I have to admit, I am not a very good tourist. Sure, I can appreciate a monument, a museum or a statue but the thought of waiting in line for hours with hundreds of other tourists just to shuffle past something quickly while trying to take a quick photo is not my idea of exploring a city and getting a feel for the place.
Of course in Istanbul I visited the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace and while they were exceptionally beautiful these places seem to have lost a part of their soul as day after day they fill with hoards of tourists trying to get an average photo before heading onto the next monument. It is hard to be drawn back in time when people are nudging past you snapping you back to the present moment.
A good ratio for me is perhaps 15% sightseeing and 85% wandering around aimlessly getting lost in alleys and souks with a good chunk of eating and a touch of shopping.
This is not a thorough guide to Istanbul. It is just a tiny taste of what I discovered in a mere 3 days in this sprawling metropolis. Also, I found that Istanbul can be super expensive so this could be helpful if you’re watching your pennies.
If there is one thing you try, make it Künefe. I hunted it down after catching a glimpse of this stringy food being cooked in a metal dish on a charcoal grill. I had no idea if it was sweet or savoury so we ordered it before a chicken dish much to the surprise of our waiter. It is of course, a desert. Made from shredded dough and a shredded cheese (likened to unsalted mozzarella) cooked over coal in a metal dish, doused with hot sweet syrup and liberally dusted in crushed pistachios. It was utterly delicious. So delicious that my two friends (one a coeliac and the other allergic to gluten) ordered their own to share, devoured it and agreed to not discuss what had just happened.
For a quick, fresh lunch head down to Eminonu pier for a fish sandwich. The fish (I think it’s Mackerel) is grilled on floating barges and served in a chunk of white bread with some onion and lettuce. Liberally squeeze lemon juice over your fish and voila! A tasty lunch in a bustling little spot for 6 Turkish Lira. For the brave among you there is also a bright red vinegary pickle juice available to drink. I however, was not feeling brave that day.
In the heat of the Turkish summer the perfect place to escape and recoup is to a tea garden. A tea garden usually implies Shisha by the way! We stumbled upon one in Sultanahmet behind a beautiful little old cemetery. I am not sure of the name but if you follow the tram line up the hill from Sultanahmet station you will see the cemetery on a corner on the right hand side and the tea garden adjoining.
Clusters of tables and chairs are found on a raised deck shaded by big beautiful trees and awnings. A true little oasis from the chaos. We seemed to be the only foreigners there the few times we visited so it really felt like we had stumbled upon a little secret. All the usual things are available on the menu but at a fraction of the price of cafes just across the street. Turkish tea for 1 Lira, Turkish coffee for 3 and most importantly Shisha for 12 Lira. If you are staying in the area it is well worth a pit stop.
Of course you need to explore the souks while you are in Istanbul and visit as many sweet shops as possible. There is also the Istanbul Modern Art Museum in a beautiful location on the water.
Lastly, this is a photo of the beautiful coffee cups I bought. I instantly fell in love with them when I had a ridiculously overpriced coffee in the souk. Thankfully I found them for sale and was able to add them to my ever-growing collection of drink ware from around the world. Aren’t they lovely?!
my food atlas 