Suggestions for Istanbul?

[Khalida]

I'm going to Istanbul with a dance friend in May, yay!

We'll be there from Sunday, 4th until Thursday, 8th.
This is our first visit to this city, so any tips on what to do/see are welcomed!

PS: We already located Bella

[amiraates]

Hi Khalida,
I know Istanbul very well as my husband is from there and we go very often.

I have a full written memo at my office which I can post on Monday with all sort of tips.
For a short overview in a nutshell:

Worth visiting old city:
Eminonu (neighbourhood), Kapaliçarsi (Grand Bazar), Egyptian Bazar. If you want to buy rhinestones, sequinces, fringes, swarovski, beads, fabrics, byoux, etc. then shop in Eminuno, you will find loads in littles shops and wholesale stores in the little streets behind the Egyptian Bazar. If you want to buy gold and silver; buy in the Grand Bazar.

Sultan Ahmet (neighbourhood) visit: Top Kapi, Aya Sofya, Blue Mosque, Cistern. Food in old city is mostly for tourists but in Kumpapi downhill Sultan Ahmet you will find many restaurants which are touristic too but the atmosphere is very nice.

Most quality dinnerclubs to see dancers:
Kervanseray in Taksim.
Orient House: in the old city near top kapi and grand bazar.

then you have dancers at Sultana, Galatower and Kiz Kulesi night show.
I saw the best dancers at Kervansaray and Orient House.

You can try to get a workshop from Sema Yildiz SEMA YILDIZ BELLYDANCE TEACHER. She trained up Didem and many other famous Turkish dancers.

Modern City:
Taxim, Beyoglu (Istiklal Caddesi = main street with all sort of shops)
Sisli, Rumeli Caddesi (expensive stores you will find at Rumeli Caddesi)
Lovely neighbourhouds with lots of shopping and fishmarkets near bosporus:
Besiktas, Ortakoy, bebek (lovely restaurants with Turkish singers in Bebek and Tarabiya area), Tarabiya, Istinye, Rumeli, Sariyer (great fishrestaurants here as well).

Must see Shopping Centres:
Ak Merkez, Kanyon, Cehazir (is near Bella so maybe you can combine), Istiyne Park Shopping Centre (this is opened I think last year it is MAYOR)

I will post some other restaurants with no dancers but famous for food on Monday.

Must go Clubing restaurant: REINA www.reina.com.tr located in Ortakoy. Ortakoy and Taxim are good places for clubbing.

Nowadays you can travel by metro from modern city to old city, it is much more comfortable than by bus. You can take a taxi but they often rip you off, you can't agree a price because they work with taximetre and If you don't know the city they drive you in circles for about an hour.

Ok more on Monday. Have fun preparing!
Amira

[meissoun]

It's all here:
Successful shopping in Istanbul

And the rest, any good guide book will tell you.

Have fun!

I am already figuring out when to take my yearly dose of Istanbul... October probably. I love the place!

MEISSOUN

[Queenie]

*taking notes*
Planning to go this year as well!
Have fun, Khalida!

[firefly5]

On the 5th of May is the Hidrellez AHIRKAPI GYPSY FESTIVAL, not to be missed if you are interested in live music and all-night dancing. It is in the Sultanahmet neighbourhood.

[emma-bessa]

Here is the report from the spring trip there:
Pictures from Istanbul


Hope you enjoy your stay,I envy you...

[Bellydancefanatic]

Considering a visit there after my program in Morocco. Definitely taking notes from you, amiraates!

[andalee-oriental]

I am going to Instanbul for 6 nights in early April. I am so excited. Thanks for the tips...I'm taking notes too (and book marking Web sites!).

[amiraates]

Sulthanamet is the oldest and the most historical part of town (but not the fanciest) and is best suited for visiting during the day. It gets dark at approx 18hr30 and shops close around 19hr00. At night it is a good idea to eat and go out in the Ortakoy, Bebek, Taxim and Beyoglu, Kumpapi areas. However there is a great and famous Kebab restaurant in Eminonu called:HAMDI Hamdi Restaurant.
Very Turkish and try to make a reservation at the top floor as they have a glass roof and you can look over the old city and the bosporus.

Easiest to use taxi's at night. Make sure the taxi driver switches on the taximeter unless you are happy to fix a price and bargain about the price some don't bargain and just say: taximeter. In that case I recommend putting the map of Istanbul on your lap, to pretend you know where your are going. Like this the driver should be less tempted to take you around the block once too many.
On Sunday go to Ortakoy for the Sunday market with lots of silver jewellery, scarves, silks, bags and art.
Uptown you will find the Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoglu and to Taxim square if you want to do some serious shopping. Good for some lovely lunch spots as well. A lot of Embassy's and Consulates are on Istiklal Caddesi (hope you will not need it). Shops in this area stay open until 21hr00. If you can not get enough of the shops, you can go on to the Ak Merkez and MetroCity malls, they stay open until 22hr00.
MUST GO is İstinye Park Alışveriş Merkezi Istyine Park Shopping mall - Istinye Park shopping mall is a unique urban lifestyle environment situated on a natural topographical “amphitheater” of residential neighborhoods. Above, a grand circular arrival plaza sits between an open-air lifestyle center and a glass-roofed indoor retail area. With 300 shops and constructed at an expense of $250 million. The new shopping mall offers famous brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Prada, and Fendi to the Turkish consumer domestically for the first time.
Other shopping malls:
METROCITY
Kanyon Levent
Cevahir Alışveriş Merkezi
Akmerkez

To get a good impression of the city is a Bosporus cruise, please refer to Turkey Travel Planner for all the different possibilities.
If you would like to go to a hammam, you can try
- Çemberlitas Hamami
www.cemberlitashamami.com
Vezirhan Caddesi 8
+90 212 522 7974
open from 6hr00 - 00hr00
€ 15 all in for 1,5 hr
- Tarihi Galatasaray Hamami
Turnacibasi Sokak 24
+90 212 252 4242

[amiraates]

Continued


As you will read anywhere, Istanbul is THE place where "east meets west", so you will find lots of traditional Turkish restaurants and cafés but also many hip & trendy places (restaurants, bars & clubs), many with great views of the Bosporus.

* Leb-i derya (a hip restaurant with a terrace on two levels which is covered this time of year, great views over the city, also a good idea for lunch)
Welcome to Leb-i derya
Kumbaraci Yokusu 115-7
+90 212 293 4989

* Anjelique and Vogue, both restaurants of the Istanbul Doors Group.
İstanbul Doors

* Kizkulesi (restaurant on a tiny island in the Bosporus)
+90 216 495 2890

* Safran (modern turkish)
+90 212 231 2121

* Club 29 - Very trendy and great in summer with terras
GROUP 29
+90 212 358 2929

SET KEBAB
1.Levent ,
(212) 2645266 (famous for Kebab)
SET BALIK LOKANTASI (famous for fish and very very nice)
Kireçburnu Cad. No:18
Tarabya, (212) 2620411

BEST BOREK AND BAKLAVA IN ISTANBUL SINCE 1949 Gulluoglu in KARAKOY (only Turks know this address)
Try the su borek and baklava and kadayiff.
Karaköy Güllüoğlu


* Reina
this is the hottest restaurant/club in Istanbul - if not
the whole of Turkey. It's less of a club though than a vast entertainment
emporium that includes several bars, restaurants and dance floors that can
accommodate more than 2500 people. Cosy. Packed with Turkish celebs, models,millionaires and media players
Reina
Muallim Naci Caddesi 10 Ortaköy
Istanbul
+90 212 259 5919

* 360 (bar, restaurant and gallery with a 360 view over both the Bosporus and the Golden Horn)
360 Restaurant ISTANBUL - Your World is 360!
Istikal Caddesi
Misir Apt K8 No. 32/309
Beyoglu 80600 ISTANBUL
+90 212 251 1042

* Pera Palas
"Created by the people who founded the Orient Express, who could not find a suitable hotel for their guests once they arrived at the end of their journey. Frequented by Agatha Christie who, during her stay here, wrote "Murder on the Orient Express", Great Garbo and Mata Hari, and more than once Atatürk himself. It's worth having a coffee at the patisserie or a drink at the bar to take in the hotel's atmosphere.

Pera Palas
Mesrutiyet Caddesi 98/100
Tepebasi 80050 ISTANBUL
+90 212 251 4560

*Orient House and Kervansaray (for an evening of traditional Turkish food and entertainment, complete with music, bellydancers and all the expected folklore)
Show, night life, belly dance show, turkish night show, singer, dinner, orient house, orient show, dinner show estambul hotels,centre hotels, center, hotel in center of istanbul, hotels in istanbul, hotels istambul, estambul,istanboul hotel,cool hote
Kervansaray

* Club Crystal
The venerably hip Club Crystal features DJs that spin awesome house music. DJs/heavy hitters like David Alvarado , G Pal and Silicone Soul have all graced their decks, as well as top Turkish mixmasters. It attracts the fashionable hipsters/Gen Y Istanbulites and is best experienced at 3-5am Thursdays to Saturdays.
.: CRYSTAL :.
Muallim Naci Cad. No:109
Ortaköy, Istanbul



HAVE FUN

[andalee-oriental]

Any suggestions on Vegetarian food? I eat eggs and cheese but no fish. How hard will it be for me?

[meissoun]

I once spent a week at a Turkish vegetarian hotel (in the South) and they didn't do the same dish twice in 7 days! So Turkey has a vast choice of vegetarian food!!!
Especially since you eat cheese.

You can go to one of the many "büfe" (= buffet) restaurants where you can see the food before you choose it.

Hey Amira, great suggestions! I want to go and try them out NOW!
BTW, Pera Palace is under reconstruction right now (and maybe not everybody's budget...)

Have you been to Tarihi Galatasaray Hamami? How was it? I am a Haman addict!

MEISSOUN

[Khalida]

Thanks for the responses, very much appreciated!

And a special thanks to you Amira, your hands must hurt from all the typing ;-) I'm printing the whole thing :-)

Meissoun, found your article on the website, and very interesting tips for Cairo too!

Best wishes,
Khalida

[turkishdancer]

in Turkey, you can find vegeterian dishes in any restaurant, just make sure you ask if there is any meat in the vegetable dishes. It is very common that you eat dishes has no meat cold, and dishes with meat hot...we make a lot of stew type of dishes with meat. I dont eat meat myself,my favs are green beans, mix veggie stews, rice, lentil soup, yogurt soup, salads, eggplant dishes with no meat, dolma (any type).
I would also visit some Palaces, and museums if you have time, and dont forget the Bosphourus ferry boat tour to the Islands. Have fun!!!and bargain!!!

[Khalida]

Thanks again for all the tips and addresses!
We'll be leaving tomorrow :-)

[rakkasah_barbara]

Have fun Khalida and tell us all about how it was when you come back!

B