seemaskt

My husband and I (40 and 38 years young) were in Turkey for 9 days in early September. This trip report is very late and I figured that if I didn't start now, I would never get down to putting words to electronic paper. So, here goes. Hope you enjoy.

Turkey has been on my travel bucket list for as long as I've had a travel bucket list. A vast country at the intersection of two continents with a rich history going back many centuries, a collision of cultures and varied landscapes means there is so much to see and do, and for this reason I pushed off traveling there until we could afford to take a 3 week vacation. Which ain't happening anytime soon. So, this year, with our usual two week vacation already split into two one week long holidays, I decided that it was time for a "Turkey lite" trip - to give us a first whiff of this alluring country and explore a couple of areas, leaving the rest for subsequent trips. Well, there was one other reason. My deep desire to own a vintage Turkish or Persian carpet. I have spent countless hours in Oriental carpet shops in NYC (where I live) including ABC Carpets, as well as online, and annoyed many a salesperson with my questions. I love the touch, feel, history, and craftsmanship of these intricately patterned pieces of art and was ready to buy one for our apartment.

Given our short trip (over Labor Day), we decided to split our time between Istanbul (4.5 days) and Cappadocia (3.5 days), leaving Western Turkey for another time. I spent an additional day in Istanbul at the end of the trip to finish up shopping. It was perfect! In Istanbul, we stayed at Hotel Uyan right behind the Blue Mosque for the first part of our trip, and at Empress Zoe, three minutes away towards the water, when we returned. We loved the Uyan for its location, staff and fabulous rooftop views and Zoe for its lovely albeit small rooms, artistic decor and peaceful courtyard garden. For Cappadocia, I pored over the descriptions and pictures of each of its towns and hotels to figure out where we wanted to stay and ultimately chose the Esbelli Evi in Urgup. Urgup because it looked like a quieter town, though much larger than Goreme or Uchisar, and away from the crowds. It is definitely more convenient to be in Goreme if you want to hike the many trails, but taxis back and forth are easily available and not that expensive. Of course, the dolmus is the cheaper option, but I found them to be infrequent. The first time I saw the Esbelli Evi website, I knew I wanted us to stay there. Quiet, elegant and unassuming are what spring to mind when I think of this hotel. I didn't even bother looking at other hotels in Urgup and desperately hoped that we would get a room and was thrilled when we did. Communication with the hotels via email was easy and quick. Tarik at Esbelli was especially helpful booking a rental car for us for one day and a hot air balloon ride with Butterfly Balloons. I also contacted Mehmet @ Walking Mehmet and organized a full day private hike with him in the valley, so we could walk and explore the less frequented trails with a local guide. We flew direct from NYC to Istanbul on Turkish Air and it worked out great - very comfortable with good food and a bonus goodie-box with socks, an eye patch, lip balm, toothpaste and brush. In economy, no less!

Next up: Our first day in Istanbul

tower

exactly how we felt anout Esbelli Evi in Urgup..and for the same reasons...and that was nearly 20 years ago! I have directed several people to Esbelli including my own family travelers and all were satisfied.

IMDonehere

We stayed ay Esbelli Evi due to a Tower recommendation and it was one of the nicest places we have stayed. After Tower stayed there, Suha the owner, started screening his guests more carefully.

sarge56

seemaskt- looking forward to the rest of your trip report! Good start! And you will post a link to pictures, right?

geetika

We stayed at the Uyan too last September and again this June, absolutely loved the locaion, staff and wonderful views form the rooftop restaurant. In Capadoccia we stayed at the Kelebek Cave Hotel, another great choice. Waiting for the rest of your TR and pictures

seemaskt

LOL IMDonehere! We didn't meet Suha but Tarik was wonderful and so was Yasmin.

Tower - I would have loved to see the place 20 years ago! Suha has bought neighboring properties over the years and expanded Esbelli, but it feels so cohesive and I loved all the little passageways and tunnels that connect the different areas. Just done so well.

sarge - I promise to get to my next installment today. And, we have about 4000 pictures between the two of us that we need to cull, so I hope to get them done before the end of the year.

geetika - Sitting on the Uyan rooftop looking out to the Blue Mosque with a bottle of Efes and some honey soaked and sticky baklava was a nightly treat for us and one that we will always remember. Sigh!

jdc26

Excitedly following along and taking notes for my upcoming 9 days in Turkey in March (following your paths Cappadocia and Istanbul).

tower

http://picasaweb.google.com/stuartto...21316753932562

Here's Suha who also went by the name "Bill"..he made me work off our bill, by filling in as bellhop

tower

I'mdonehere...how you ever made the cut is a mystery. Suha was one fine person. I remember he took photos of anyone staying at Esbelli Evi, which he sent to the Turkish CIA. Does he still do that?

seemaskt

<b><u> At the crossroads of civilization in Istanbul </b></u>

Our Turkish Airlines flight leaves NYC an hour late so we arrive in Istanbul at 12:40 pm. Since we are staying at the Uyan for more than three days, we avail of their free airport pickup service. With our e-visas in hand, Immigration and Customs is a breeze. We find an HSBC ATM in the Arrivals lounge so withdraw cash before we meet up with our driver. The Friday afternoon traffic is bad as we get closer to the city, but our driver manages to swing in and out of traffic and through service lanes to get us into Sultanahmet in decent time. Ajit and I both gasp simultaneously at the first fleeting glimpse of Blue Mosque, while our driver expertly maneuvers the van through the narrow cobbled streets dodging people and massive tour buses. Yikes! We arrive at the Uyan close to 2:30 – we have the deluxe room (the standard rooms were sold out) which is large and comfortable. It even has a Jacuzzi tub that we never figured out quite how to use! We are usually more budget travelers. Haha!

Eager to begin our adventures here and hoping to visit the Blue Mosque prior to the afternoon prayer time, we head out as soon as we freshen up. The Uyan is on a quiet street just steps away from the mosque and as we cut through a parking lot and turn into the street, we come face to face with this imposing structure with its six slender conical minarets, and can’t help but be awed. We join the long line of people making their way inside. Ajit and I are dressed modestly and I’m carrying a scarf that I cover my head and shoulders with. Otherwise, you will be required to pick up a head and body cover at a stall (free of charge) before entering. The Blue Mosque is actually the unofficial name for the Sultan Ahmet Camii, given to it because of the blue Iznik tiles used inside. Built in the early 17th century for Sultan Ahmet I, to reassert Ottoman power in Istanbul, and modeled after and in tribute to the Ayasofya (or the Basilica Hagia Sophia as it was originally called) erected more than a thousand years earlier. When we finally enter the prayer area, it elicits another gasp from us as we take in the scale and grandeur of the interior that is lined with tens of thousands of handmade ceramic tiles. The massive chandeliers, hundreds of stained glass windows, and the beautifully adorned majestic domes are so overwhelming that our senses can’t process them all at once. Throughout our trip, we will have similar emotions every time we enter an imperial mosque as well as the Ayasofya and Topkapi Palace. Even this large space feels cramped with the crowds inside and so we slowly make our way to the courtyard, from where we are able to appreciate the symmetry and architectural proportions of the mosque. It’s so easy to lose track of time but rumbling sounds emanating from our stomachs push us to head out to grab a bite to eat.

For lunch, we check out Café Mesale just inside the Arasta Bazaar next door to the mosque. It is a cozy place with outdoor seating and there are a couple of women making fresh gozleme. Sold. We order a spinach gozleme, chicken shish kebap and a Turkish tea for me and coffee for Ajit. The gozeleme are made to order, so I go up to watch the woman roll out the dough until it is very thin, slap it on a large convex hot plate to cook, sprinkle fresh spinach and fold it into half and then quarter until it is cooked through and a little crisp at the edges. It is then cut into slices. The kebap is succulent and comes with a roasted chili, fresh salad and paper thin lavash. The meal hits the spot and gives us much needed energy to get us through the rest of the day.

From here, we walk around the bazaar and to the Hippodrome, the sporting arena and social center of the Byzantine empire, when Istanbul was called Constantinople and was its capital. All that remains of the Hippodrome today are a couple of Obelisks, so some imagination is required to conjure up images of chariot races, grand ceremonies and gilded statues that were once associated with this space. It has been cloudy all afternoon, but the sun peaks out now and grey skies turn blue, so we decide to go back to the Blue Mosque from the Hippodrome entrance. This is really the way to do it as all guidebooks recommend, because of how the cascading domes reveal themselves one by one as we walk up the stairs and into the courtyard until we see the entire structure in all its glory. There are fewer people at this time, making it all the more enjoyable. It's almost 5, so we decide to check out the Basilica Cistern before it closes for the day.

On the way, we pass the pretty Kaiser Wilhelm fountain on the other end of the Hippodrome, with its marble columns, bronze dome with a beautiful green patina and golden mosaics, gifted to Istanbul in 1900 to commemorate the German emperor's visit. We walk along the park in front of the Ayasofya and cross a main street to the cisterns. This is the largest and only survivor of the many cisterns that once lay beneath the city and was built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian to provide water to the palace and surrounding area. The cistern is a colonnaded labyrinth deep underground constructed using hundreds of ornately carved marble columns, likely salvaged from temples, and holding up to 80k cubic meters of water delivered via aqueducts from a reservoir near the Black Sea - an engineering marvel for its time of course, but with the added Greco Roman artistic influence! It is very atmospheric with the dimly lit passages casting a ghostly light and water dripping from the ceiling. The medusa head columns on the far side are especially lovely.

Our sightseeing for the day done, we spend the next half hour as dusk approaches, sitting in the park across from Ayasofya, just enjoying being here in this city, watching families picnicking, vendors selling corn, fruit juice and Turkish toffee, kids playing in the fountain, and marveling at the layers of history surrounding us. As we retrace our steps back to the hotel via the Hippodrome, I spot the Mehmet Cetinkaya gallery, one of the stores on my shopping list. Yippee! I easily spend almost an hour here ogling the treasure trove of vintage textiles, weavings, Uzbek caps, kilims and carpets. It's no wonder since Turkey was the last stop on the ancient silk road and the merchandize in shops like this continues the age old tradition. The very specific carpet sizes that I am looking for (a NYC apartment restriction) means that I am limited in my options. Nevertheless, I find a couple of carpets and kilims that I like and take pictures so I can compare and contrast as I continue my shopping over the next few days. The men in the store are very patient and helpful as I ponder my choices. I would've liked to stay longer, but it's late.

We go back to the hotel to rest up and shower before venturing out for dinner. The LP highly recommends a neighborhood fish restaurant, Ahirkapi Balikcisi, so we decide to give it a try. The staff at the Uyan prints out Google map directions for us and we make our way there. Right off the bat, we take a wrong turn, and what should have been a 5 minute stroll ends up being a 20 minute long wander with frequent stops to recheck directions with locals. A good way to check out the neighborhood though. Unfortunately, the place is full by the time we arrive (there are only 10 tables), so we retrace our steps and end up back at Cafe Mesale. We start with lavash alongside cacik and a tomato chili paste. I get an Adana kebap which is a spicy ground lamb skewer, while Ajit gets the Alinazik kebap, tender cubes of marinated lamb served over a smoked eggplant and yogurt puree, both excellent. We wash it all down with a coke and fresh orange juice, surrounded by tables filled with the loud chatter of locals and tourists alike and with fruit scented smoke wafting from the many nargile (shisha) pipes. After dinner, we go up to the Uyan rooftop with a couple of Efes beers and end our first day gazing at the brightly lit Blue Mosque on one side, a partial view of the Ayasofya on the other and the dark waters of the Marmara Sea on the third. This is bliss.

IMDonehere

Thank you for the trip report.

Tower-I believe that the only reason Suha sent your image to the Turkish CIA, was the paltry tips you left the staff. Obviously you weren't a rich American and wondered why you were his visiting beloved homeland.

MarnieWDC

You have brought back the sights and smells and sounds of Istanbul that we enjoyed so much this Spring...and miss. Many thanks. Please do keep up this fine travelogue.

Luhimari

bookmarking

seemaskt

Thanks so much Marnie. Sorry about the delay between installments, had a busier weekend than planned. Here's Day 2 in Istanbul.

seemaskt

<b><u> Day 2 in Istanbul: A Byzantine day capped off with a ferry ride down the Golden Horn and the frenzy of the Galata bridge </b></u>

I am prone to pretty bad jetlag so stir at the first sounds of the muezzin’s call to prayer which is especially soulful and haunting in the wee hours of the morning. I manage to fall back asleep in some time and wake up a little after the call at sunrise. Our plan for the day includes the Ayasofya in the morning, which means we have to be out early. Breakfast upstairs has a wide array of offerings from cereal, yogurt, bread, eggs, borek, olives, fruits and a multitude of jams. We go up to the terrace to take in the Blue Mosque in the soft light of the morning, so lovely. The sea of Marmara is blue but hazy with seagulls hovering overhead, and we can see the faint outlines of the Asian side of Istanbul in the distance. The city is slowly awakening too and the terraces of the hotels and homes around us are being swept and cleaned for the day. We could have easily lingered here, but at about 8:30 we walk to the Ayasofya; the quiet streets with no tour buses in sight is such a relief. There is already a long line formed in front of the gates that open at 9, but since we plan to visit several sights over the next 3 days, I’ve opted to get the Museum pass (the cost savings isn’t much but skipping the lines is a great bonus). It’s unclear where we might get one, but I learn from one of the guides that I could either get it inside the grounds or from the van parked out front. So, we get our passes at 9 from the van and walk right inside. Sweet.

The Hagia Sophia, as the basilica was originally called in Greek, was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It was meant to be the greatest church of its time and the largest, and an engineering feat much like the cisterns we saw yesterday. It was surpassed in size only when St. Peters was built a 1000 years later. When the Ottomans conquered Constantinople in the 15th century, it’s no wonder that they proclaimed this their principal mosque renamed Ayasofya, and it remained so until the Blue Mosque was built 150 years later. It also served as the inspiration for many of the other impressive mosques that make the skyline of this city so iconic and special. It is now a museum with large scale restorations done over the years and ongoing. The red brick and pink stone exterior of the Ayasofya is less imposing than the proportions of the Blue Mosque. But, all that changes when you take your first step inside and see the immense main hall; it’s simply jaw dropping. The slight chill inside makes us shiver a little and our eyes adjust to the darkness, the only light from the slivers of sunshine coming through the many small stained glass windows around the domes reflecting on the marble columns, the bulbs of the large circular iron chandeliers, and the millions of tiny golden mosaics glistening from the majestic domes that seem to hover high above us. The feeling of being overwhelmed washes over us, again. The silence inside is broken only by the sound of footsteps on the stone floors and the clicking of cameras.

We spend a couple of hours just walking around the lower area marveling at the ambitiousness, skill and perseverance of the architects and craftsmen. The restoration process here had to have been tedious and challenging, given that important Islamic calligraphy and art exist over the original Christian mosaics – which one do you preserve? The restorers, we read, have attempted to maintain a balance to highlight this buildings long history as a church and mosque, and to our layman’s eye, they seem to have done a fine job of it. It’s so interesting to see Islamic calligraphy and the mihrab right next to a mosaic of the Virgin mother and child – granted its origin was not peaceful coexistence, but it still makes us wonder if only we as people could cohabit as secularly and harmoniously as these symbols of religion do today. Idealistic, I know. Looking up and squinting to take in all the gorgeous artwork makes for very stiff necks, so we head up to the mezzanine to enjoy some more fine mosaics at eye level – to really appreciate the detail, the expressions and finesse of these creations. Don’t miss the mosaics above the main doors and in the hallway as well.

As we leave, we check out the ornate fountain in the garden used for ablutions by Muslim worshippers and then walk towards the tombs. It’s almost noon now and the entrance is teeming with people. Oh boy, we’re glad to get away from the crowds. The Ayasofya tombs are the final resting places of five sultans and their families – adorned with beautiful Ottoman tilework in brilliant shades of blue, green and turquoise, carved doors and ornate interiors, and without the crowds. We are sad to see a sign indicating that one of the finest Iznik tile panels on the exterior of a tomb is a replica since the original was taken away for restoration and never returned and is now exhibited at the Louvre in Paris. We saw similar signs regarding antiquities (like the Rosetta stone and bust of Nefertiti) in the Cairo museum when we visited Egypt in 2007. I am a firm believer that when home countries have the ability to care for their art or relics and request them to be returned, they should be repatriated to the country of origin, especially when said artifacts were the spoils of war or removed illegally.

It’s almost one by the time we are done here and we’re hungry so we make our way towards Sultanahmet Koftecisi on Divanyolu. This is a no frills eatery and seemed like a good option for a quick lunch. We sit upstairs and order a sis kofte, an Izgara kofte, a mixed salad and Aryan (a buttermilk drink). The kofte (or patties) are tasty but dry and I’m not too thrilled. We later discover that there is another Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi a few buildings over, so we may have gone to the wrong one. From here, we plan to make our way to the Chora church by tram, so we stop by a newsstand across the street to buy an Istanbulkart card. If doing a lot of traveling by public transportation including trams, metros, funiculars and ferries, this works out very well. We buy one card for the both of us and then use the charging machine next to the tram stop to load up the card. We take the T1 tram to Topkapi (not the palace) and then the T4 to Edirnekapi. From here, it’s a short walk to the church across a busy road and along the city walls; we go the wrong way first towards a large mosque and are redirected by a few locals.

The Chora church, one of the most beautiful examples of Byzantine artistry, later called Kariye Camii or mosque, is now the Kariye Museum. The museum pass allows us to skip the lines here as well. Most of what we see today dates from the 11th-14th centuries and the abundant dazzling and intricate, textured mosaics are a sight to behold. Even more so because they are easily accessible given the smaller proportions of Kariye. My favorite is the Christ Pantocrator with Christ at the top of the small dome with his minsters all around. The nave is currently closed for restoration, after which the outer porches will be closed. We are mosaic’ed out after this and take a tea/OJ break at the café out front and relax our tired feet and backs. Then, it’s a short stroll downhill along the old city walls through a more conservative, residential neighborhood to the waters of the Golden Horn from where we take a ferry, using the Istanbulkart, a couple of stops north to Eyup. This makes for a lovely ride on the water with a gentle breeze and pretty views of the old and new cities and the hills up ahead.

Our destination is the Pierre Loti teahouse that sits on the top of a hill; we are here as much for the advertised panoramic views of the city as for some fresh air and a break from all the sightseeing. To get there, we walk to the funicular stop to take the cable car up but discover a line a mile long. So, instead, we walk alongside the Eyup mosque and trudge up the hill through a cemetery (scrambling on our hands and feet a couple of times) until we reach a path from where it’s an easier walk the rest of the way. Unfortunately, we picked the wrong day for this trip. It’s the weekend, so the hilltop is crammed with local families out enjoying a summer afternoon. And, the views are hazy, but having come this far, we decide to stick around for some time. We get lucky and find a table without waiting too long and order some tea, coffee and ice cream. It’s nice to just be, and talk about all the glorious things we’ve seen so far and people watch. On our way out, we stop at a food stand selling freshly fried potato chips on a stick – this we can’t resist! The entire process takes longer than we anticipate, and with the ferries plying every hour, we end up running late and hurrying down the hill nibbling at our very greasy potato chip sticks. Ack, we miss the ferry. We sit by the wall along the water as we await the next boat and watch; watch kids playing in the water, friends sitting and chatting by the shores, locals crossing the inlet in small motor boats, a father taking his young kids and scrappy dog for a quick ride on the water with the little girl’s happy giggles echoing in the distance. Missing a ferry should be on everyone’s travel plans.

The ferry ride back is even more spectacular, past Balat and Fener (the old Greek and Jewish neighborhoods), Kasimpasa, under the Ataturk bridge as the Suleymaniye mosque looms atop a hill followed by the Yeni Camii on the shores of the Golden Horn by the Galata bridge, all bathed in the golden light of the evening. We get off at Eminonu and walk towards the bridge -the area around here is a beehive of activity, more so because it’s a Sunday. There are stalls by the water selling grilled and fried fish and sandwiches, mussels, clams etc. served with pickled turnip juice, garishly colorful boats on the water behind the stalls where men catch, clean, and cook the fish passing them to the stalls wrapped in newspaper, large crowds sitting at tables, on stools or just standing around relishing the fresh food, and vendors hawking everything from simit to trinklets to fake Rolexes. Ajit and I try not to lose each other in the crowds and almost do a couple of times. On the bridge are several hopeful anglers, young and old alike. And underneath, are restaurants and cafes serving all kind of food and drink. Across the bridge, the Galata Tower looks striking against a dark sky with seagulls shrieking all around us. It’s all quite crazy and atmospheric.

To get back to our hotel, we take the tram from Eminonu to Sultanahmet and pick up some pistachio and walnut baklava and kadayif from Hafiz Mustafa right by the Sultanahmet tram stop. We had the hotel make a dinner reservation for us at Ahirkapi Balikcisi for 9pm, but are told that our reservation is for 8:30. So, we freshen up quickly and hurry over to the restaurant. We don’t lose our way this time and get there in 5 minutes. This restaurant is casual and open to the street. As soon as we are seated, our waiter takes us to the fish display to select a fish – we pick the sea bream. He seems to pressure us to pick a more expensive fish, but we decline and double check our order with him. We also pick a cold appetizer from the display – anchovies in a spicy sauce. For our warm appetizers, we get the shrimp cooked in a clay pot with loads of butter, garlic and pepper flakes and grilled calamari. To cool off, we both get raki, an anise flavored drink, similar to arak and ouzo, with water and a couple of ice cubes. We both love the raki so much we will order it almost every night on this trip. The food is good and fresh, but we both agree not worth all the hype in the LP. With all the tourist traps in Sultanahmet though, this is a pretty decent option. For dessert, we take our sugary and sticky baklava and beers to the Uyan rooftop and enjoy another night of dreamy gazing. It’s been a long but amazing day, and there’s much to look forward to tomorrow.

seemaskt

Not sure if anyone is reading anymore, but here's the next bit.

<b><u>Day 2: Uncovering the mysteries of Topkapi and smashing markets, cafes and food in Kadikoy </b></u>

Our third morning in Istanbul is also an early one and we walk to the Topkapi Palace after breakfast, crossing an ornate fountain before we enter the imperial gates. The palace, set in sprawling grounds, was the primary residence of the sultans for several years and is now a museum. It consists of a series of buildings including council and guest chambers, kitchens, treasuries, family and sleeping quarters, grand pavilions, and of course the harem. With our museum pass, we are able to skip the lines and head straight for the harem.

As the name suggests, the harem was the private chambers of the sultan's mother, his wives and concubines and the rest of his family, including children. The entire system of girls entering the harem becoming ladies in waiting, then concubines and finally wives, as well as the eunuch servants (no, I'm not kidding) who served them, was tightly controlled by the sultan's mother, who clearly exerted a lot of influence on matters of state and home. If these walls could talk, it would make for some intriguing tales of debauchery, jealousy and revenge. I bet the guides all have their own spin to the stories too, and only they know which parts are true and which parts fantasy. Only a limited number of rooms in the harem are open, and as we go from room to room, we are constantly amazed by the fine tilework, murals, intricate carvings and latticework, mother of pearl inlays, gilded chandeliers and beds and painted domes. Each time we think that it can’t get any better, there is something even more magical around the corner. If you have been to Marrakesh, it’s like Dar Said and the Bahia Palace on steroids! Our favorite rooms are the Valide salon, twin kiosks and the privy chambers. We spend almost 2 hours here!

The treasury is an interesting stop since it has an incredible collection of objects made with precious metal and stones, the most famous being the jewel encrusted dagger. From here, we check out some pavilions and the terrace with lovely views of the Sea of Marmara. Upstairs from here, is our favorite stop after the harem – the very picturesque Marble Terrace and the many beautiful rooms that surround it. Time just flies here as there is so much to see. And, when there are two of us who love taking photographs, everything takes longer. On our way out, we swing by the council chambers but skip the kitchens. It’s almost 1 now and there are long lines and crowds everywhere, so we decide to get out and get some lunch.

We walk out via the Archeological Museum to the Gulhane stop and take the tram one stop over to Sirkeci. From here, Hocapasa Pidecisi is a few steps away. This is a hole in the wall eatery with plastic tables set out on the street, specializing in pide or the Turkish flatbread. It's located on a pedestrian street full of small restaurants frequented by the weekday lunch crowds. We order a lamb pide for Ajit and one with minced beef and onions on one half and spicy sausage on the other for me. The lamb and beef pides are delicious, while the sausage is just ok. It's fun to sit by the street, watching people ordering interesting food at the other restaurants around us.

Our plan is to spend the rest of the day in Kadikoy on the Asian side of Istanbul, so we walk to Eminonu and take the Sehir Hatlari commuter ferry across the narrow Bosphorus strait that separates the two continents. The Istanbulkart comes in handy here too with an added discount. We get outside seats, and along with local commuters, enjoy the half hour ride across the water watching the many domes and minarets of Istanbul's skyline fade into the distance. When we get off at Kadikoy, Ajit wants to first check out the Hyderpasa train station that we passed by on the ferry ride over. It's a 10 minute walk to the station from the docks.

This impressive neoclassical building, a gift from Emperor Wilhelm, was built in the early 1900s, and was the gateway to the city for those traveling to and from Anatolia as well as between Europe and Baghdad. I can only imagine wealthy European travelers on the Orient Express setting foot in Istanbul being mesmerized by the exotic East - the call to prayer emanating from the many minarets, the darker skinned people in their traditional clothes, hats and turbans, and the unusual flavors of the food. Back to the present day, this station, bombed during WWII and partly destroyed in a fire in 2010, is no longer in use with its future uncertain. Inside, it's as if time has stood still, with the lobby, ticket counters, platforms and signs just the way it would have been when it was functioning last. There are also a couple of trains on the platforms - all quite eerie. This makes for a quick but interesting detour.

We then walk back to the docks past the busy bus stop and doner kebap stalls along the water and make our way up the hill. Market day here is on Tuesdays, which we couldn't swing given our short visit, so we have to settle for the daily market that is closer to the docks. But, before we check out the stalls, we stop for a tea at one of the many cafes and tea salons that line both sides of the pedestrian streets that go up the hill. It's been a hectic day so far and some resting up and people watching are in order. Later, we walk up and down the market street that has a multitude of food shops selling everything from many varieties of olives and pickles, cheeses, oils, honeycombs, all kinds of herbs, dried eggplant skins and peppers (that can be rehydrated and stuffed with rice and meat...yumm), bread, pastries, natural wonderful smelling soaps and much, much more. There are also several stalls selling fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and meat. The market is loud and busy with locals picking up produce and other food on their way home from work, so we try not to get in anyone's way. We find that shopkeepers are friendly and generally not annoyed when we take a look at their wares or ask questions, as long as we're mindful of their actual customers - a couple of older men at a fish stall even pose for a picture.

As we walk further down the street, we spot Ciya Sofrasi, which is where we want to have dinner, so stop to check if we can get a table at 7. They assure me that it will not be a problem, so we continue our walk through the neighborhood. Soon, we are ready for another break, and this time we go to a shisha cafe. I get an apple tobacco pipe and tea, while Ajit gets a couple of beers. Neither of us smokes, but I enjoy the occasional shisha, and we spend another enjoyable hour watching the world go by. All cafes have backgammon sets and we see friends talking, smoking and playing. So fun. I think all cafes in NYC should have board games for their patrons.

By the time we get to Ciya Sofrasi, most of the outside tables are full, and we are lucky to get the last one. Note that there are 3 Ciya Sofrasi restaurants on the same street; we went to the one that serves an assortment of cold mezzes and unusual, regional hot dishes from around Turkey that changes with the seasons. For the cold mezzes, I pick up a plate full of delectable food which is then weighed to determine the price. We have yogurt and bulgur, muhammara (a red pepper, walnut dip), green hummus, tabouli, smoked eggplant and a salad. All fantastic! For our hot food, I point to and ask for the spanish style bulgur cooked to perfection, wheat balls in a yogurt soup that's divine, eggplant stuffed with beef, beef and cucumber in a yogurt sauce and meatballs in a tomato sauce. A wonderful experience!

We walk off our dinner with a stroll through the main street that's now hopping with young people and pop music. As we take the turn towards the docks, we run into three hippie musicians sitting on the street singing soulful and catchy folk tunes, so we stand around and listen to them for some time as a crowd gathers around. Perfect. Then, it's time to hop on the ferry and head home. The ride back, with the bridges across the Bosphorus lit up with dancing lights and the twinkling city lights, goes by much too quickly. A short tram ride later and we are home. We continue our pre-bedtime ritual of baklava and beers on the rooftop before we call it a night.

I wish we had an entire day to spend here so we could have walked down the waterfront and explored other neighborhoods like trendy, hip Moda. More time, and we would have spent it in Uskudar. Ah well, for another time.

seemaskt

Sorry, that should have been Day 3 above. Hope to have Day 4 tomorrow, which will be market day.

otherchelebi

Seemaskt, you write well and do a good job of combining facts, your views and feelings about places you visit and things you did.

Good research, good memory and very useful information for future travelers.

seemaskt

Thanks OC! I did take down many of your restaurant recommendations but couldn't make them work on this trip. We did end up having memorable dinners at Karakoy Lokantasi and Lokanta Maya though. Next time, we'll have to get up to Ortakoy and Bebek.

seemaskt

<b><u> Day 4: Chaotic markets, a shopping spree, bookended by the gems that are Suleymaniye Camii and Rustem Pasha Camii </b></u>

I've been waiting for this day for many months and I'm grinning from ear to ear as we head out this morning. Our first stop is the Suleymaniye Mosque, which we get to by tram getting off at the Beyazit stop. Then it's a short walk around the University walls and Grand Bazaar to the mosque. Situated atop one of Istanbul's seven hills, it was commissioned by Suleyman I and built in the 16th century by the most talented of the Ottoman architects, Sinan, whose extraordinary work is visible throughout the city. Inside, the architecture and embellishments are breathtaking and almost feels modern. It's also bright and airy, quite a contrast to the Blue Mosque, and why we love it so much. The colors, stained glass windows, painted honeycomb details and calligraphy are all gorgeous, a must see if you enjoy Islamic architecture. We stroll the gardens, check out the views of the Golden Horn from the back garden, but the tombs of Suleyman and his wife in front are closed. When we leave, we decide to walk through the backstreets since the LP notes that this area has several Ottoman era wooden houses, but most of what we see is derelict, so we don't linger. Sinan's tomb is also behind the mosque.

It's almost noon so we head towards the Grand Bazaar to first feed our stomachs and then begin shopping. Yay! The detailed map of the bazaar in the LP is very easy to navigate with, so we find our way to the open, pretty courtyard of Cabeci Han, one of the bazaar's many caravanserais and an oasis of calm compared to the hustle and bustle outside. Lunch is at Kara Mehmet Kebap Salonu, a tiny place with a few tables out in the sun. We get a tomato parsley dip with fresh bread along with Adana and Urfa kebaps served with a salad and bulgur cooked in tomatoes. The kebaps are the best we've had so far - tender, moist, with just the right amount of spices and the bulgur, similar to the Ciya Sofrasi version, is just as good. At the tables around us in the han are groups of old men playing backgammon and drinking tea.

Before we dive into our shopping adventures, I look through my extensively researched shortlist of carpet, kilim, suzani and ikat fabric stores and make a plan of attack. Our goal is to shop with single minded focus and not get distracted. Our first stop is Hakan Evin and in less than an hour, we break all the rules of negotiation in the Grand Bazaar and buy a fabulous, vintage Hereke carpet. We fall in love with our carpet at first sight and it is just the perfect size and the right colors, and it looks great in our apartment. What can I say! The carpet will be shipped to us so we don't have to lug it back. We check out a few fabric stores and particularly admire the suzanis in Muhlis Gunbatti. Next up is a kilim shop, Recep Karaduman. They have lovely, vintage kilims from all over Anatolia and beyond. With kilims, it's harder to find the size we need, but we find two that are great. We buy the smaller one and take pictures of the larger one so we can decide once we've looked at a wider selection. Let's see, our current tally is 2 rugs in less than 2 hours - leave us here for a day and we'd be broke! I'm also on the hunt for silk ikat fabric and take pictures of designs I love at Sivasli Yasmacisi and ..., so I can come back on my last day to buy what I need. Since I have that day all to myself, I plan to finish up my shopping then, including peshtemals, soaps and ceramics.

The bazaar, open since 1461 and with high vaulted and painted ceilings, is busy with throngs of people, but it isn't as crazy as we expect it to be. It is also very well signposted with the names of the many streets and avenues inside the large complex. Maybe it's because we look like we know where we're going and aren't just browsing, but we are not harassed by any of the shopkeepers either. As it approaches 3, we make our way out of the bazaar and walk downhill through the narrow uneven maze of streets of the Tahtakale market choked with both people and traffic. This is where the locals shop, for everything they might ever need. I am carrying directions for the bazaar walking tour, but we get lost pretty quickly and resort to asking for directions at every corner to find our way to the Egyptian or Spice Bazaar.

Needing a break from bazaars, we opt to go to the Rustem Pasha mosque first, a stone's throw away and well hidden. This is a teeny tiny mosque in comparison to the others we've seen, but Sinan outdoes himself to create the exquisite interior covered with some of the finest Iznik tiles ever produced. This mosque was built for Suleyman's son in law, Rustem, a few years after his own mosque was built. Both mosques we visit today are quiet with hardly any people, which makes us appreciate them even more.

As we walk towards the Spice Bazaar, we pass by a long line of locals outside Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, said to be Istanbul's finest coffee store, the rich aroma of ground coffee beans wafting through the area. Ajit has had enough of markets today, so decides to wait in a corner, while I make a quick run through the bazaar checking out the dried fruits, nuts, herbs, many varieties of lokum and spices. Several shops selling the typical tourist trap Grand Bazaar style trinkets have infiltrated the market, but hopefully they won't take over. Eager to get back and relax somewhere, I walk out with just a bag of roasted pistachios. We skip the Yeni Cami and take the tram back to the hotel.

In search of a neighborhood teahouse, we walk in a direction we have't been before, towards the little Ayasofya. Yeni Marmara, on a street facing the water and recommended in the LP, looks closed. The little Ayasofya also has a tea garden so we decide to check it out. This small church built in the 6th century is pretty and has some impressive columns, but having seen two gorgeous mosques today, our eyes are too tired to appreciate it. The tea garden here doesn't look too appealing either, so we end up at our usual local haunt, Mesale. A couple of teas and coffees later and feeling sufficiently caffeinated, we head back so we can spend some time relaxing on the roof while its still daylight - it's such a wonderful respite after the busy day we've had and the cold beers definitely help.

For dinner, we have 9pm reservations at Karakoy Lokantasi across the Galata bridge. We are a little early, so stop at Karakoy Gulluoglu, a block away, and famous for their baklava. You can sit there and get a massive sugar high on premises or take a box to go, like we do. We get the usual pistachio and walnut baklava, kadayif, and a couple of other varieties of phyllo pastry. We are told this will stay fresh for a week. We arrive at Karakoy Lokantasi on time and are seated right away. The restaurant is causal, open to the street and airy with brightly tiled interiors. We start with some chilled Tekirag raki, followed by muhammara and cicek with warm bread, delicious grilled octopus, and equally great lamb ribs with cracked bulgur for me and grilled bonito for Ajit. We should have stopped here but have to share the dried figs stuffed with walnuts and cream for dessert. A truly satisfying meal. We walk along the water back to the tram stop where there are kebaps being grilled and people eating at tables street side - quite a lively scene. For us, it's the T1 back to Sultanahmet and a good night's sleep.