Teacup Travels: Istanbul (Part 2)

There is so much to see in Istanbul that you’ll need more than just a short break. I went for three weeks in 2018, and just about managed to cover the main sights. In the last article, I looked at the city’s history and main historical sights. Here are a few more reasons to visit the city that spans two continents..

Parks and Palaces

While Topkapı is the most well-known, there are a number of other magnificent palaces to visit. We prioritised Dolmabahçe, which was built by Sultan Abdülmecid I between 1843 and 1856. Topkapı had been the home of the imperial family up until this point, when it was decided they needed a palace to rival the luxury and comfort of those belonging to the European monarchs. It remained the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire until the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924. Ironically, the eye-watering cost of this building contributed to the deteriorating financial position of the Empire.

Besides its grandeur, there is another draw which makes this a popular tourist site. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, used the palace as a presidential residence. Atatürk spent his last days here, where he died on November 10^th, 1938. His rooms have been kept as they were, with the clock remaining at the time he died.

Istanbul has many beautiful and well-kept parks with amazing views. Some of the best are Yıldız and Emirgan. Once belonging to Yıldız Palace, Yıldız Park has many beautiful features – panoramic views across the Bosphorus, suspension bridges over waterfalls, pavilions, summer houses and even a porcelain factory. There are a number of grand buildings, one of which was used to host Kaiser Wilhelm II when he visited Istanbul in 1898.

Formerly belonging to Ottoman Sultans, Pashas and a wealthy Turkish arms dealer, Emirgan Park is definitely worth a day trip. It features decorative ponds where tortoises can be spotted basking in the sun, rare trees, historical pavilions and beautiful winding paths. While Holland has always been associated with tulips, they are actually native to Turkey and were imported to Holland in the sixteenth century. Emirgan is the home of the International Tulip Festival which takes place in April every year.

Tea and Turkish Delight

Tea (or çay pronounced ‘chai’ in Turkish) is a huge part of the culture – even more so than in England. Turkey is said to be the world’s largest tea drinking country, with each person consuming 1,300 cups a year. It is also the fifth largest tea producing region in the world. You will struggle to find a pub in many parts of Istanbul and many restaurants do not serve alcohol. You will however find a tea garden wherever you go. Tea is always served black, so if you’re looking for a milky brew you’ll have to ask for it!

You can find any cuisine you like, but fish and seafood are unsurprisingly dominant in this riverside city. With the popularity of the kebab, the rest of Turkish food is often sadly overlooked by the Brits. Many of the dishes have similarities with Greek food and are often better known in England by the names of their Greek counterparts:

Tzatziki is cacık in Turkish
Stuffed aubergine is papoutsakia ‘little shoes’ in Greek and İmam bayıldı ‘imam fainted’ in Turkish
Dolma meaning ‘stuffed’ is used in both Greek and Turkish for stuffed vine leaves and vegetables. Kofte is also used in both languages for meatballs
Turkish delight is loukoumi in Greek and lokum in Turkish. (Haci Bekir founded in 1777 is one of the best known brands in Turkey)

Food is taken very seriously in Turkish culture – if you’ve ever had a Turkish breakfast you’ll know they’re not messing around! I love Turkish food and would recommend you try these:

Gunduzoglu is a chain of baklava shop we visited regularly. Sweet shops selling baklava and lokum can be found on every other street
Borek is a filo pastry stuffed with cheese, spinach or meat
Mussels stuffed with rice (midye dolma) served with fresh lemon are a common meze and street food dish
Kazandibi is an interesting caramelised milk pudding made with chicken breast (I didn’t try this one but I’m told it’s a winner..!)

Shopping in the World’s First Mall

Built in the fifteenth century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, the Grand Bazaar is one of the world’s most famous shopping destinations. It was the hub of Mediterranean trade, unrivalled in Europe for its abundance, variety and quality of the goods on sale. It sold everything including spices, textiles, armour, weapons, jewellery and books. The shoe market was said to be one of the most picturesque parts of the market, with thousands of shoes of different colours. Ottoman laws prescribed different colours depending on whether you were Muslim, Greek Orthodox, Jewish or Armenian – giving an indication of the diversity of Istanbul’s residents. It is still a bustling and expansive market today, not to be missed if you visit the city.

The Spice Bazaar is the second most famous covered market in Istanbul. It is also known as the Egyptian Market, so-called because it was built with the revenues from the Ottoman province of Egypt in 1660. It is still the centre of the spice trade in Istanbul today.

Ride on the World’s Shortest Subway Line

Opened in 1875, the Tünel is a funicular line that travels one stop only up a steep hill from Karaköy to Beyoğlu. The journey takes just 1.5 minutes! This is not to be confused with the Taksim-Tünel, a ‘nostalgic tramline’ with antique trams. There are so many forms of transport to use depending on your destination that you will want to plan your travel before setting out. Istanbul is so sprawling that it’s not the kind of place you can just wander around and hope for the best.

We were staying in a riverside suburb just outside the city which meant boats were the best way to get around. They’re large enough that you’re unlikely to feel seasick, and they serve tea and snacks along the way. Sitting on the top deck watching the beautiful views across the wide expanse of the Bosphorus, it really is the best way to travel. You can also take the bus, metro, cable car, new tram, old tram, taxi..

Istanbul’s Street Cats Will Melt Your Heart

Istanbul has a large stray cat population, and they can be seen in every nook and cranny across the city. There are also stray dogs, but to a much lesser extent. Be prepared to be relentlessly begged when eating or drinking outdoors. It can be very hard to resist, and I even found myself buying cat treats especially for these cheeky vagabonds. They are such a prominent and well-loved feature that there is a documentary about them!

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