Istanbul Guide

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AKBANK ART CULTURAL CENTRE Map p244 (Akbank Sanat; % 0212-252 3500; www. akbanksanat.com; İstiklal Caddesi 8; h 10.30am 7.30pm Tue-Sat; m Taksim) F Turkey’s big banks and philanthropic trusts vie to be seen as the greatest sponsor of the arts. İstiklal is a showcase for their generosity, and with this venue Akbank joins ARTER in offering a stage for the city’s thriving arts scene. It has an art gallery, performance hall, dance studio and arts library. The centre is the ven ue for the Akbank-sponsored İstanbul Jazz (http://caz.iksv.org/en) and Akbank Short Film (Akbank Kısa Film Festivali; www.akbanksanat.com) festivals as well as for performances by the Akbank Chamber Orchestra. It also pub lishes the Contemporary Art Map İstanbul, a handy bi-monthly guide to art events around town. This is available at cafes, design shops and galleries, or online through its website. 1 Çukurcuma & Cihangir o MUSEUM OF INNOCENCE MUSEUM Map p248 (Masumiyet Müzesi; % 0212-252 9738; www.masumiyetmuzesi.org; Çukurcuma Caddesi, Dalgıç Çıkmazı 2; adult/student ₺25/10; h 10am 6pm Tue-Sun, to 9pm Thu; j Tophane) The pains taking attention to detail in this fascinating museum/piece of conceptual art will cer tainly provide every amateur psychologist with a theory or two about its creator, Nobel Prize–winning novelist Orhan Pamuk. Vit rines display a quirky collection of objects that evoke the minutiae of İstanbullu life in the mid- to late 20th century, when Pamuk’s novel of the same name is set. Occupying a modest 19th-century tim ber house, the museum relies on its vit rines, which are reminiscent of the work of American artist Joseph Cornell, to retell the story of the love affair of Kemal and Füsun, the novel’s protagonists. These displays are both beautiful and moving. Some, such as the installation using 4213 cigarette butts, are as strange as they are powerful. Pamuk’s ‘Modest Manifesto for Muse ums’ is reproduced on a panel on the ground floor. In it he asserts: ‘The resources that are channeled into monumental, symbolic museums should be diverted to smaller mu seums that tell the stories of individuals’. The individuals in this case are fictional, of course, and their story is evoked in a highly nostalgic fashion, but in creating this mu seum Pamuk has put his money where his

mouth is and come out triumphant. Hiring an audio guide (₺5) provides an invaluable commentary and is highly recommended. THE EMPIRE PROJECT GALLERY Map p248 ( % 0212-292 5968; www.theempire project.com; Defterdar Yokuşu 35, Cihangir; h 11am-6.30pm Tue-Sat; j Tophane) Operating since 2011, The Empire Project is one of the most interesting commercial galleries in the city. Curatorially its focus is on artists whose influences lie in the Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula, Eastern Europe and Central Asia rather than Western Europe. Buzz for entry and then head to the upstairs gallery spaces. 5 EATING As is the case in all big international cities, the dining scene in İstanbul can change at a fast and furious pace, meaning that what’s hot one month can be closed due to lack of patrons the next. What can be relied on are the many eateries in this part of town that take pride in serving traditional Turkish regional food, and the growing number of casual places delivering clever modern rifts on old-fashioned favourites using locally sourced, seasonal produce. 5 Galata, Tophane & Karaköy o KARAKÖY GÜLLÜOĞLU SWEETS, BÖREK € Map p248 ( % 0212-293 0910; www.karakoy gulluoglu.com; Katlı Otopark, Kemankeş Cad desi, Karaköy; portion baklava ₺8-17, portion börek ₺7.50-8; h 7am-11pm Sun-Thu, 8am-11.30pm Fri & Sat; c ; j Karaköy) This much-loved baklavacı (baklava shop) opened in 1949 and was the first İstanbul branch of a busi ness established in Gaziantep in the 1820s. A family feud has since led to the opening of other Güllüoğlu offshoots around town, but this remains the best. Pay for a porsiyon (portion) of whatever takes your fancy at the register, then order at the counter. The most popular baklava flavours are fıstıklı (pistachio) and cevizli (walnut), and many regulars order a serve of kaymak (clotted cream) on the side. A glass of tea will take the edge off the sweetness. Note that the börek (filled pastry) here is good, too.

Beyoğlu Eating