We strongly recommend you to try a fresh brewed cup of turkish coffee (Türk Kahvesi).
Not only because of its taste, but also because of its stimulating and refreshing effect.

Türkish coffee has a powder-like consistency, it’s more creamy than “German-style” filter coffee.
You can buy fresh high quality coffee here or somewhere else.

Things you need:

traditional coffee pot called (cezve)
Cezve is a special pot with a wide bottom, narrower neck and a long handle.
You can buy it nearly everywhere, just ask: “Cezve var mı?”

small coffee cups (fincan)
teaspoon
Turkish Coffee (Türk Kahvesi)
sugar

There are many expert opinions about how to brew a good turkish coffee.

We do it this way:

1. step
Add cold water first – use the small coffee cups to measure in your amounts.
Then add the coffee – about one teaspoon per cup.
Add some sugar – we add one and a half teaspoons of sugar for every cup, because we like it sweet.

2. step
After stirring the mixture of cold water, coffee and sugar start brewing it over a low heat.
Don’t stir anymore. Be patient and keep a watch on it.
As soon as the mixture starts to boil, it will foaming up fast. Remove the pot from the heat and let the foam settle down.

3. step
Again, return to heat until foam comes up again.
Remove it again and let the foam settle down.
Repeat this two or three times in order to preserve more foam.

Thats it.

Be sure that your Türk Kahvesi will be served with foam on top.

This our favourite coffeeshop where we buy our Türk Kahvesi.
Read more about how we make Türk Kahvesi.

İhsan Kurukahvecioğlu Halefleri
Tahmis Cad.
Hanı Altında No:36/B
Eminönü Istanbul

Selected soundscapes of a strange and awesome time in a strange and awesome place.

visit the Istanbul Audio Travel Log by entertainment for the braindead

Old 19th Century Map of Constantinople, modern day Istanbul

The mission of Old-Map-Blog is to compile images and maps and georeference them in order to let users experience the world as it was represented by people in the past.

You can find many other old maps there. Visit old-map-blog

„Balans“ is a club, a concert hall, a bar, a pub and a beerhouse – all in the same place. So we start in the begining, the entrance. Here, the Balans Bräu is brewed according to the Bavarian recipes in a Sudwerk, a copper boiler made by the German company Wachsmann. You may begin the evening with freshly tapped beer and good music and later procede to the next floor, club and concert hall, Jolly Joker Balans. Extraordinary decoration and a superb sound and lighting system. Here, you can enjoy regular concerts of the first-rate Turkish and international stars, but also the rising stars. In the upper floor (you can only get there with a lift), you will find a terrace, Balans Volt, where electronic music rules all. A very nice evening in the same place. One, two, three, Balans… And the party starts.

www.jollyjokerbalans.com
www.balansbrau.com

Ort: , Beyoglu

“The Metropolitan Railway of Constantinople from Galata to Pera” – this was the name of the today’s Tünel when it was constructed 1871. The underground train that runs all day long and has only two stations can get you from the Karaköy bank up to the Tünel Square (Tünel Meydani) at the end of the Istiklal Avenue (Istiklal Caddesi). The Tünel is open every day till 11pm and costs 1 lira (50 eurocent). On weekends and holidays, the times are different. This magnificent construction designed by a French engineer and built under the rule of an Ottoman sultan was decorated with beautiful tiles not long ago. The Tünel is the second-oldest underground railway after the London Underground and so – is really worth visiting.

Apart from the German Consulate General in Beyoglu, there is a summer residence of the German Ambassador, which is situated in the Tarabya. The spacious park was a gift to Germany and is now protected as an architectural monument. Here you can not only enjoy the beautiful view, the little wood and the military cemetery from the times of the WW1 and WW2, but also have a walk around or discover monuments from the old times. If you wish to visit the residence, you will have to get an official permission at the German Consulate General in Beyoglu. It is easy to get there from Besiktas with a dolmus.
Unluckily, it is forbidden to build there or to use the land otherwise. For this reason, Germany is considering giving up the wonderful piece of land, as it just can’t afford sustaining the whole of it anymore. Currently, different solutions are being discussed, like art projects, scholarships, and such. We are looking forward to know what happens next in Taraya.

Maybe it’s not for every gourmet’s taste, but we strongly recommend this combination of black mussels with rice, pine nuts, pepper, onion, and cinnamon. Perhaps not during the biggest heat in summer, but possibly in fall or winter, when the stuffed mussels, midye dolma, with lemon taste particularly good. If a midye street vendor seems suspicious to you, you can go to the fish market at the Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoglu (especially good: Vera Kokorec), where you can enjoy a mussel and passers-by while relaxing in a chair.
Mmm… yummie… mmmussel…

„Zencefil“ is a café and a restaurant that can satisfy any vegetarian. The word „Zencefil“ means „ginger“, which already hints at something healthy: fancy and delicious dishes prepared of vegetables, fruits, special kinds of oil and herbs (of course, organic) in a pleasant atmosphere of green, pink and purple. You could easily mistake it for a Green Party canteen. This place is a nice change in the „city of meat“.

Place: Kurabiye Sokak 3, Beyoğlu (almost parallel to Taksim)

In this busy city covered with concrete, you’ll be glad to find a green spot. We were happy to find the Macka Demokrasi Park (pronounced Matshka), not far from the transportation hub and shopping centre Taksim. The park is a quiet oasis where you can see trees, plants, as well as sculptures created by students and real love couples around. Unless you are acrophobic, you will enjoy the ride in a cable car. Otherwise you could just put your feet into the pool and relax from the chaos of the city. Lovely. Lovely and relaxing.

From now on, the definition „street cat in Istanbul“ has a totally new meaning. Right in front of our door, we created a street art ode to the swift creatures that shape the image of the city. The incorporated eyes are said to protect against „nazar“, i.e. against evil eye. Do cats eat bones? No. Well, it occurred to us too late.

The gentlemen from the New Model Army do the honours of playing in Istanbul, Beyoglu, on October 1. We are looking forward to them!

www.ghettoist.net

Originally, the Blue Mosque was supposed to be erected here. Today, the elite high school of Istanbul, Istanbul Erkek Lisesitakes, takes its place. Since the cultural convention between Germany and Turkey in 1957, both Turkish and German have been languages of instruction here. In this former building of the Administration de la Dette Publique Ottomane, you can attain the German abitur. Since 1964, the school is also open to the girls. After long, painstaking tests, only the strongest are chosen to study here.
This historic building hides its own secrets almost noone knows about. There is for example an underground cistern here. Christian symbols can be seen on its columns, which hints at the possibility that churches used to stand here. Also there is Istanbul’s oldest steam engine, with the help of which gold and money used to be melt here in the Ottoman times. It is said that there are some secret underground tunnels and corridors that can lead you even to the Golden Horn. Right through these corridors, riches and wealth were transported from and to the building. Of course, it is understandable that this state debts building was humiliation for the ruling sultan and an eyesore for the Ottoman Empire. That is why it was often airbrushed out of the pictures and postcards of that time. Out of sight, out of mind!

The young generation of Istanbul is totally crazy about the „American way of life“, especially when it comes to food. Although the Turkish cuisine has so many marvellous dishes to offer, the young prefer take-aways. Toasts, hamburgers, kebabs, pides, chips and other fast food products can satisfy your stomach for a few pennies. And to be earnest, it tastes damn good!

The current exhibition at the Pera Museum, our favourite, tells a story about media arts from Japan. Brilliant! We have rarely had so much fun at an interactive exhibition. A real pleasure of technology and precision.
The Japanese word „monozukuri“ means „creativity“ both in the development of technology and in the spiritual and sense, in the sense of art. This way, monozukuri combines the development of Japanese industry with the modern lived culture as an integrated part of a lifestyle. We were fascinated by the examples of the industrial and mass products as installations, by the used media and technology at the exhibition. Wow! You can visit the exhibition till October 3.
www.peramuzesi.org.tr

The Tomtom quarter in the shape of a cross in Beyoglu is known for its parties. In „Indigo“ you can enjoy electronic music. The sounds of house, deep house and techno flow through the night and end only at dawn. Sven Väth, Paul Kalkbrenner and their colleagues are often DJs here. If you like tough stuff, then it’s your place. This also concerns the interior of the club.
www.livingindigo.com
Somewhere near, you can find the „Garaj Istanbul“. This old garage was redesigned into a stage, concert hall and club and is more alternativ, rock-style and looks a little rougher.
www.garajistanbul.org
Moreover, there are various cute bars, restaurants, pubs and studios hidden in the narrow streets. It all makes the Tomtom quarter special, slightly rough and still somehow familiar. Just like a family, tough but hearty.
www.tomtomsokak.com

Place: Tomtom Mahallesi, Akarsu,Tosbağa & Acara Sokak, Beyoğlu

In the Roman times, Constantine the Great started the construction of the aqueduct that was later completed by the emperor Valens 378 AD. What remains today is the bridge of about 800 metres that crosses the Atatürk boulevard. If you drive from the Atatürk airport, you will not get around it, but you will definitely drive underneath.

The key to every kind of transport: the akbil. Whether with a ferry, a city bus, a tram, a train, the tünel or metro, the akbil makes it easier and faster. It is not exactly cheaper, but it’s convenient, and you can buy it at every akbil satis station for 6 liras (about 3 euros). However, taxis, dolmuses (minibuses) and the blue minibuses work only with cash.

Numerous nations used to live in Istanbul in different times. Naturally, they left their traces in the city. The cultural heritage of Istanbul is quite well protected and is being continuosly enriched. It is obvious in all corners of the city. Sometimes churches, synagogues and mosques are a little hidden or overlap each other, so that you have to look for them somewhere in the backyards. We discovered this Armenian church in Kadiköy. You can find this inconspicuous chapel not far from the „Dolmus“ share taxi between the fish market and the shore.

The company „Autoban“ has nothing to do with the German highway, although the sign is very similar. It rather symbolizes the speed with which the company is growing. In two years, the small interior and architecture design team of two has become a prestigious design empire. Various hotels, cafés and bars were designed and equipped in Istanbul, as for instance the “Güllüoglu Karaköy” / Güllüoglu Karaköy*. In its showroom in the Mesrutiyet Caddesi, “Autoban” presents truly beautiful pieces. Those who own some more pocket change and prefer to ignore the Ikea style (btw there are three Ikeas in Istanbul) can buy something nice for his or her home here.

http://www.autoban212.com/

The yellow minibuses (pronounced „dólmoosh“) that adorn the streets of Istanbul is another story. The speedy yellow dolmuses start from every possible spot in the city, pass any narrow space, stop wherever you wish, run always and everywhere. For instance, if it’s midnight and you missed the last ferry to the European or Asian bank, the yellow angels will save you for little money, as they run all night long. There are no visible bus stops, so you have to ask your way. Not far from the Taksim square, for example, you will find a dolmus to Kadiköy for 6 liras (3 euros), and it runs day and night. The rule here is the same: ask your way, stop a dolmus like a taxi with a stretched hand, if you want to get in, aks for the price from A to B, pay your fare or give the money to your neighbour who will pass it to another and then to the driver (every driver has his own way to store the money – see the picture) and as soon as you wish to get off, shout „Musait bir yerde!“.

Our favourite café in Cihangir is Babel. You can hardly get such a friendly welcome as here. It’s all thanks to the waiter. Tea and coffee always tastes fresh (good coffee is very hard to find here) and magnificent music mesmerizes the steet in Cihangir and turns it into a huge theatre stage where the hustle and bustle never ends. From 4 pm you can get a plate with delicious appetizer. If you are in Cihangir, Café Babel is a must!

location: Turnacibasi Caddesi No.56, Cihangir / Beyoglu

Pros: the blue minibuses are fast, stop everywhere, as long as you stretch your hand to stop it, and you can read the route on both windows, left and right. Moreover, it is really cheap. Cons: the drivers are crazy, they honk all the time, you don’t know what it costs and no one knows what these buses are called. Solution: you can’t change the style of the driver, and neither the traffic style, also the honking is just part of the game. But one thing is still important, and it is also useful for the yellow minibuses: you ask about the fare from A to B and give the money to the neighbour who then passes it forward, till the driver gets it. That also means, that you can as well be the one who passes the money of other passengers and also their wishes to get off (depending on where you sit). And that is a true adventure that sometimes takes place inside of a bus. So, if you are in and suddenly you see something interesting, you just shout „müsait bir yerde“ and the door opens. No matter where. The stops don’t exist. Just the start and the end point.

You can find this gallery on the left side on the way from the Tünel to the Galata Tower. It exhibits design objects, posters, toys and accessoires that can also be bought. Lovely! – that’s what comes to our mind. We highly recommend milk, the more the better! Always Tuesday till Friday from 1 to 7pm.
Location: Galip Dede Caddesi / Balkon Çıkmazı 8/A, Beyoglu

http://shop.whatismilk.com/

The Sultanahmet quarter has many virtues and one of them is a historic meatballs diner “Sultanahmet Köftecisi”. Here, meatballs taste the best, for already every Tom, Dick and Harry had some lunch at this place. You can see that at the walls that are covered with pictures and messages written on napkins. If you are travelling by tram, your stop is “Sultanahmet – Blue Mosque” – you can’t miss the köfte for 10 liras.

Recently, two new fashion shops for men and women have opened in the Galata quarter not far from the Galata Tower. Paristexas and Laundromat produce some pieces of clothes themselves, the rest is from somewhere else, and they also support young fashion designers. Even if the garments are quite expensive (starting from 200 liras), it is worth a visit, as extravagance has no boundaries here.

Our white cat is totally relaxed. It’s chillin’. We still don’t know if it is a he or a she. Actually it doesn’t matter. Let’s call it she. Every time she surprises us with a new posture. She makes us happy every time we see her while leaving our house or coming back. She must have seen quite a bit in her life, so that nothing can disturb her anymore.

If you are in the Orient, you have to try a water pipe – here it’s called narghile. The question is: where? At the coast, near the water might be the right choice, but where? Under the Galata Bridge, there are many narghile bars, cafés and restaurants that offer their extremely friendly service. Unluckily, the music there is so loud that the smoke from narghile gets stuck in your throat, which is the case in every single bar along the bridge. At the same time, the atmosphere of the Golden Horn is so lovely, oriental and meditative. So why do they play this loud Eurodance music or much too loud live music instead of just enjoying what they already have? Sometimes, people don’t value what they have. A giraffe wants the stripes, a parrot wants to swim and the Galata Bridge wants loud Eurodance music. It is great to have a stroll along the bridge, but sitting there will become pain the… head.

Alice in Wonderland and Neo from Matrix would start looking around, if they met our street cat. This chubby white Garfield roams around our neighbourhood and keeps the dogs away. This is why everyone loves him, this white Garfield, the Don of the Streets. He is always relaxed, but he misses nothing that is happening. He knows every house and every hallway. He knows everyone in our neighbourhood. It’s nice to be his neighbour.

Bakirköy is situated on the European side of Istanbul und is actually completely ordinary. If you live in Istanbul, you associate the word „Bakirköy“ either with a huge weekly market (on Saturdays) or with a psychiatric hospital. You can easily see the market from the tram stop Bakriköy.

You are in Istanbul and you left your German book at home? You are looking for German literature? No problem – you can buy another one here, at the Türk Alman Kitabevi, the Turkish-German bookstore. However this shop in the Istiklal Avenue at the Tünel (underground railway) is not only a shop, but also a place where you can find or place an advertisement. Here you can find a room, a language course, a piece of furniture, a job and many other things.

Istiklal Cadessi 481
Beyoğlu – Istanbul

www.tak.com.tr

This is the Galata Tower, this favourite viewing platform, tourist magnet, landmark and meeting point in Galata. Every day, loads of tourists whiz around and on this tower. From Galata kulesi, you can have a wonderful 360° view of Istanbul. It was built between 1348 and 1349 and was initially used by the Genoese settlers as a bastion. From the 16th century it was used as a watch tower and during the Ottoman rule up to the 1960-ies as a fire station. Later, the tower was restored, equipped with a lift and opened to the public. On top of the tower, there is a restaurant, but we haven’t been there yet.

A legend says that Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi flew from the Galata Tower over Bosphorus reaching Üsküdar on the Asian side in 1638. His brother, Lagari Hasan Çelebi, is said to have been on a first manned flight.

The official website of the Galata kulesi
www.galatatower.net

We constantly come across these yellow fists in Beyoğlu and in other parts of the city.

We came to know the Büyük Londra Oteli in 2008 and 2009 when we first visited Istanbul together. As one of the first and oldest hotels in Istanbul – it was opened in 1892 – the Büyük Londra Oteli is probably the most famous one. It has possibly the most stories to tell and its furniture is for sure the oldest. Agatha Christie and Ernest Hemingway used to stay here, in the rooms that seem to have stayed like that till now. Since Fatih Akin’s film „Head-On“ („Gegen die Wand“) the Büyük Londra Oteli has become a cult classic.

Tel.: (90) 212 2450670 oder (90) 212 2931619

Mesrutiyet Caddesi. No: 53
34430 Beyoglu / Istanbul

londra@londrahotel.net
www.londrahotel.net

The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art is situated in Beyoğlu, in Karaköy quarter, right at the Bosphorus shore. Though the building itself looks unremarkable, the museum is an important address for art lovers in Istanbul.

Meclis-i Mebusan Ave. Liman İşletmeleri
Sahası Antrepo No:4 Karaköy – ISTANBUL

Phone: 0 212 334 73 00
Fax: 0 212 243 43 19
E-Mail: info@istanbulmodern.org

www.istanbulmodern.org

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We found this boss-dog of Istanbul somewhere in Beyoğlu. It was sitting proudly on the balcony of his residence, a half-ruin in the middle of the old city. Sometimes it’s worthwhile to look up while strolling in the streets.