Turkish insider tricks!
by greenfarmer
English is not so popular language. So carry the hotel cards or cards or addresses of places where you want to go. As this will be handy when communicating with taxi drivers.
Beware of touts in Taksim. Actually they are the worst part of this place they are so bugging at times.
If you dont eat red meat (beef ) then please ask before consuming anything.
Chicken is not so rare to find. Veggies take some food along or it will be quite difficult for a longer stay.
Pizza hut in Taksim has veg pizzas also.
Be careful of things while in crowded places like taksim etc.
Best view of the Bosphorous?
by manuelEB
I was told this is the best view of Bosphorous. From the balcony of Topkapi. They say that there is not Kodak moment like this. I do agree. It should be the best Kodak moment but in the age of digital cameras...I guess there is in the neighborhood so many places where to
bring the beauty of the palace, the magnificent roof of mosques and the azure of Bosphorous in just one shot. Another fondest memory is the exchange of ratings. Sorry I meant the exchage of "shutters": I take your pic, you take mine. You will never get the pic you want but the exchange of smiles is great enough.
Balik Ekmek - Fish & Bread
by H-TownJourneyman
Along the Golden Horn on the Eminönü side, right next to the Galata Bridge, you will see several make-shift stands with vendors grilling fish. You will most likely also see a long line of people at these places. What they are waiting for is a delicious Balik Ekmek, or Fish & Bread sandwich. The sandwiches are very basic - a grilled fish fillet and onions placed in between 2 pieces of dry bread. And they are cheap, only a couple of New Lira. It's quite interesting sometimes how popular, and tasty for that matter, such a simple concept can be! Until recently, the local fisherman in the area used to dock their boats at the piers, then cook & sell the fish right off of their boats. This practice has been banned, but thankfully the yummy sandwiches are still here! Stop by and pick up one with a coke, have a seat in the grass, and enjoy one of Istanbul's simple pleasures! :)
Kiz Kulesi (Leander's Tower - Maiden Tower)
by hekate
When you go by a ferry from the Asiian to the European side or vice versa you will most probably go near to this tower. The so called Maiden's Tower. All I knew about it that there was a legend about a sultan who was trying to protect his loving daughter from a spell. So, now I am back I decided to look up for some more info and put it here for you.
So, here is the result:
Facts:
The Byzantine emperor Manuel Comnene (1143-1180) had two towers built, one on the shore where Topkapi Palace was later constructed, and the other where the Maiden's Tower stands today. Chains were drawn across the mouth of the strait between these two towers when Istanbul was attacked by enemy fleets. Sultan Mehmet II conquered Istanbul in 1453 and used these chains to enforce tax collection of ships passing from the Black Sea to Europe. There have been various changes over the centuries as a result of repairs and fires, and Kiz Kulsei was extensively renovated during the reign of Mahmud II when it took the form we see today.
Legends:
1 Option :)
The oldest story surrounds a young man named Leander who was drowned while swimming to reach to his lover Hera, a priestess who lived in the tower. Upon learning the fate of Leander, Hera threw herself into the water and so the two lovers were united at last in death.
2 Option :)
An emperor was told by a fortune teller that his daughter would perish by a snake bite. So, he put his beautiful daughter in the tower for security, but as fate would have it, a snake arrived in a basket of fruit and caused her tragic end.
Kariye Museum :(Church of...
by matza
Kariye Museum :(Church of St.Saviour in Chora) Kariye
Camii Sok.,Edirnekapi;Located near the ruins of the Byzantine walls.This 11th-century church-turned-museum
has a superb collection of biblically inspired murals,
mosaics,and frescoes,considered some of the most important of 14th-century Byzantine artwork known today. Closed Tues. Bus from TAKSIM to Edirnekapi no'87.
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Sights on the way to the airport
Painted-up Canturkaran houses....
Anastasis fresco in the half dome of the apse
Ortakoy/Buyuk Mecidiye Camii, Istanbul
