Dance Performances
HOCAPAŞA ART AND CULTURE CENTER
Hocapaşa Hamami Sok. 5-9D
SIRKECI
212 511 4626 www.hodjapasha.com
Sema is a religious ceremony that has become a popular tourist attraction—and very few people seem to find this strange. This practice is performed by dervishes of the Mevlevi Sufi order, a branch of Islam which was founded by Rumi, a 13th-century poet. The highpoint of the event is the activity that so many tourist brochures present as quintessentially Turkish—the whirling of dervishes. This act focuses on the dancer’s arms, one palm pointing to the sky, the other to the ground, symbolizing the channeling of spiritual energy from God to the Earth. Since the Galata Mevlevihanesi closed for restoration, the 15th-century hamam inside the Hocapaşa Center has become the safest bet to see whirling dervishes perform.
Sirkeci. After getting off the tram, walk north, away from the water. Take the 1st left after you pass the tram tracks; there will be signs pointing to the venue. Adults 40TL. Performances last 1hr. and start M, W, F-Su 7:30pm. Box office open daily 10am-9pm.
GALATA TOWER
Galata Kulesi
BEYOĞLU
212 293 8180 www.galatatower.net
If you’re set on seeing belly dancing and other traditional dances in Istanbul, you’re going to have a hard time finding something that’s not expensive and touristy as hell. Dancing is usually packaged along with a set menu into a “Turkish night” that takes a few hours and can be thoroughly entertaining, provided that you’re an overzealous European tourist. However, if you really want to experience it, head to the Galata Tower, another standard-bearer of Turkish culture. The tower dates back to the 14th century and allegedly served as a take-off point for Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi, who is said to have used artificial wings to fly across the Bosphorus to Üsküdar sometime around 1630. If you don’t want to come for the cultural night, you can take an elevator up during the day, even though the entry price is disproportionately high.
Tünel or Karaköy. From Tünel, head down Galipdede Cad. until you see the tower on the right side. 80€ per person; includes a set menu and unlimited local drinks. Entry during the day 10TL. Shows 8pm-midnight. Galata Tower open daily 9am-4pm.
SHOPPING
Bazaars and Markets
GRAND BAZAAR
Kapali Çarşi
BEYAZIT
212 519 1248 www.kapalicarsi.org.tr
No offense, but it is obligatory that you get lost here—this covered maze of 60 streets and 1200 shops is one of the largest bazaars in the world. It’s been around for 550 years, first started in order to finance the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Today, you can buy just about anything here, with the potential exceptions of love and happiness. With streets named after the specific trades that used to be centered in them (Fez-makers, slipper manufacturers, etc.), there is a central bedesten (market hall) where valuable jewelry and antiques are sold. We’ll save you the trouble and won’t recommend any specific shops within its walls—searching for particular places here is a harrowing experience.
Beyazit. From the tram station, head north. Open M-Sa 8:30am-7pm.
SPICE BAZAAR
Misir Çarşisi
EMINÖNÜ
212 455 5900
Also called the Egyptian Bazaar, this market is easier to navigate than the Grand Bazaar—its layout is in the shape of the letter “L.” Finished in 1663, it was built to provide funds for the upkeep of the New Mosque. The bazaar sells what it’s named after (that’s spices, not Egyptians), but there also are containers of dried fruit, herbs, nuts, sweets, and trinkets. Some merchants get more creative than others—you’ll come across glued balls of dried fruit and mystery nuts called “Turkish Viagra”. Live on the edge and smell a heap of spices from close up to encounter a true Turkish sneeze.
Eminönü. Right behind Yeni Cami, the New Mosque. Open daily 8am-7:30pm.
ARASTA BAZAAR
Arasta Çarşisi 107
SULTANAHMET
212 516 0733 www.arastabazaar.com
What’s that? Your flight home’s in four hours and you suddenly remember you forgot to buy an “I Love Turkey” T-shirt? Run to Arasta Bazaar, a conveniently located strip of shops right below the Blue Mosque. Apart from clothes, there’s all kinds of souvenir stuff—fabrics, nargile, handmade pipes, tiles, and cheap bric-a-brac of all sorts. Here you can also find the small Great Palace Mosaic Museum showcasing a collection of old Byzantine mosaics.
Sultanahmet. It’s behind the Blue Mosque. Bazaar open daily 9am-7pm. Museum open M 9:30am-5pm, W-Su 9:30am-5pm.
SALI PAZARI (TUESDAY MARKET)
Kent Meydani, Tarihi Sali Pazari
KADIKÖY
216 339 9819
Every Tuesday, this enormous marketplace in Kadiköy gets filled with locals selling and buying cheap clothes and fresh produce. Women outnumber men 10 to 1, but it’s safe to assume that all genders are welcome. The bazaar is open on Fridays as well, but there tend to be fewer sellers. If your clothes have endured some wear and tear during your travels, come here to refill your supplies.
Walk down Söğütlü Çeşme Cad. away from the ferry terminal past the bull statue, and turn right onto Mahmut Baba Sok. There is a bus stop behind Wash Point, a carwash place. Get on the free shuttlebus that will take you to the bazaar. The ride takes 10min., and the shuttles leave approximately every 10min. Open Tu, F 8am-7pm.
EKOLOJIK PAZARI
Feriköy Halk Pazari, Lala Şahin Sok., Bomonti Cad.
ŞIŞLI
212 252 5255 www.bugday.org/eng
The idea of “organic food” is slowly starting to penetrate Turkish society, and this market is proof. The first of its kind in Istanbul, Ekolojik Pazari is organized by the Buğday Association and offers organic fruit, vegetables, and other food products.. A skeptic would say that all food in Turkey is organic, but here you can be sure that what you get qualifies as such.
From Osmanbey, get on the other side of the cemetery and continue down Ergenekon Cad. until you reach Lala Şahin Sok. It’s in parking lot number 6. Prices vary. Open Sa 8am-5pm.
TARLABAŞI PAZARI
The streets around Tarlabaşi
TARLABAŞI
First, we have to say that the Tarlabaşi neighborhood isn’t the safest place to go if you look like a naive Western tourist. However, it’s interesting for the same reason—this market is unlike the others we mention, offering low prices and a very authentic feel. It gets really crowded, so beware of pickpockets. Tarlabaşi, inhabited mostly by the Roma, Kurds, and African immigrants, is surprisingly close to Taksim, so it’s not that hard to get back into a safer neighborhood.
Taksim. Walking down İstiklal, take a right onto Ağa Camii, then cross Tarlabaşi Bul. Continue down the hill until you hit the market, which sprawls across many streets of that neighborhood. Prices vary. Open Su 10am-dusk.
Gifts
KARADENIZ ANTIK
Çukurcuma Cad. 55
GALATASARAY
212 251 9605 www.karadenizantik.com
This is a good place to start your search for all kinds of old junk that gets lumped into the category of antiques. The objects on sale range from old gramophones and cameras to furniture and lamps to statuettes and vases. There are many other shops around, so make sure you compare prices elsewhere before buying here. The best places in Istanbul to buy antiques are here (on and around Çukurcuma Cad.), inside the Grand Bazaar’s central bedesten, and in the huge Horhor Flea Market (Kirik Tulumba Sokak 13 Aksaray). Just make sure you don’t buy anything of real value—if it’s more than 100 years old, taking it out of the country may be illegal.
Tophane. Walk up Boğazkesen Cad. until you reach Çukurcuma; turn right and continue straight until you see the shop to your right. Alternatively, walk down from Galatasaray. Open daily 9am-7pm.
ASLIHAN PASAJI
Located on the street opposite of Yeni Çarşi
GALATASARAY
This p
assage off İstiklal is stacked with shops selling all kinds of used books, so come here to buy your copy of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Sifresi or Mario Puzo’s Vaftiz Babasi (or their English equivalents). Secondhand bookstores are often concentrated in clusters, so apart from this one, there’s also the Sahaflar Bazaar ( Beyazit) and the Akmar Pasaji (between Mühürdar Cad. and Neşet Ömer Sok).
Tünel or Taksim. From Galatasaray walk on the street opposite to Yeni Çarşi and you’ll see the passage to your right. Open M-Sa 8am-8pm.
PAŞABAHÇE
İstiklal Cad. 314
TÜNEL
212 244 0544 www.pasabahce.com
If you went through all the glass in the Grand Bazaar and didn’t find anything to satisfy your high demands, try Paşabahçe. This well-known glass chain offers all kinds of practical and impractical glass products. While more expensive than similar items at the bazaars, these pieces are of higher quality and better design. If you’ve picked up a bit of the Turkish superstitious bug, you can get one of their enormous glass evil eyes to ward off bad luck.
Tünel. Walk up İstiklal until you see the store on your left, opposite the Dutch consulate. Open daily 10am-8pm.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICES: There are a number of offices in different districts, including Sultanahmet (Divan Yolu Cad. 5 212 518 1802 Open daily 9am-5pm.), Beyoğlu (Hilton Hotel 212 233 0592 Open M-Sa 9am-5pm.), Sirkeci (Sirkeci Train Station 212 511 5888 Open M-Sa 9:30am-5:30pm.), Beşiktaş (Süleyman Seba Cad. 212 258 7760), Atatürk International Airport (212 465 3151 Open daily 8am-11pm.) and Karaköy (Karaköy Liman Yolcu Sarayi 212 249 5776.) All provide free maps, brochures, and information in English.
• BUDGET TRAVEL OFFICES: Some of the biggest low-cost carriers are Pegasus Airlines (444 0737 www.flypgs.com), Onur Air (212 663 2300 www.onurair.com.tr), and SunExpress (232 444 0797), operating both domestic and international flights. Virtually every hostel has a partnership with tour companies that run affordable tours.
• CURRENCY EXCHANGE: Exchange bureaus are called döviz and can be found on İstiklal and around Divan Yolu. Among the better ones are Klas Döviz (Siraselviler Cad. 6/F 212 249 3550 Open daily 8:30am-10pm.) and Çetin Döviz (İstiklal Cad. 39 212 252 6428 Open daily 9am-10pm.).
• ATMS: English-language ATMs (bankamatik) can be found on almost every corner. If your account is at a foreign bank, cash withdrawal will cost you extra (for precise amount, inquire at your bank). Most ATMs work with Turkish Lira. If you want to withdraw USD or Euros, try some of the banks around Sirkeci Train Station.
• LUGGAGE STORAGE: 24hr. luggage storage (Emanet Bagaj), is available at the Atatürk International Airport (212 465 3442 15TL per day.) and Sirkeci Train Station (539 885 2105 4-7TL for the first 4hr.; 0.50 TL per hr. thereafter, 96 hr. max.).
• GLBT RESOURCES: Istanbul’s GLBT resources are rather decentralized, so your best bet will be an internet search. Time Out Istanbul magazine provides a good overview of the city’s GLBT establishments. Some other organizations of interest are Kaos GL (312 230 0358 www.news.kaosgl.com, and Lambda (212 245 7068 www.lambdaistanbul.org Open M-Tu 5-7pm, F-Su 5-7pm.).
• TICKET AGENCIES: Tickets to most major cultural events are available through Biletix. (216 556 9800 www.biletix.com)
• LAUNDROMAT: Most hostels will do your laundry for a small fee. If you’d prefer a laundromat, some of the options are Beybuz (Topçekenler Sok. 17 212 249 5900 2.25TL per kg, dry cleaning 10TL. Open daily 9am-2:30am.) and Şik Çamaşir Yikama (Güneşli Sok. 1/A 212 245 4375 15TL per load. Open 8am-8pm.).
• INTERNET ACCESS: Sultanahmet Square offers free Wi-Fi. Beyoglu has free Wi-Fi as well, but you’ll need a cellphone to receive the access code. One of the best internet cafes in town is Net Club (Büyükparmakkapi Sok. 8/6 1.25TL per hr. Open 24hr.) off İstiklal Avenue, but there are many others around Istiklal and a few near the Sultanahmet tram stop. In most cafes, expect to pay 2TL per hr.
• POST OFFICES: You can send letters and make calls at any of the many PTT booths around the city. There’s a central post office in Eminönü (Büyük Postahane Cad. 25 212 511 3818), while some other offices are in Taksim (Cumhuriyet Cad. 2 212 292 3650), Galatasaray (Tosbağa Sok. 22 212 243 3343), and Sultanahmet (Sultanahmet Meydani 212 517 4966 Open daily 8:30am-12:30pm and 1:30-5:30pm.).
Emergency!
• EMERGENCY NUMBER: 112.
• POLICE: 155; 212 527 4503.
• LATE-NIGHT PHARMACIES: Pharmacies are called eczane in Turkish. Some stay open overnight (nöbetci) on a rotating basis, and the closed pharmacies will list the nearest open pharmacy on their doors. For a list of all open pharmacies, go to www.treczane.com.
• HOSPITAL/MEDICAL SERVICES: The best option for international travelers is to use a private hospital. They are clean, efficient, and have 24hr. emergency units and some English-speaking staff. Some of the options are Alman Hastanesi (Siraselviler Cad. 119 212 293 2150 www.almanhastanesi.com.tr Consultation 160TL.) and the American Hospital (Güzelbahçe Sok. 20 212 444 3777 www.americanhospitalistanbul.com Examinations 190TL.) Public hospitals are generally crowded, confusing, and without English-speaking staff, but they are an option if you want to save money. The most conveniently located one is Taksim Hastanesi. (Siraselviler Cad. 112 212 252 4300 www.taksimhastanesi.com.tr.)
Getting There
By Air
ATATÜRK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
İstanbul Atatürk Havalimani, Yeşilköy
AIRPORT
212 465 5555 www.ataturkairport.com
The airport is 28km from central Istanbul and has an international and a domestic terminal. The easiest way to get from the airport to the center is to take the metro (LRT) and then the tram. At the airport, follow the “LRT” signs, get on the metro ( One jeton costs 1.50TL), and get off at Zeytinburnu. Here transfer to the tram going to Kabataş, which passes through Sultanahmet. You’ll need to buy another 1.50TL jeton for the tram. You can also get off the metro at Aksaray, but the transfer to the tram here isn’t as convenient. Alternative ways of getting to and from the airport include the express Havaş bus (212 465 4700 www.havas.net 10TL. Around 40min., every 30min. 4am-1am.) and taxis. ( Around 30TL for Sultanahmet, 35TL for Taksim.) There is a Lost and Found Office (212 465 5555, ext. 4690 Open M-F 8am-5pm.), a Tourist Information Office (In the international terminal 212 465 3451 Open 9am-11pm.), and 24hr. luggage storage. (212 465 3442 for the international terminal; 212 465 3000, ext. 2805 for the domestic terminal 10-20TL per day.) The airport serves almost 40 airlines, including Turkish Airlines (212 444 0849), British Airways (212 317 6600), and Air France (212 465 5491).
Metro to Havalimani. Parking 7.50TL per hr., 9.75TL per 1-3hr. Open 24hr.
SABIHA GÖKÇEN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Sabiha Gökçen Uluslararasi Havaalani, Pendik
AIRPORT
216 585 5000 www.sgairport.com
Located on the Asian side of Istanbul, this airport is 40km from Kadiköy and 50km from Taksim. The best way to get to central Istanbul is to take the Havaş bus. (555 985 1051 www.havas.net 13TL. Around 1hr., every 30min. 4am-midnight.) Alternatively, you can take the public E10 bus to Kadiköy ( 1.5TL. 90min., every 10min.-1hr.) and then transfer to a ferry to either Eminönü or Karaköy ( 1.50TL. Around 20min.) Taxis are rather expensive, charging around 75TL for the trip to Taksim. Among the facilities at the airport are luggage storage ( 10-20TL per day), a lost and found office, and a PTT booth. Bus to Sabiha Gökçen. Open 24hr.
By Bus
Bus travel is concentrated at the Büyük İstanbul Otogari, (212 658 0505 www.otogaristanbul.com) known simply as the “Otogar.” The Zeytinburnu-Havalimani metro line has a stop here, so to get to the center, take the metro to Aksaray and then walk to the Yusufpaşa tram stop. Many bus companies have free shuttle service (ücretsiz servis) between the Otogar and Taksim. Among the major bus companies are Metro (212 444 3455 www.metroturizm.com.tr), Kamil Koç (212 658 2000 www.kamilkoc.com.tr), and Ulusoy (212 44
4 1888 www.ulusoy.com.tr). Some of the most frequent bus routes go to: Ankara ( From 35TL. 6-7hr.); Edirne ( From 10TL. 2½ hr.); Çanakkale ( From 35TL. 6hr.); Izmir ( From 45TL. 8½hr.) often via Bursa. ( From 20TL. 3hr.)
By Train
Sirkeci Train Station (212 520 6575) is the final stop for all trains from Europe. The Bosphorus express from Bucharest. ( 20½hr., daily at 10pm.) The Balkan Express goes to Sofia ( 12½hr.) and Belgrad ( 21½hr., daily at 10pm.) and the Dostluk/Filia Express goes to Thessalonica. ( 13hr., daily at 8:30pm). Trains from the Asian side terminate at Haydarpaşa Train Station (216 336 4470). Six different trains connect Istanbul with Ankara ( Daytime tickets from 16TL, overnight 85TL. 8hr., 5 per day.) Information about train schedules and routes can be found on www.tcdd.gov.tr.
By Ferry
Apart from local ferries, IDO (212 444 4436 www.ido.com.tr) operates intercity ferries from Istanbul’s Yenikapi Ferry Terminal to Yalova ( 14TL. 6-7 per day), Bandirma ( 32TL 4-6 daily.), and Bursa. ( 21TL. 4-6 daily.) Over a dozen ferries per day on three different routes connect Yenikapi to Bostanci. To get to Yenikapi, take the suburban train from Sirkeci Train Station.
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