My Love Letter to Istanbul

Dear Istanbul,

I never intended to fall in love with you, but I did.

At first, I knew nothing about you. You seemed so far away and mysterious from my small town roots in the U.S.

You remind me a bit of my beloved NYC because you are a vast, cosmopolitan, energetic and diverse city.

But yet YOU are different and exotic. Maybe that’s what caught my attention.

Bit by bit, I got to know you. I slowly unraveled your history as I wandered through your uneven cobblestone streets, your lively neighborhood pazars and your historic sites.

The Bosphorus that cuts right through you is hard to resist – whether I’m sitting seaside with a çay or a beer, having brunch with friends or taking a vapur to the other side.

I don’t remember when, but one day it just hit me. I had butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t stop smiling. My heart was racing.

I realized I was in love with you. Don’t worry – my husband knows!

I love exploring your nooks and crannies. I never know what surprises will be in store.

Sometimes I discover an abandoned building sagging with age but still beautiful on the outside such as my most recent discovery of the Sağır Han. I can’t help but wonder who once lived and worked there and what stories the building could tell if it could talk. Were they yabancılar like me?

I love revisiting my same shops in Eminönü for my spices and nuts and the same stalls at my pazar and being called abla (older sister). You’ve finally accepted me and embraced this yabancı into your folds.

Spices at my favorite spice store - Ucuzcular. 

But like true love, there are days that I hate you, Istanbul.

I hate the taxi driver that won’t listen to my directions even if I repeat them in Turkish. I hate the old lady who practically pushed me over while trying to get on to the bus. I hate the cars that try to run me over as I cross the street. I hate the person that always stands on the left-hand side of the escalator as I’m trying to walk up. 

I hate the crowded bus and dolmuş during rush hour. I hate the disorganization of getting on and off public transportation. I hate your maddening, congested traffic. I hate that I can’t fully converse in Turkish.

Every now and then, you’ve even made me cry, Istanbul. You made me want to bury my head in my pillow and never step foot outside again.

There are truly great days here as well as truly crap days – just like anywhere in the world.

But then such a simple moment will happen as I cross the Galata Bridge and I see the fishing boats along the Golden Horn and the sun reflecting off the top of the Süleymaniye Camii and I’m awed by your beauty.

And then I fall in love all over with you again.

Love, Joy

(Dear readers, I’ve loved living in Istanbul for nearly 3 years. In April, my husband’s job had us relocate to Warsaw, Poland. I’ve been in transition mode and finally am settling down in my new country. There will be some changes, but I hope you’ll continue to follow my expat and travel adventures here! Since I'm no longer living in Turkey, I've changed the blog name to My Traveling Joys.)

Sunset cocktails at Mikla admiring the view of the Golden Horn in Istanbul.

I never tire of seeing the bridges lit up at night!

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Seaviews from Sağır Han in Istanbul

As you wander through the complex maze of Istanbul’s backstreets, you may miss some of its hidden passageways and “secrets.”

I know I have or would have if it hadn’t been for local friends or a great guide book.

One such “secret” place that was on my Istanbul bucket list for awhile was the Büyük Valide Han, built in 1651. This crumbling han in Eminönü doesn’t look like much on the outside, but it’s what the rooftop offered is what I wanted to see.

One day with the assistance of my friend Sharon and a must-have guidebook, “Istanbul’s Bazaar Quarter: Backstreet Walking Tours,” we went exploring my favorite backstreets. As regular readers know, I love walking through this neighborhood and wandering by the old hans (see: Kürkcü Han post), fabric stores, the countless bead displays and the bric-à-brac shops. I try and envision what this place looked like centuries ago as weary travelers stopped here along the famed Silk Road.

We turned down several tiny streets, with Sharon asking for directions along the way. The guide book does a good job explaining directions, but these streets can be confusing even for someone who’s lived here a long time.

We approached the back of an ancient stone han and found ourselves in the courtyard of the Sağır Han, which was built next to the Büyük Valide Han. The book says there’s not much history known about the Sağır Han except a nearby marble plaque (now gone) indicated “that in 1651 “Sultan Ahmet I’s wife, Kösem, a native of Crete, had this han built during her grandson’s reign, long after her husband’s death.”

According to Reşat Ekrem Koçu’s “Encyclopedia of Istanbul” (1958-1971), a significant part of the Sağır Han collapsed first in August 1909 and again in March 1926. However,  the han has survived until today by way of (typical) ad hoc additions and repairs.

 Sağır means deaf in Turkish, and I have to wander if the name referred to the deafening sound emanating from the han at one point from old weaving machines. That’s the story I’ve heard referenced to other hans in the area. The han’s courtyard would have been used to stable the travelers’ horses.

Outside and inside the doors at Sağır Han in Istanbul.

In the courtyard to our left, we found a ramshackle staircase and climbed up. We’re always up for an adventure, and I wanted to see the view.

We were not disappointed.

From the han’s rooftop, you can see across the Bosphorus to the Galata Tower, the Bosphorus Bridge, the Süleymaniye Camii and the Yeni Camii. The view is breathtaking!

Süleymaniye Camii is the one sitting on the hill in the background here.

My friend Sharon has lived in Istanbul for 17 years and never knew about this han.

Also from the rooftop, you will see the faded brick and stone Tower of Eirene, dating back to the Byzantine era (11^th century), in the northeast corner.  The tower was “once 27 meters high and at one time its top floor was used as a small mosque,” according to  the guidebook.

Left photo: Tower of Eirene
Right photo: Yeni Camii and the Bosphorus

You may not always know about these kinds of places, but you need to ask, explore and maybe get a little lost to find them.

This is one of the many reasons why I love Istanbul and her “secrets.”

Sharon takes a moment to admire the view from the han.

On the left, you can see one of the han's original domed chimneys.

Location:

See map here of Büyük Valide Han

Mercan Mah., Çakmakçılar Ykş. (Street)

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Street Cats of Istanbul: Photo Post

This is a blog post I’ve been meaning to do for a long, long time.

For the past three years, I’ve collected more than 100 photos of the street cats of Istanbul. If you live here or have visited here, you can’t help but notice these furry felines everywhere. And I do mean EVERYWHERE! I’ve spotted them hanging out in Ayasofya as well as the Chora Church as you’ll see below.

There’s also hundreds of street dogs, but the street cats seemed to be the easiest for me to photograph. Many of the dogs are larger breed dogs and tend to get shooed away from the main streets. (Sadly, they are often abused too.)

I’m actually more of a dog person, but even I can’t resist these friendly cats, except when I’ve had one or two beat at my legs because they wanted food.

I’ve posted about the street cats before in two neighborhood posts which you can find here: The  Cats of Çukurcuma, and here: The Cats of Büyükada.

In this post, I’ve been trying to learn some new photo editing techniques using Adobe Lightroom 4. I’ve finally figured out how to make diptychs using this handy tutorial on Jay Watson’s Photography blog. Now, I can pair two images side by side, giving me more room to show you more photos here on the blog. Diptchs kind of showcase a mini story in one. Awesome!

Hope you enjoy!

What do you think of the Istanbul street cats as diptychs?

(By the way, you also should check out another fellow Istanbul blogger’s recent street cat post called: Cat-stantinople.)

Left: Ayasofya. Right: Blue Mosque.

Bottom photo: The infamous Callie the Cat over at my friends' place: Denizen Coffee in Sultanahmet.

Top photo: Cat seeks solitude in one of the many hans in the Grand Bazaar.
Bottom photo: Turkish cat attempts to 'capture' the peacock in Yesilyurt.

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My Favorite Pazar in Istanbul: Photo Post

On Friday nights, dozens of Turkish men arrive at a nearby covered parking lot to start setting up for Saturday’s pazar in Beşiktaş.

They precariously hang strands of light bulbs and electrical cords across the ceiling. Worn tables are covered in brilliant blue plastic tarps. Wooden crates are stuffed to the brim with fresh produce from around the Turkey.

On almost every Saturday morning (when we aren’t traveling), we wake up and head to the pazar to see what new fruit and veggies there are that week. This is my favorite weekend activity, and the Beşiktaş pazar is my favorite one in Istanbul!

Sometimes I’ll post my latest produce findings on Instagram; and every now and then, I’ll post a recipe using said produce. But earlier this spring, I finally brought along my good camera and took a ton of photos. Yesterday, I finally edited these photos and wanted to share them with you.

I love the vibrancy of the fresh greens splayed out on the tables! The stall holders meticulously lay out their wares every week in neat, organized piles. Some even get artistic with the displays.

I never turn down an offer for a free sample. Olives, cheese, tomatoes, mandalina, strawberries, oranges – you can taste them all before you buy!

The pazar is a bustling, bedlam filled with people clamoring and bargaining over the price of that day’s fruits and vegetables. I could spend hours here.

Afiyet olsun!

Finike is one of the coastal districts of the Antalya province and is known for its oranges.

You know it's spring when çağla (unripe almonds) appear at the pazar.

You can eat the whole fuzzy thing - tart, citrusy and strange. I don't like them.

This seller of üzüm yaprak (grape leaves) grabbed my arm when he saw my camera and wanted to pose with me. He was a very jovial man.

Şevketi Bostan translates to Golden Thistle. This common plant can be simmered or grilled and eaten with olive oil and vinegar (or lemon) as a salad. In the Aegean region, it is cooked with meat or with chickpeas.

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Turkish Pide with Eggs in Istanbul

Have you ever eaten something so delicious for the first time and wondered how the heck it took you so long to discover it?

I’m sure all of us foodies have.

In Istanbul, one of those recently discovered items is pide yumurtalı (Turkish pizza with egg). I used to order my pide with sucuk and kaşar peynir (Turkish cheddar cheese). Then, one day, the photo on a menu of a pide with a sunny yellow egg on top jumped out at me. I want that one I pointed out on the menu.

Unfortunately, the egg didn’t come out as oozing sunny side up as it looked like in the picture, but it was delicious.

Often, we’ve walked past a small pide shop near the Saturday pazar in Beşiktaş. One day, at my urging, we finally decided to stop and warm up with a bowl of soup and a pide. Karadeniz Pide Kebab ve Yemek Salonu is a simple place where you’ll find two or three daily soups, a few meze items and pide. I love the fact that almost every Turkish café serves soup!

If you can resist the gözleme at the pazar, stop by Karadeniz for a quick lunch. I think the cost for the two us was 24 tl ($13 USD).

Now, the best place I’ve discovered to eat pide yumurtalı is at Kırçiçeği in Ortaköy. Somehow, I received the most lovely, golden, oozing egg on top of my pide. I used the crispy crust to dip into my egg. Amazing!

Kırçiçeği, which means wildflower in Turkish, has several locations in Istanbul as well as Izmir, Bodrum and Ankara. This family-owned company, originally from Aydın, has been open since 1985.

Now, I haven’t quite figured out how to say that I want the egg to be sunny side up like I had at Kırçiçeği. Can anyone advise what Turkish words I need to say when I order my pide next time?

Afiyet olsun!

Locations:

Karadeniz Pide Kebab ve Yemek Salonu

Ali Suavi Sokak (Şehit Ali Kerem Mergen Sokak)

Beşiktaş

Tel: +90 212 261 2347

Kırçiçeği

Mecidiye Mah.

Ortaköy Değirmenci Sokak No:41 (by the Starbucks)

Ortaköy

Tel: +90 212 260 3535

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