BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

Beyoglu is a brief and magical ferry ride across the Golden Horn from the old city’s Eminonu docks to Karakoy.

The waterfront area follows the Golden Horn to its mouth off the Bosphorus.

Dozens of street vendors set up, serving tea, coffee, snacks…or playing solo or in a band – to earn the tips of locals and visitors.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

Karakoy is a former docklands area that was far off the tourist path and somewhat sketchy.

Now it is lined with pricey hipster joints open late each night.

There are lots of nargile joints in this part of Beyoglu.

The food can range from modern gourmet burgers to old time Turkish street food such as kumpir.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

A durum is a Turkish wrap that is usually filled with typical doner kebab ingredients.

This place, open since 1969, specializes in chicken, lamb and adana.

The wrap is made from lavash or yufka flatbreads.

Durum is a common street food in Turkey, especially beloved late at night.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

While more than a few churches have been converted into mosques in Islamic Turkey, cathedrals, synagogues and churches – orthodox and modern, do remain.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

In 19th-century,  a traditional tram trundled along the Grande Rue de Pera connecting Taksim Square Glatasaray and Tunel Square.  

The tram was taken out of service in 1961, replaced by buses.

After Pera became Istiklal Caddesi, a pedestrian zone, the Nostalgic Tram was restored and revived in 1990.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

The Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex is located in the Tophane neighborhood in Beyoglu.

It consists of a mosque, medrese, hamam, turbe and fountain.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

The Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex is a mosque complex designed and built between 1580 and 1587.

It was designed by Mimar Sinan, who at the time was in his 90s.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

Travel to any town in Turkey and you are sure to find a tea garden.

In the larger cities and touristic regions, tea houses welcome the young and old, as well as many foreigners.

Tea gardens gained popularity in the 1950s, especially in Istanbul, and were the place where families went for their social outings.

This garden in Beyoglu overlooks the Bosphorus.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

Beyoglu includes a mix of stylish bohemian districts such as Çukurcuma and Cihangir, Galata and Karaköy. 

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

Beyoglu comes alive in warmer weather with countless outdoor cafes.

The cuisine, culture, vibe and atmosphere rivals the best of Paris or New York.

And the fare costs but a third or half of what it would in those pricy cites.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

The backstreets of Beyoglu lend themselves to murals and other artsy activity.

Alleys often have bohemian coffee shops, clubs and little hole in the wall eating/drinking establishments.

Lower rents off the beaten path support all kinds of creative shops.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

  THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

Dondurma typically includes cream, whipped cream, sugar and salep (ground up tuber of orchid) and mastic (plant resin).

Two qualities distinguish Turkish ice cream: hard texture and resistance to melting, brought on by thickening agents that make it chewy.

Dondurma is commonly sold from street vendor carts and store fronts.

The mixture is churned regularly with long-handled paddles to keep it workable.

Vendors often tease the customer by serving the ice cream cone on a stick, and then taking away the dondurma with the stick by rotating it around, before finally giving it to the customer.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

 THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

Opened in 1876, Çiçek Pasajı is a covered arcade with rows of historic cafes, winehouses and restaurants.

Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, many impoverished noble Russian women, including a Baroness, sold flowers in the arcade, giving the arcade it’s modern Turkish name of Çiçek Pasajı (Flower Passage).

After the restoration of the building in 1988, it was reopened as a galleria of pubs and restaurants.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

 THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

The main thoroughfare is Istiklal Caddesi running into the neighborhood from Taksim Square to Tunel.

It is a pedestrian-only mile of shops, cafés, patisseries, restaurants, pubs and clubs.

It also features bookshops, theatres, cinemas and art galleries.

Some of İstiklâl Avenue has a 19th-century metropolitan character.

It is lined with Art Nouveau and Neoclassical buildings.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

 THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

In 1348 the Genoese built Galata Tower, one of the most prominent landmarks of Istanbul.

Pera (Galata) remained under Genoese control until May 29, 1453, when it was conquered by the Ottomans, along with the rest of the city, in the Siege of Constantinople.

BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

 THE EUROPEAN "NEW TOWN" ACROSS THE GOLDEN HORN

Beyoğlu is the most active art, entertainment and nightlife center of Istanbul

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

THE SIMIT, SO MUCH MORE THAN A TURKISH BAGEL

Over the years, the New York-style bagel has come to dominate breakfast buffets and brunch tables, but it is far from the only style of bagel out there.

If you look back at the history of the bagel, you'll find many ancient bagels that served as predecessors to the modern bagel. One of the oldest bagels, dating back to the Ottoman Empire, is the Turkish bagel, called a simit. But what is a Turkish bagel? 

"The simit is a traditional Turkish street food and breakfast item that originates in Turkey but is popular throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean," explains Zulfikar Bekar, president of Simit + Smith, a Turkish bakery and cafe that's based in New York City. "Many people grab simits during the morning rush hour on their way to work as it is simple, affordable, flavorful, and nutritious." 

So far, so bagel. But the form factor might be where the similarities between the New York-style and Turkish bagels end, because there are some pretty significant differences between a New York and Turkish bagel when it comes to taste and texture.

The simit, for example, is sweeter than a classic New York-style bagel, and the texture couldn't be more opposite. While a New York-style bagel is known for its thick crust and dense, chewy interior, a simit is lighter and less doughy, though still crisp on the outside.

There's also a signature sweetness to a simit, which comes from the addition of pekmez, which Bekar describes as "a molasses-like syrup." It's made from the boiled down juices of fruits, most commonly grapes but sometimes mulberries, apples, plums, and pears, and it's a standard Turkish breakfast ingredient. The dough, once rolled out into rings, is dipped into the pekmez, which gives the pastry its signature crispiness once baked.

After the excess molasses drips off the bagel, the whole thing is rolled in sesame seeds and baked in the oven for 30 minutes. There's no boiling, as with either New York- or Montreal-style bagels, which makes the whole process a little simpler.

Even though it's a little bit different from the New York-style bagel you know and love, the simit is still a perfect choice for breakfast, either savory or sweet.

"It is often consumed with tea or coffee and with a spread like feta, cream cheese, or jam," says Bekar. Simit + Smith even makes so-called Simitwiches, or sandwiches on simits, so don't be scared to try a bacon, egg, and cheese on it, either. 

Because even though these simits have been served for breakfast for centuries, and are very different from their North American predecessors, there's no reason Turkish bagels can't get the New York treatment, too.

--Courtesy of ExtraCrispy.com

http://www.extracrispy.com/culture/1244/whats-the-difference-between-a-new-york-and-a-turkish-bagel

POIGNANT MESSAGE ON THE BACKSTREETS OF BEYOGLU, ISTANBUL

GOT $ FOR WARS, CAN'T FEED THE POOR

Paused to take a picture of a bakery opening to sell special loaves for Ramazan, when I saw this 60s-looking street art.

Wish I could share the back story, but I don't know it.

Certainly, in times of Trump and other leaders who corrupted elections to deny democracy while edging toward dictatorship, a poignant piece of art.

Ironic that it's on a street, named for a general who fought both for the Ottoman Empire and in the war of Turkish Independence.

Wonder if the artist did that on purpose, or if was just a blank wall big enough to host his political message in the form of eye-catching street art.

OTTOMAN HOUSES NEAR CHORA CHURCH

COLORFUL WOODEN HOUSES BY CHORA CHURCH

Istanbul is still a magical place.

But it is losing many of its old wooden houses to fires, neglect and over development.

Thankfully, some architects, designers and history buffs are buying and restoring the great Ottoman-style homes.

THE STORIES THIS OLD OTTOMAN DOWAGER COULD TELL

EMINONU, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

This ancient, flower-motif building is striking, if not somewhat neglected.

It sits in a prominent position, a stone's throw from both the Spice (Egyptian) Market and the New Mosque.

Footsteps from the grand Legacy Ottoman Hotel, it also is just up a ridge from the Eminonu ferry docks that serve the Golden Horn and Bosphorus.