Istanbul’s Travel Stops

Every season in Istanbul is beautiful, but its spring is different. Spring is the season when purple clusters, redbuds bloom and blue and green spread throughout the city. We’re not just saying this. Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, one of the valuable names of Turkish literature, talks about Istanbul and its fascinating spring in his book called “Five Cities”; ‘It is born on the horizon of our cities every spring, drunk and colorful like a Dionyssos dream. As if it wanted to let you know that the world has changed again, that nature has woken up from its heavy sleep, richly and wastefully adorns the surroundings and sings the song of spring. On the city walls of Istanbul, there is a small mosque that looks like a broken piece of a very old morning prayer, and there is a judas tree that sprang up alone between the ruined walls of Manavkadı Mosque, which, since the day they showed me, I visit it once every spring, which gives the feeling of being gathered in the mornings of this city. I used to watch the oil lamps with drowsy eyes. Among the ruined and neglected heirlooms of the past and the dead sleeping around it, this Judas tree is a symbol of an eternal desire, an ever-renewing flow of life for me, and this is felt by its gentle stance that dominates the landscape….’

Let’s create a wonderful travel route in Istanbul that is as impressive as redbuds and wisteria this spring!

 

1. Kuzguncuk

Kuzguncuk, which was once called Kosinitza, is one of the first settlements of Istanbul. In fact, according to many sources, it is rumored that its old name was “Hrisokeramos” meaning “Golden Tile” and that this name came from a church whose roof was covered with gilded tiles. Kuzguncuk, known as the tolerance district of Istanbul, hosted many important names such as Ali Fuat Cebesoy and hosted a valuable guest such as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. This district, which preserves its historical structure, is a breathtaking Bosphorus district with its wooden houses, mansions, huge plane trees and fertile orchards. Although it has started to lose its former inhabitants gradually, for centuries it has been known as a district where people of different beliefs have lived together in peace and tranquility for centuries. As Nazım Hikmet, who spent his childhood in Kuzguncuk because of his aunt Sare Hanım, said, “… But Kuzguncuk is a cute place.” While the spring cover has started to cover all of Istanbul, Istanbul can be a pleasant starting point for sightseeing steps.

 

2. Kanlıca

Let’s continue the sightseeing steps from the historical Bosphorus districts of Istanbul. There are many legends about the name of Kanlıca, which is famous for the Mihrabad Grove, one of the greenest places on the Anatolian side, but the most striking one of them can be a great reason to turn your sightseeing steps there! According to the legend, one of the Ottoman Sultans wanted the cleanest district of Istanbul to be found. A number of conditions suitable for that period are determined and as a result of these conditions, Kanlıca will be the first with a large margin. Then the Ottoman Sultan named this district Kanlıca. Famous for its calmness, side streets, history and yoghurt, Kanlıca is ideal for pleasant sightseeing steps.

 

3. Emirgan

A short sea break from Kanlıca to the steps of sightseeing with a ferry or motorboat! Emirgan, which was known as Kiparodis, which means “Cypresses” in the Byzantine period; With its grove, waterside mansions, and historical plane trees that defy the years, it is a route that deserves sightseeing steps. Famous for its tulips as well as its historical plane trees, Emirgan was named after Sultan IV. It is named after Emir Güne Han, an Iranian nobleman brought to Istanbul by Murad. For Emirgan, which has the most inviting square, as Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar mentioned in his novel Huzur, “Let’s go to Emirgan Woods early one morning. It is so beautiful when the trees wake up trembling.”

 

4. Gulhane Park

Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Museum Library, Islamic Science and Technology History Museum, Topkapı Palace and Istanbul Archeology Museum are located in Gülhane Park, where both sides are covered with trees and nature and history are intertwined. Dating back to the Byzantine Period, Gülhane Park became the garden of Topkapı Palace during the Ottoman Period. It is said that Nazım Hikmet wrote the poem “Walnut Tree” here, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk received the title of head teacher here. With its breathtaking Bosphorus view and a walking route full of history, it should definitely be on the list of sightseeing steps!

 

5. Galata tower

With the help of the tram and tunnel, the sightseeing steps lead to Galata this time. to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

 

6. Pera Palace Hotel: A Perfect Istanbul Portrait

The story of Pera Palace Hotel, which started to beat in Pera, the heart of Istanbul towards the end of the 19th century, is a breathtaking journey where Agatha Christie wrote her book, drank Ernest Hemingway’s vermouth, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk made perhaps very important decisions. turns into

Welcoming its guests with the excitement of the first day with its 130-year-old history, Pera Palace hotel, Atatürk Museum Room, which you can visit every day between 10.00 – 11.00, 15.00 – 16.00, the Domed Hall, where the magnificence coming from history is accompanied by the notes of İlham Gencer, Istanbul You can enjoy a nostalgic journey from the past to the present, after the breathtaking views of Istanbul, with Patisserie de Pera, the patisserie of Turkey, where you can witness the Belle Époque.