A Summer in Istanbul

Istanbul is an absolutely enormous city in terms of land area; however most tourists do not get past the Sultanahmet area. Indeed any visit to Istanbul must include a visit to Topkapı, Sultanahmet, and the Hagia Sophia, but there is so much more that lies beyond that. Istanbul is one of those cities like Paris or New York where you can see the major sites in four days, but it takes a lifetime to see all that it has to offer. So of course, if you are only going to be there for a week, see all the tourist sites; they are truly worth it, but it is still possible to move beyond that and get a picture of what Istanbul daily life is really about, and that is what I want to help you do.

Quick Tips:

Most tourists when they come to Istanbul stay in Sultanahmet. Sultanahmet is where the majority of the historical sites are, and it is a truly amazing part of the city. There is everything from 5 star hotels to 8 dollar/night hostels. It is a good place for young travelers who are alone to meet other travelers. The only downside to Sultanahmet is that it is far away from everything else and requires either taking taxis everywhere, or a few buses. It is also tourist trap central and everywhere you walk you will be offered a carpet, dinner, or anything somebody thinks they can sell. Sultanahmet is a great place to stay, but don't be adverse to moving out of the area and trying someplace like Taksim or Beºiktaº; you will have easier access to the city, and be right in the heart of modern Istanbul.

Best Way To Get Around:

Istanbul has an extensive public transport system consisting of buses, a subway, trams, trains, and ferries. The bus system is extensive, cheap, easy to use and my favorite way to get around. If you are going to be in the city for two weeks or more (or even one) I suggest buying an "Akbil." (Explained inside.) Beside public transport, there are taxis, minibuses, and the dolmuº. Taxis are plentiful, rather cheap, and run on meters. Be aware, however, that there are night and day fares. After midnight the night fare kicks in. Minibuses and dolmuº are shared taxis or buses that have set routes and the fare depends on how far you are going. They are a little more complicated and not as useful to tourists.

This hostel is located in Sultanahmet next to the Hagia Sophia. It is a hostel that runs at about 8-12.5 Million TL/night, depending on whether or not you want a large dorm or a 4 person room. The hostel is clean, as far as hostels go. It features a restaurant, bar, and pool table. The staff were extremely friendly and I had a great time just hanging at the bar and talking in Turkish with the bartenders. It's a great place to meet other travelers and share stories. It's a nice, cheap place, and it is close to all the sites of Sultanahmet.

The Hotel Spina is located one block away from Sultanahmet and Hagia Sophia. Rooms run about 60-100 dollars, but are not really worth it. The hotel is clean and the staff is very friendly and helpful. The head manager was very accomodating. They also have a nice rooftop terrace where breakfast is served. Overall not a bad hotel, just not good value for money. You can find nicer hotels for that price around Sultanahmet.

Biracý is located down Istiklal Caddesi, a bit past the Galatasaray School, on the left, on the second floor. It is a great bar that has a large terrace with views of the Bosphorus. Inside there is a bar with a small dancefloor that gets packed on the weekends and plays standard Turkish and American Pop. The terrace is the best place to sit, and by far the best drink value is to buy your own 3 liter keg. That's right, Biracý has small, clear plastic kegs that they fill with beer, plop on your table, then you go at your own speed. It's great value for money especially when you have about 3 people. After a few glasses from your keg, you can head inside and hit the dancefloor and dance the night away.

Pano is located off Istiklal Caddesi on Hamalbaþý Caddesi, Taksim. To get there take your first right after the Galatasaray School and walk about a block. It will be on the right, right next to another wine bar named Victor Hugo, which is owned by the same person who owns Pano.

Pano has been in Istanbul for a long time, and is full of history and charm. The atmosphere is great, the food is good and cheap, and the wine is plentiful. On the weekends there is standing room only. So come and sample the local cheese platter, drink some cherry wine, chat with your friends, and have a great evening at the best wine house in Istanbul.

One cannot visit Istanbul with out taking a ride on the Bosphorus, especailly at night. Many hotels will offer you a night cruise/dinner/entertainment package for around $90/person. This will put you on a large multi-decked boat with tons of other tourists, mediocre food, and second-rate belly dancing. However, for only around $120 dollars you can rent your own boat. (It will be more if you want food, too.) If you don't care about eating, and just want to float along the Bosphorus for an hour and a half or two hours, rent your own boat. The best place I found to rent boats, is in Bebek. Just take a taxi, or one of the many buses that run along the coast towards Sariyer. Walk past the town of Bebek, along the coast and you will see tons of boats with "For Rent" signs. You can go the day you want to rent, or you can go earlier and reserve a boat. All the captains are very accomodating and will design the trip around you, then give you a price depending on your needs, if you want food, alcohol, or whatever. You can also provide your own alcohol. The captain will then take you out whenever you want and drive you up and down the Bosphorus, so you can see all the lights of Istanbul. The tour will last as long as you want, but an hour and a half to two hours is a good amount of time to see everything. There are big boats that you can rent if you get a lot of friends to come along, or you can rent a smaller romantic boat for couples. If you really aren't into spending that amount of money on a boat and want to go the ultra budget route, hop one of the ferries at night from Eminönü to Uskudar, walk around Uskudar for a bit, then hop the ferry back to Beşiktaş. This will cost you only a few bucks, will be shorter and less comfortable, but it is cheap, and you get great views of the city. So whichever you choose, a night cruise on the Bosphorus is an experience not to be missed.

This is by far one of the best bars in Istanbul, and one of the best I have ever visited anywhere. The name is Arka Bahçe and it is a hot hangout for all the students of Istanbul, especially those of the nearby Boðaziçi University, which I attended for a summer. Arka Bahçe (pronounced Arka Bachay) is tucked back in the narrow streets of RumeliHisarý and is easy to miss if you aren't paying attention. You can take a cab there, or take a cab to the South Campus of Boðaziçi and walk from there. From the main green of Boðaziçi follow the road down until you run into a gate, go through the gate and turn left. As soon as you turn you will see stairs on the right, go down the stairs and follow the road through another gate, take your first right, and you will be right there.

The bar consists of an outdoor patio hidden among trees, as well as a small pool, and few fire escape type stairways leading to balconies above. There are tables, but most of the seating is found on the large pillows and beanbags strewn about the ground. These are great for relaxing with a drink, cuddling up with a date, or for a relaxing evening with a group. In the background chill alternative music such as Radiohead plays in the background. Arka Bahçe is the perfect place to kick back and waste away the night drinking and chatting with friends. A true treasure in the heart of Istanbul.

Also, a quick side note, the Sunday brunch is quite good as well.

Arsen Lüpen lies on Sakizaðacý Sokak, off Istiklal Caddesi in Taksim. To get there walk down Istiklal Caddesi until you get to the Aða Mosque on the right. At the mosque turn right and walk to the second right where you will see a sign on the corner that says "Arsen Lüpen" the entrance is around the corner on the right. Walk up to the third floor where there is a terrace outside. Arsen Lüpen is a small place where a lot of the alternative crowd of Istanbul likes to hang out, discuss Marx, and show off their latest Guevara t-shirt. Even if your politics aren't left, nobody will mind, and this is just a great place to kick back, grab an Efes, listen to alt rock, and spend a warm Istanbul summer night. The drinks are cheap, and the people are nice.

A word of warning, the waiters don't accept tips, a friend of mine made that mistake once, and the waiter kindly told him that he chooses not to accept tips.

So whether you are just looking for a relaxed evening at a chill bar, or want an intellectual debate on the prospects of socialism in Turkey, check out Arsen Lüpen.

Kilyos is the summer getaway of choice for many residents of Istanbul. It is close, only about an hour by bus, less by car, and it is a great place to escape the summer heat of Istanbul.

To get there hop one of the many buses in the direction of Sariyer (such as the 20) and then at the last stop, catch the connector bus to Kylios, or you can find many dolmuºes around to take you to Kilyos. The buses will drop you off right on the edge of town, and then from there it is only a 5 minute walk to the main beach. Access to the beach will cost you 5 million TL. Many hotels have private fenced in areas too, that you can get access to for a fee.

In terms of watersports Kilyos doesn't have much to offer. The Black Sea isn't one of the most beautiful in the world, but it is pleasant nonetheless. Kilyos is easily done as a day trip, although best not to go on weekends; it will be too crowded, but you can also stay a night. The town of Kilyos is a pleasant village with plenty of restaurants, and at night there are a few good nightclubs that often attract some of the best DJs in the world (Sasha just played there in August). So if you want to escape Istanbul for a day and take a pleasant dip in some cool water, head to Kilyos and you won't be disappointed.

One word of caution though: The Black Sea has a notoriously bad undertoe, so be careful, the swimming areas are roped off for a reason!

The Turkish Military Museum (Asker Müzesi) is located just north of Taksim, easily walkable. The military museum is an enormous 2 story building that houses countless military artifacts from Turkey's Byzantine and Ottoman past, as well as from the Republic. The top floor is a monument to the splendor of the Ottoman army. There are rooms full of armour, guns, swords, cavalry equipment, and a Turco-German friendship corner that commemorates the cooperation between the two during WWI. On the top floor there is also a room dedicated to Atatürk, as well as his old military school classroom. Also on the top floor is another of one of the most impressive sites, the giant chain that the Byzantines used to block off the Golden Horn during the Ottoman seige of Istanbul. The bottom floor contains an amazing display of captured flags from Italy, Britian, Byzantium, as well as others. There are also some of the imperial pavillions, as well as a giant wall in which are carved all the major battle of Turkish history, everything from Manzikiert, to the Seiges of Vienna, to Gallipoli. One of the main reasons to come to the military museum is to see a performance by the "mehter" who were the Ottoman military band, and supposedly the first military band in history. The band wears perfectly replicated uniforms, and plays the music exactly like it was over 5 centuries ago. The Asker Müzesi is definitely worth a trip for its historic value, because it is hardly crowded, and just because it so cheap. Although note that cameras require an extra fee.

Every tourist to Ýstanbul knows about Kapalýçarþý (The Grand Bazaar) and Mýsýrçarþý (The Spice Bazaar) in Beyzit and Eminönü, but tourists hardly get out of those and to the real modern bazaars of Istanbul, the bazaars that the Istanbullular go to every week.

Almost every "semt" (section of Istanbul) has a bazaar once during the week, and all you have to do is ask around to find out what day the local bazaar is. The two largest local bazaars, however, are the Salý Pazar (The Tuesday Bazaar) and the Ulus Pazar (The People's Bazaar). The Salý Pazar is held, surprisingly, every Tuesday in Kadýköy, on the Asian side. To get there take the ferry from Eminönü. This is Istanbul's largest bazaar and features everything from local foods, (nuts, fruits, vegetables), clothes, tapes, and cds. You can find almost anything here, and for very cheap.

The Ulus Pazar is held every Thursday in Arnavutköy, on the European side, before Bebek. It's the largest bazaar on the European side, and features much of the same stuff as the Salý Pazar, and because it's on the European side, easier to get to - just take any of the buses headed towards Sariyer, or take a taxi.

Besides these two bazaars, there's also a nice one in RumeliHisarý, and even a small one in SultanAhmet, by the Sultan Hostel. If you really want to experience the wildness of a real living bazaar, and get a picture of what Kapalýçarþý might have been like 400 years ago, head to these other bazaars - you might even find something nice to pick up.

Anadolu Kavaðý is a small semt (borough) up the Bosphorous, almost to the Black Sea, on the Asian side. There are two ways to get there, catch a public bus from Üsküdar, or take a ferry. The latter is by far the better option. The ferry for Anadolu Kavaðý only leaves twice a day and it is best to catch it from Beþiktaþ or Eminönü. The Eminönü dock (Boðaz Hattý) is located just to the right of the Galata Bridge. Ferries leave from there at 10:15am and 1:30pm. The Beþýktaþ dock is located right behind the Maritime Museum (Deniz Müzesi) and leaves at around 10:45 and 2:00. I suggest you show up a good 20 minutes ahead of time because the good seats will fill up fast. The ferry will cost 8 Million TL ($5) for a round-trip ticket, and make sure you get a round trip because there are hardly any hotels.

The ferry (vapur) is double-decker and the best seats are the benches on the lower level. The trip takes 2hrs and the ferry will make many stops along the way. Anadolu Kavaðý is the last stop . The ferry gives you absolutely amazing views of the city of Istanbul.

Once you arrive at Anadolu Kavaðý it should be about lunchtime and Anadolu Kavaðý has great food. In terms of restaurants, I suggest Altýn Balýk or Kavak and Doðanay as both have good seafood. If you don't want seafood there is a great Turkish restaurant, the name escapes me, but if you turn right after the ferry dock and keep walking you will see it on the left, it looks like a house. They have great Mixed Grill and Kebab.

Anadolu Kavaðý also features a beautiful ancient Byzantine castle that you can hike up to, although it is a steep climb and will take about 20 minutes. You may be able to get someone to drive you for around 5 million TL. To get there turn left out of the ferry dock, then make your way right and keep walking straight. The uphill climb will start soon and you will know you are on the right path. From the castle you will get great views of both the Bosphorous and where it flows out of the Black Sea. You can spend about a half an hour at the top, but make sure to get your self back down in time for the 5:00 ferry (it's the last one) and if you have time, grab some ice cream.

The ferry ride back is much like the one there. After the stop at Sariyer a man should come on selling "Helva" (round wafers with cream in the middle). They are excellent and cheap, and this is the best place to get them. If you want get off at Ortaköy and walk around this quaint part of Istanbul and have some dinner. From there you can take a taxi home.

Istanbul has a great public transportaion system that consists of buses, trains, trams, a subway, and ferries. If you are going to be in Istanbul for two weeks or more, I suggest buying an Akbil. An Akbil is a multipurpose pass that you buy for 6 million TL from any "Akbil Satýþ Noktasý" in the main bus terminals (i.e. Taksim, Beþiktaþ, or Eminönü). You can then add as much money as you want. The Akbil can be used on all public transportation, which is what makes it so useful. Each time you use the Akbil, money will be deducted. When you run out, you can just refill. There is a student fare so when you buy, show them a student card.

The most exstensive and convenient form of transport are the buses. You can get to any part of the city by bus. Buses cost 500,000 TL for students and the elderly, and 750,000 TL for everyone else. Tickets, or an Akbil, are needed to ride the bus. Tickets can be bought from the white ticket sales booths at major bus stops, or on some buses. There are two types of buses: the blue buses (which you can buy a ticket on) and the green or orange buses (for which you must have a pre-bought ticket to ride). Buses run circular loops and the route is posted on the side of the bus. The sign will have the starting point, the end point, and then the major stops in-between. All buses are also numbered and I will always use bus numbers whenever possible in this journal.

Istanbul has a tramway that runs from Eminönü to Zeytinburunu. It is mostly for commuters, but will be useful for tourists for getting around Sultanahmet to places like the Grand Bazaar and the buses and ferries at Eminönü. You can buy tickets at any stop, or use your Akbil.

The Istanbul Metro is still under construction and only has two lines up, again mostly for commuters, and are not of much help to tourists. There is a line the runs from Levent to Taksim and one from Yenibosna to Aksaray. It is cheap and clean, but unfortunately not terribly useful yet, hopefully more lines will come.

The Istanbul ferries and Sea Buses are great ways of getting accross the Bosphorus and to places like the Princes Islands and Anadolu Kavaðý towards the Black Sea. Ferry docks are all around the city, the main ones being Sirkeci, Eminönü, Uskudar, Harem, Kadýköy and Beþiktaþ. You can buy tickets at any dock, or use an Akbil. The fare will depend on the route, and Sea Buses, although quicker, are more expensive.

Istanbul also has a few commuter trains that will not be terribly useful to tourists.