istanbul
by brazzi
i have just returned from my first visit to Istanbul,and had as i allways have when travelling to new destinations,in the back of my mind whatch out for this area watch out for this person.
i allways go to places with an open mind,(but still aware).i found Istanbul and its people at least the ones i met,to be excellent hosts.
any area i went to,(and i go to the places people dont recomend)i did not have any problems,in fact the opposite locals went out of their way to help.
even the rough looking doormen trying to get people into their clubs,because they had lots of girls,were apologetic and helpful when i told them i was happily married for 30+ years and had 5 girls at home allready,and i was just looking for a local bar for a quiet beer.
Istanbul surprised me because it was the opposite of what i had heard from reviews,(these people must live sheltered lives).there might be unsavoury characters but the same as everywhere,where else would a taxi driver show you to bus stop 50 metres away to get you on your way.
I look forward to my next trip.
Smoke a narguile!
by Svillegas
It's a huge pipe when you can put uncountable varyties of tobacco: mint, chocolate, strawberry, cherry, banana, peach, etc. It doesn't cointain any physicotropical substances so, don't worrry about it.
But try to avoid the masses of tourist that do that, next to Buhara Hotel (see my accomodation page) there's an small and peaceful tea saloon when you can enjoy it with the magnific treat of their owners and workers, I'm sorry but I don't remember the name of the place.
You can find as well some places where you can see a show as well, like for example “derviches” dancing. It is not real, and it’s done for the tourists to have a nice time, but it’s nice to see it. This photograph is from the Mesala cafe (near the blue mosque, in a small baazar).
Caddebostan Balikadamlar sports club
by Tdiver
Just around the corner from me and where my wife learned to dive.Great student courses available with a great bunch of people.Courses run from April-October.Diving usually in the pool,on the nearby islands and at Ibrice,near Gallipoli. Everything you need is rentable.
Beaches around Istanbul/Sile
by traveloturc
The beaches in the Anatolian side are situated in a place named Sile.(pronounciation Shelai)
This is a lovely resort town on the Black Sea coast, 50 km from Uskudar. The famous, extensive beaches of Sile are reached partly by a motorway, and partly by a narrow road winding through the forest. The small fishermen's' harbor, the ruins of a Genoese fortress and the lighthouse are worth seeing. To the west of the village the beaches extend uninterrupted, and to the east there are a series of small, sandy bays. The summer months are quite crowded and lively, and accommodation is readily available in the numerous hotels and pensions.
Carpets
by hekate about ER & NE & MET
I should say that I had visited the ER & NE & MET carpet shop dring my previous visit to Istanbul back in April 2002.
So, the info I am giving could be a bit outdated. However, the fact that they still have their web-site gives me hopes that what I have to say about this place might still be valid :)
Probably you are wondering how did I get there on first place. Well, me and a friend of mine - American boy were walking around Sultanahmet area and we wanted to see the Blue Mosque.
When we were about to enter the yard a young boy approached us and offered us something like a guided tur for free. The only thing we had to do is to go to his shop afterwards, no obligation to buy - just to look around :)))
We went to the shop with the intention only to look around but after drinking a couple of glasses of apple tea and stearing at endless number of carpets and rugs my friend finally bought one.
I should say the service was really good and they were treating us extreemly nice even though we made it clear we can not afford to spend too much. The guy who showed us around the Blue Mosque even took us out for dinner :) ER & NE & MET are specialised in seling rugs, carpets and kilims, both old and new.
There is an impressive variety of carpets from different regions but I think mostly from Anatolia. As far as remeber it was a family run business and their origin was from Anatolia although I am not quite sure because it was a long time ago.
Note:
I do not have a picture from the shop, so I borrowed one from their site. It really looked like that :) Well, I think the price is highly negotiable and it depend on the quality and the size.
The god new is that they offer free delivery with international courriers all over the world in a week or 10 days.
What actually convinced my friend to buy the rug was the fact that he could pay with is credit card. The accept all well-known credit cards.
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Ottoman march band
Streets of Istanbul
Views down from the 1st floor balcony
"Evil Eye" souvenirs for sale
