Further distractions

Bazaar Quarter
Istanbul’s bazaar quarter stretches from the famous Kapali Carsi (Covered or Grand Bazaar) in Beyazit down to the Misir Carsisi (Spice Bazaar) near the harbor in Eminonu. The Grand Bazaar itself was begun shortly after the Conquest in 1453 and contained the slave market. It was also the location for the ‘hans’ or caravanserais of old, where Silk Road traders could rest themselves and their camels, as well as sell their wares. Most of these are sweatshops today but they are still fascinating. The Grand Bazaar covers 30 hectares (75 acres), encompasses over 60 streets, boasts over 4000 shops that sell everything, including antiques, glass, ceramics, textiles, leather and furs, kilims, gold and silver, and even incorporates two mosques. It is a huge enterprise and as such very touristy – it even has its own website (http://www.grand-bazaar.com). In contrast, the Spice Market is about a fifth of the size, filled with rich scents of coffee, vanilla, cloves from Zanzibar and scented oils from Egypt. It is, however, a major stop on the tourist trail and hassle from touts can be wearing. Near the Spice Bazaar, the areas behind Yeni Camii (nicknamed ‘Pigeon Mosque’ for the number of seed sellers) and the warren of streets in the Tahtakale/Uzuncarsi area behind and east of the Spice Market, are also bustling with local craftspeople and traders. Both of the main bazaars are closed on Sunday. However, even on Sundays, the area in front of the Spice Bazaar is crammed with street sellers and Istanbul University’s square has numerous book bazaars and a flea market.

Beyazit to Eminonu Harbor
Transport: Tram to Beyazit, Universite or Sirkeci.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0700-1900.

Art Nouveau in Beyoglu
Starting from the historic neighborhood around the Galata Tower and running up as far as Taksim Square, Beyoglu is and has always been the foreign quarter and the scene of the city’s ballrooms, theatres and nightlife. It reached its peak in the mid- to late 19th century, along the gas-lit ‘Grande Rue de Pera’ (now Istiklal Caddesi), the centerpiece for an Art Nouveau Belle Epoque. French was spoken, top hats and tails required in the now boisterous Cicek Passage and dispossessed Russian princesses arrived in droves to teach ballet and open restaurants. The Pera Palas Hotel was built to house visitors arriving on the Orient Express, which was completed in 1889. Today, visitors need to look carefully to see the remains of the Art Nouveau era in Istanbul but it is well worth the effort, for example the Botter House next to the Swedish Embassy at the Tunel end of Istiklal Caddesi, with its propellor-like projecting daisies. The mile-long pedestrian street, Istiklal Caddesi, was once a swish European quarter and the evidence is still there, especially in the old passages that still retain much of their original architectural charm and caryatids, although many are now home to art cinemas, music shops and bars. If walking from Tunel to Taksim Square, up Istiklal Caddesi, noteworthy buildings are the Tunel Passage across from the Tunel tram stop, the Syrian Passage at number 346, the Alhamra at number 258 (now home to a contemporary art gallery), the Alkazar at number 179, the Aleppo at number 138, the Emek at number 124, which used to house an exclusive private club and the Cite Roumelie at number 88.

Istiklal Caddesi, Beyoglu
Transport: Tram to Tunel or Taksim.

Divan Edebiyati Muzesi (Galata Mevlevihane or Whirling Dervish Monastery)
The whirling dervishes are a mystic sect only nominally connected to Islam and as such have often found themselves at odds with both government and religious establishments. Dervish orders were banned in the early days of the Republic and thus officially this monastery is the Museum of Classical Ottoman Poetry and Musical Instruments. But many youthful, co-ed ‘new age’ dervishes still gather here and perform their ritual dance (sema) for visitors on the last Sunday of each month and more often in summer, for a small donation, as well as during the Mevlevi festival in the week of 17 December. The music that accompanies the ritual is hauntingly beautiful and CDs can be purchased on the premises.

Galip Dede Sokak 15
Tel: (212) 243 5045 or 245 4141.
Transport: Tram to Tunel.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0930-1630.