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Sultanahmet
The central
quarter of Eminonu district of Istanbul, where the imperial
old city was also located. It is the house of the most
significant historical remnants such as, the Blue Mosque,
Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, museums, tourist hotels, shops
restaurants and ancient Hippodrome at the very center which
was scene of chariot races and the center of Byzantine civic
life. was the place where the Nika Riot started in 532 AD.
There are an Egyptian Obelisk, a stone obelisk and the
Serpentine Column which were originally brought by the
emperors and used for the decoration of the Hippodrome.
Eyup & Golden Horn (Halic)
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Golden Horn, Istanbul |
This
horn-shaped estuary divides European Istanbul. One of the
best natural harbors in the world, it was once the centre
for the Byzantine and Ottoman navies and commercial shipping
interests. Today, attractive parks and promenades line the
shores, a picturesque scene especially as the sun goes down
over the water. At Fener and Balat, neighborhoods midway up
the Golden Horn, there are entire streets filled with old
wooden houses, churches, and synagogues dating from
Byzantine and Ottoman times. The Orthodox Patriarchy resides
at Fener and a little further up the Golden Horn at Eyup,
are some wonderful examples of Ottoman architecture. Muslim
pilgrims from all over the world visit Eyup Camii and Tomb
of Eyup, the Prophet Mohammeds standard bearer, and it is
one of the holiest places in Islam. The area is a still a
popular burial place, and the hills above the mosque are
dotted with modern gravestones interspersed with ornate
Ottoman stones. The Pierre Loti Cafe, atop the hill
overlooking the shrine and the Golden Horn, is a wonderful
place to enjoy the tranquility of the view.
Click here for Wikipedia article
Click here for Golden Horn & Eyup tours organized by gay local gay
travel agency
Bosphorus (Bogazici)
A stay in Istanbul is not complete without a traditional and
unforgettable boat trip up the Bosphorus, the winding strait
that separates Europe and Asia. Its shores offer a
delightful mixture of past and present, grand splendor and
simple beauty. Modem hotels stand next to yali (shorefront
wooden villas), marble palaces alongside rustic stone
fortresses, and elegant compounds neighbor small fishing
villages. Districts lying on both sides of the Bosphorus
contribute to the charm of this water passageway that is
unique in the world with its quite different textures and
residential forms. Kuzguncuk, Beylerbeyi, Çengelköy,
Kanlica on the Asian side, Arnavutkoy, Bebek, and
Istinye on the European side are the most beautiful small
towns dotted along the shores of Bosporus. The best way to see the Bosphorus is to board one
of the public boats that regularly zigzag along the
shores. Embark at Eminonu, and stop alternately on the Asian
and European sides of the strait. The round trip excursion,
very reasonably priced, takes about six hours. If you wish a
private voyage, there are agencies that specialize in
organizing these, day or night.
Click here for Bosphorus tours organized by gay local
gay travel agency
Beyoglu and
Taksim
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A view from Bosphorus |
Beyoglu is an interesting example of a district with European-influenced
architecture, from a century before. Europes second oldest subway, Tunel
was built by the French in 1875, must be also one of the shortest
offering a one-stop ride to start of Taksim. Near to Tunel is the Galata
district, whose Galata Tower became a famous symbols of Istanbul, and the
top of which offers a tremendous 180 degree view of the city.
From the Tunel area to Taksim square is one of the citys focal points for
shopping, entertainment and urban promenading: Istiklal Caddesi is a fine
example of the contrasts and compositions of Istanbul; fashion shops,
bookshops, cinemas, markets, restaurants and even hand-carts selling
trinkets and simit (sesame bread snack) ensure that the street is packed
throughout the day until late into the night. The old tramcars re-entered
into service, which shuttle up and down this fascinating street, and
otherwise the street is entirely pedestrianised. There are old embassy
buildings, Galatasaray High School, the colorful ambience of Balik Pazari
(Fish Bazaar) and restaurants in Cicek Pasaji (Flower Passage). Also on
this street is the oldest church in the area, St Marys Draperis dating
back to 1789, and the Franciscan Church of St Antoine, demolished and then
rebuilt in 1913.
The street ends at Taksim Square, a huge open plaza, the hub of modern
Istanbul and always crowded, crowned with an imposing monument celebrating
Ataturk and the War of Independence. The main terminal of the new subway
is under the square, adjacent is a noisy bus terminal, and at the north
end is the Ataturk Cultural Centre, one of the venues of the Istanbul
Theatre Festival. Several five-star hotels are dotted around this area,
like the Hyatt, Intercontinental and Hilton (the oldest of its kind in the
city). North of the square is the Istanbul Military Museum.
Taksim and Beyoglu have for centuries been the centre of nightlife, and
now there are many lively bars and clubs off Istiklal Caddesi, including
some of the only gay venues in the city. Beyoglu is also the centre of the
more bohemian arts scene.
Nisantasi
Nisantasi district is famous for its Art
Nouveau apartment buildings and its plethora of designer
label stores. It is undoubtedly Istanbuls most elegant
quarter of and it's
home to several prominent figures of the Turkish
jet-set, culture and art. There are
refreshingly large choice of excellent
and stylish restaurants, bars and the stores of world
famous brands such as
Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Escada,
Kenzo, Prada and many more.
Nisantasi was originally an artillery range for Ottoman
soldiers (the name is derived from targeting). The land was
opened to settlement in the 18th century by Sultan Abulmejid,
who ordered the construction of the Art Nouveau Police
Station and Tesvikiye Mosque on the street which bears its
name. The idea was to create a totally Europeanized district
within Istanbul, and it seems to be a great success in that
sense. The heart of the neighborhood is the point where Vali
Konagi street dissects Rumeli and Tesvikiye Avenues. Rumeli
Avenue leads down from Osmanbey, the closest metro station
just one stop from Taksim. From there it's just a matter of
following Rumeli Avenue for 250 meters until an intersection
appears at which the traffic is at a standstill. This is the
heart of Nisantasi.
Ortakoy
Ortakoy was a resort for the Ottoman
rulers because of its attractive location on the Bosphorus,
and is still a popular spot for residents and visitors. The
village is within a triangle of a mosque, church and
synagogue, and is near Ciragan Palace, Kabatas High School,
Feriye, Princess Hotel.
The name Ortakoy reflects the university students and
teachers who would gather to drink tea and discuss life,
when it was just a small fishing village. These days,
however, that scene has developed into a suburb with an
increasing amount of expensive restaurants, bars, shops and
a huge market. The fishing, however, lives on and the area
is popular with local anglers, and there is now a huge
waterfront tea-house which is crammed at weekends and
holidays.
Adalar
(Prince's Islands)
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A view from Buyukada |
Adalar is
the plural for "ada" which means island in Turkish. This a
group of small islands in Marmara sea close to the main land
on the Asian side. The beaches on these islands seem to be
the only swimming option left close to the down town
Istanbul. They consist of 9 islands, 4 of which are
considerably popular and inhabited. Private cars and motor
vehicles are not allowed on any of the islands. So you need
to walk, hire a bicycles or Fayton (a traditional
horse-drawn carriage) to get around.
Majority of the native inhabitants of these islands used to
be non-Muslim citizens of Ottoman Empire (Jews, Greeks,
Armenians) until the end of 19th century. Now there are
mansions and summer houses of rich men of Istanbul. Buyuk
Ada (Grand Island) is the biggest one as the name
suggests, and it is the most vibrant one. There are public
ferryboats to Adalar from Kabatas pier on the European side
(closer to Taksim, easily accessible from Sultanahmet by
tramcar) and from Kadikoy and Bostanci districts on the
Asian side. The journey takes 30-45 minutes by boat from
Kabatas. The ferryboat from Sirkeci stops on each inhabited
island one after the other, in order of Kinaliada, Burgaz,
Heybeliada and Buyukada. You can do hop-on hop off in this
order between the islands by taking the next arriving
ferryboat. On return way, the ferryboat does not stop on
other islands after departing Buyukada. If you are staying
around Taksim, you need to take the funicular line (Finukuler)
from Taksim Metro station to Kabatas first, which takes no
more than 5 minutes.
Click here for ferryboat schedules from Kabatas to
Prince's Islands.
Click here for Google map locating Prince's Islands of
Istanbul
Click here for Prince's Islands tours by gay local gay
travel agency
Uskudar
Relatively unknown to
tourists, the suburb of Uskudar, on the Asian side of the
Bosphorus, is one of the most attractive suburbs.
Religiously conservative in its background, it has a
tranquil atmosphere and some fine examples of imperial and
domestic architecture.
The Iskele, or Mihrimah Camii is opposite the main ferry
pier, on a high platform with a huge covered porch in front,
often occupied by older local men watching life around them.
Opposite this is Yeni Valide Camii, built in 1710, and the
Valide Sultans green tomb rather like a giant birdcage. The
Cinili Mosque takes its name from the beautiful tiles which
decorate the interior, and was built in 1640.
Apart from places of religious interest, Uskudar is also
well known as a shopping area, with old market streets
selling traditional local produce, and a good flea market
with second hand furniture. There are plenty of good
restaurants and cafes with great views of the Bosphorus and
the rest of the city, along the quayside. In the direction
of Haydarpasa is the Karaca Ahmet Cemetery, the largest
Muslim graveyard in Istanbul. The front of the Camlica hills
lie at the ridge of area and also offer great panoramic
views of the islands and river.
Sariyer
The first sight of Sariyer is
where the Bosphorus connects with the Black Sea, after the
bend in the river after Tarabya. Around this area, old
summer houses, embassies and fish restaurants line the
river, and a narrow road which separates it from Buyukdere,
continues along to the beaches of Kilyos.
Sariyer and Rumeli Kavagi are the final wharfs along the
European side visited by the Bosphorus boat trips. Both
these districts, famous for their fish restaurants along
with Anadolu Kavagi, get very crowded at weekends and
holidays with Istanbul residents escaping the city.
After these points, the Bosphorus is lined with tree-covered
cliffs and little habitation. The Sadberk Hanim Museum, just
before Sariyer, is an interesting place to visit; a
collection of archaeological and ethnographic items, housed
in two wooden houses. A few kilometers away is the huge
Belgrade Forest, once a haunting ground of the Ottomans, and
now a popular weekend retreat into the largest forest area
in the city.
Kilyos
Kilyos is a small fishing village by the Black Sea shore of
Istanbul on the European side, which is surrounded by green
forests all around it. It has sandy beaches, hotels,
pensions, cafe and restaurants. Roughly forty five minutes
drive from down town Istanbul, the village is a good option
for an escape from big-city life at least for an afternoon.
Especially preferred by the local people living on the
European part of Istanbul, it is a perfect place for nature
lovers who would go there for swimming and picnic. The sea
of Kilyos is rather chilly and wavy and there is flow in
some parts. It not advised to swim very far from the shore
especially in isolated parts of the beaches for this reason.
To get to Kilyos by car, you need to pass Buyukdere and
Sariyer districts driving through the Belgrade Forest. The
road from Buyukdere passes through one of the arches of
Egrikemer, the "Bent Aqueduct" built in 1732. If you have
time to visit outskirts of Istanbul during your holiday, you
can take a public bus to Sariyer first, departing from
Taksim and Kabatas. You can find dolmus cabs, public
bus or taxi to Kilyos from there. But the most enjoyable
journey would be taking the morning Bosphorus cruise (Bogaz
turu) of IDO with public ferryboats from Eminonu to
Sariyer before getting to Kilyos, some 15 km away. Bogaz
turu takes a little over an hour and stops in Besiktas
(not far from Taksim, if you want to get on the ferry here)
and several other small towns and villages along the
Bosphorus. You can use public buses on return. This would be
a good and cheaper combination of a Bosphorus cruise and a
daily beach adventure. On the way back, you can drink a cup
of Turkish tea in a sea-side cafe or eat fish in a small
restaurant in Sariyer, to make your day a memorable one.
For public bus and ferryboat schedules
please see:
IDO Ferryboats and
IETT Public Buses
Sile
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This is a
lovely resort town on the Black Sea coast on the Asian side,
50 km from Uskudar (a district by the Asian shore of
Bosphorus, across from Besiktas). The famous, extensive
beaches of Sile are reached partly by a motorway, and partly
by a narrow road winding through the forest. The ruins of a
Genoese fortress and the lighthouse are also worth seeing in
Sile. To the west of the town the beaches extend
uninterrupted, and to the east there are a series of small,
sandy bays. The summer months are quite crowded and lively.
The breakwater of Sile can be cruisy for gay men in the
evenings, whereas it is advised to be cautious and make good
observation before meeting anyone. It may take more than an
hour to get to Sile from European side of Istanbul, so it is
recommended only if you have plenty of time to spent in
Istanbul. A daily visit is possible in practice, but
accommodation is readily available in the numerous hotels
and pensions if you have time for an overnight stay or
longer. There are public buses (Bus line 139) to Sile from
Harem Otogar (intercity bus terminal) on the Asian
side. You can go to Harem by ferryboats from Sirkeci ferry
pier near Sultanahmet.
For public bus and ferryboat schedules please see:
IDO Ferryboats and
IETT Public Buses
Related Links Providing General Information about Istanbul
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