Though not as extravagant as the Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice market, this was the place we bought our spice and sweet gifts at incredibly low prices. We also heard that this is a good place to buy your stash of fresh red meat. Most shops have card machines so no need for cash.
Another cultural beaut was the neighbourhood Kocamustafapaşa where we stayed for a few weeks. In a country filled with mosques and the muslim call to prayer it was such a surprise to wake the first morning to the sound of resounding church bells ringing. Being the place where Sultan Mehmet II settled the Armenian craftsmen that were to help rebuild Istanbul after the fall of Constantinople, the old Samatya still has a very interesting presence of Armenian christians and unassuming craftsmen. While strolling through the rather plain streets I stumbled upon a small copper studio where the coppersmith himself keeps the shop and works beneath the showroom in his workshop cellar. If you spend enough time wondering you will find instrument builders and carpenters in this seemingly plain streets. If you’re keen for an added adventure: there’s a section of Constantinople’s old sea walls, just across the highway from Kocamustafapasha train stop, a bit to the left. Open, and free, to the public, this is a great spot to watch the sunset and perhaps even see a pod of dolphins wobble between the resting ships.
Farm girl that I am, there came a point that I desperately needed to escape the constant hustle and bustle of the city. I needed unpeopled silence for just a moment. I needed nature and birdsong and trees. Many, many trees. A friend told us this most precious secret: “Get on the green metro line and take it as far as you can go. Get off at Haciosman station.” We did just that and discovered all that I needed to remain sane was within walking distance of that station. The oak and pine forest at Fatih Park became the place that we went to when we needed to be soaked in solitude and birdsong. If I was without Jason and a lady on my own Attaturk Osmanbey would have served the same purpose without me feeling threatened by my solitude.
The last treasure I will share is Tulips. Did you know that the world renown tulips from the Netherlands originally came from Türkiye？I didn’t! And therefore spring in Istanbul was the most beautiful surprise I could ever imagine! We started seeing the first bulbs bloom towards the end of March – daffodils and hyacinths opening the Spring season in splashes of yellow and sprinkles of blues. Seas of lawns full of tiny daisies join with their song. As April arrived the hordes of tulips took the stage – rainbows of colours packed out in most beautiful displays in most of the major parks. My dearest bloom moments were in Emergan and Gulerme Park.
Now back to my curious question: Would a longer stay in Istanbul taint the big city’s charm?
More than ever before I can say that Istanbul is still one of the most beautiful cities that I’ve ever been to. A place I would always love to return to…