In Istanbul, there are many outside spots where you can enjoy sipping your
tulip-like glass of hot çay along the Bosphorus.
The breathtaking views along the Bosphorus never gets old to
me! I love watching the boats pass by, men fishing along the Galata Bridge and
families strolling along the waterfront.
My husband and I recently discovered a new location to drink
our çay along the
Bosphorus. One Sunday afternoon, we took a 10-minute ferryboat ride from Beşiktaş
to Üsküdar – the
quickest way to travel from Europe to Asia.
 |
| The seagulls soar right along the ferryboats. |
Here,
the vibe of the city instantly changes. The district of Üsküdar, Istanbul's
oldest-established residential suburb, has a more relaxed atmosphere as well as
being home to more traditional Turkish families. We saw few women who weren’t
wearing headscarves and long trench coats.
 |
| Daily life in Üsküdar in Istanbul. |
Along
Üsküdar’s waterfront, the area is bustling with activity. Boats are arriving
and departing about every 10 minutes. We strolled a bit through Üsküdar and
then decided to follow the crowd along the waterfront.
Note:
there are several mosques and a nice market area in Üsküdar that’s worth
exploring if you have time.
After a
15-minute walk along the promenade south of Üsküdar, we discovered a busy çay
bahçesi (tea garden) with one of the
best views of Sultanahmet
and the Kiz Kulesi (Maiden’s
Tower). This small tower off the coast has existed since Byzantine times. You
also can see the Topkapı Palace, Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque,
the Dolmabahçe Palace along the European shore.
 |
| At first, I tried to hold my çay and take a photo at the same time. To the left is the Kiz Kulesi (Maiden's Tower) and Sultanahmet is in the far background. |
This çay
bahçesi is filled with wooden benches and stretches along the
Bosphorus towards the bus station at Harem. We pulled up a front-row seat,
ordered our çay
and spent an hour both reading our books.
 |
| A view of the tea garden and it's bleacher-like seating. |
At 2 tl per glass of çay and 1 tl for a
simit, this is a very cheap way to spend the afternoon. Plus, the
Bosphorus view is priceless!
Where is your favorite location
to enjoy the Bosphorus view in Istanbul?
 |
| Fisherman along the promenade near Üsküdar in Istanbul. |
11 comments:
Someone here has just recommended what I think must be this place to us for çay because of the views. Looks lovely.
Beautiful post,pictures,sad story about Kiz kulesi history , and great Istanbul..my last post is too from Istanbul:)Regards from Serbia
The view and place sounds great....I love drinking cay at any place watching the view of the Bosphorus. Glad you had an enjoyable time and yes the simit and cay is not too expensive.
Love the cay and kiz kulesi photo! I wish I could live in that kule :-)
@Julia, thanks again for the RT! One of these days, you guys definitely need to check out this area. =)
@Tina, Thanks for stopping by! Just checked out your blog as well. Looks like you and your friends had fun exploring around Istanbul during your recent visit!
@Erica (Irene) and Deniz Bevan, thank you both! Gotta love the Bosphorus - it's almost mesmerizing! I took the bus along the shore road from Kabatas to Yenikoy and loved watching the water pass me by today.
Super pics!!
@Claudia, Çok teşekkür ederim! The city is an amazing subject to work with! =)
Oh my goodness, I need to get back there again someday! Great post, as usual. And wow, looking that these pics you've posted... the Bosphorus is so amazing!! Thank you again for opening my eyes to how beautiful Istanbul is, Joy. Enchanted forever. ; )
@Becca, thanks my friend! I certainly was happy to share my city with you and Matt. And of course, we'd be happy to host you again.
On my next trip, hope to make it to Uskudar. I'd like to see several places there, including the Florence Nightingale museum. Silly me, as a child I read stories about "the lady with the lamp" and always assumed the horrible hospital she encountered was in Crimea. She never got past Scutari (Uskudar). An amazing lady for her time, and lucky that she got to live in Turkey for a while (although I am sure that was NOT a pleasure trip). Love the Asian side, especially Kadikoy but I know there is a lot more to discover.
@Mary, Uskudar is definitely worth visiting and exploring! I've never been to the museum, but I'm sure it would be worth it. I love that you can travel from Besiktas to Uskudar in about 10 minutes!
Post a Comment