Istanbul Travel Blog

I had started writing a new series about the markets of Istanbul. In that article I had already briefly touched upon the Beşiktaş Fish Market. This is a tiny little fish bazaar, in the middle of the commercial Beşiktaş. The fish market of Besiktas is pretty concise, but you can still find fresh...

Sabahattin is a Turkish name like David, Jack, Joey etc. “Balıkçı”, on the other hand, means fisherman in Turkish; and when you refer to someone as balıkçı, you are usually doing so in a sympathetic way, evoking not just their profession, but solid character as well. The image of balıkçıs...

I have already discussed the importance of fish and the role of fish restaurants in the traditional Turkish lifestyle. Here, in this post, I would like to refer to some of the finest fish restaurants in the city, where you too can experience the Turkish style of dining on fish. This list comprises both...

I was unable to check out Istanbul over the last weekend, because I was weekend-tripping over at Çeşme, İzmir – a lovely place to get away for the weekend during summer (also in winter). Weekend-tripping to Izmir is quite easy and only moderately expensive if you plan in advance. There are three...

A cozy, off the beaten path, fish restaurant near the railway in Bostancı on the Asian continent… Not easily reached, you will definitely need to hail a taxi or go with your local buddy. However, once you are there, one thing that you immediately notice is the “local” atmosphere. Frequenters...

I will be recounting exactly what a Turkish friend of mine, yet also a tourist friend of mine, did on last Sunday in Bebek. It was tiring, yet nevertheless very very enjoyable; and is also the only way to enjoy Bebek in my opinion. It might be useful first to explain why and how this friend is both a...

This weeks “local picks” series features a 51 years old, former engineer, now a freelance career and life coach Burçin Gökçe. Ms. Gökçe is an engineer, who pursued an active and fulfilling career until her mid 40s. After 2005, she decided to take a respite from a life of 24/7 work and...

I realize how funny the title to this entry may read to some of my readers. You may be thinking to yourselves “with fork and knife of course” and I cannot blame you. This entry is not going to shatter your belief system either. However, I do feel that there is a need to explain further and...