Istanbul Guide

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LITTLE SYRIA In recent decades, the Laleli and Aksaray neighbourhoods west of the Bazaar District have developed a reputation as the centre of İ stanbul’s main red-light district, home to seedy nightclubs, petty crims and sex workers from Eastern Europe. It’s a sad fate for areas where valide sultans (mothers of the reigning sultans) once commissioned ornate imperial mosques. However, these neighbourhoods now possess another, much more interesting claim to fame. For decades Aksaray has been home to a large concentration of immi grants from the southeast of Turkey. These residents opened food stands and restau rants serving dishes popular in their home region, and the streets immediately north of the Aksaray metro station became known as Little Urfa after the city on the Turk ish–Syrian border. More recently, nearby neighbourhoods have become a haven for the many Syrian refugees who have fled the troubles in their homeland, and a number of eateries serving Syrian cuisine now enrich the culinary landscape. To hear some of these refugees’ stories and sample Syrian home cooking, consider signing up for a dinnertime visit to Small Projects Istanbul (www.smallprojectsistanbul.org) , an NGO based in the neighbouring suburb of Çapa. The tour is run by Urban Adventures ( % 0535 022 2003; www.urbanadventures.com; tours from €27) and all funds raised go to support services for the refugees. Every adventurous foodie should be sure to eat in this part of town at least once during their time in the city. Head to the streets around Sofular Caddesi and enjoy a sit-down Syrian-influenced feast at Hatay Haskral Sofras ı ( % 0210-534 9707; www. hatayhaskralsofrasi.com; Rag ı b Bey Sokak 25, Aksaray; mezes ₺ 6-25, mains ₺ 22-45; h 9am midnight; j Aksaray) or Akden ı s Hatay Sofras ı ( % 0212-444 7247; www.akdenizhatay sofrasi.com.tr; Ahmediye Caddesi 44, Aksaray; mezes ₺ 8-10, mains ₺ 20-40; h 9am-midnight; v ; j Aksaray) . Alternatively pop into Ş anl ı Urfa Zaman ( % 0212-521 2206; Simitçi Ş akir Sokak 38, Aksaray; kebaps ₺ 16-22, dürum kebaps ₺ 11-13; j Aksaray) for a ci ğ er (liver) kebap, Ehli Kebap ( % 0212-631 3700; www.ehlikebap.com.tr; Simitçi Ş ak ı r Sokak 32, Aksaray; soups ₺ 5-10, kebaps ₺ 15-20; h 10am-3pm Mon-Sat; j Aksaray) for a delicious and filling bowl of bayran çorbasi (spicy lamb-based soup), or Alt ı n Pide ve Lahmacun (Rag ı p Bey Sokak 33, Aksaray; lahmacun ₺ 3-4, pide ₺ 7.50-8.50; h 10am-10pm; j Aksaray) for crispy lahmacun (thin pizza) straight from the traditional tiled oven. As a finale, make the short trek to Salloura O ğ lu ( % 0212-542 5661; Turgut Özal Millet Caddesi 60, F ı nd ı kzade; sweets ₺ 5-10; h 10am-10pm; j Haseki) , a historic Aleppo business that moved here from its war-torn home in 2014 and has since built a fanatical local follow ing for its sweet cheese desserts.

BAZAAR DISTRICT EATING

ing the trek to this pideci overlooking the Fatih İ tfaiye Park near the Aqueduct of Valens. Its reputation for making the best Karadeniz (Black Sea)–style pide on the Historic Peninsula is well deserved and the pots of tea served with meals are a nice touch (the first pot is free, subsequent pots are charged). Toppings are mostly standard – the sucuklu-peynirli (sausage and cheese) op tion is particularly tasty – but there’s also an unusual bafra pidesi (rolled-up pide, ₺ 18) and a kapal ı kavurmal ı pide (roasted meat calzone, ₺ 20). It’s best for lunch; no alcohol.

classic with your choice of nut filling, or try the indulgent bülbül yuvas ı (nightin gale’s nest), a pastry filled with kaymak (clotted cream) and pistachio. Those in the know (and with a big appetite) tend to or der Develi’s Gazientep-style katmer (flaky pastry stuffed with pistachio and kaymak, ₺ 25), which takes around 15 minutes to cook and comes to your table piping hot. Bliss! o FATIH DAMAK PIDE PIDE € ( % 0212-521 5057; www.fatihdamakpide.com; Büyük Karaman Caddesi 48, Fatih; pides ₺ 17-25; h 7am-11pm; m Vezneciler) It’s worth mak