Istanbul Guide

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¨ ¨ Women should always cover their heads and shoulders with a shawl or scarf; both women and men should dress modestly. ¨ ¨ Avoid visiting mosques within 30 minutes of when the ezan (call to prayer) sounds from the mosque minaret; and also around Friday lunch, when weekly sermons and group prayers are held. ¨ ¨ Speak quietly and don’t use flashes on your camera if people are praying (and never photograph people praying). Street Snacking Locals love to eat, and do so at regular in tervals throughout the day. In busy areas around town ( iskeles, bazaars, shopping strips), street carts and stands sell a huge variety of quick and cheap eats. The most popular of these are fish sandwiches and döner kebap or kokoreç (seasoned grilled intestines) stuffed in bread, but other favourites include roasted chestnuts, grilled corn on the cob, midye dolma (stuffed mussels) and tavuk pilav (rice with chickpeas and chicken). Produce Markets Locals love to shop and, although there seems to be a swish modern mall unveiled every few weeks, the hundreds of tradi tional street markets across the city retain loyal followings. To see local life at its most vibrant head to the streets around the Spice Bazaar, to the Kadınlar Pazarı in Fatih, the famous produce market in Kadıköy every day except Sunday, or to the streets surrounding the Fatih Mosque on Wednesday. Sunday Brunch A chance for friends and extended fami lies to get together over an inexpensive meal, this ever-growing phenomenon has plenty of local devotees. Popular options include Namlı Gurme (p 133 ), Aheste (p 136 ), Dandin (p 133 ) and Cuma (p 140 ) in Beyoğlu; Akdenıs Hatay Sofrası (p 103 ) in Aksaray; Forno (p 122 ) in Fener; Sütiş (p 170 ), Lokma (p 170 ) and Sade Khave (p 169 ) on the Bosphorus; and Teras Restaurant (p 176 ) on Büyükada.

Like a Local

Keyif İstanbullus have perfected the art of keyif (quiet relaxation), and practise it at every possible opportunity. Çay bahçesis (tea gardens) and nargile (water pipe) cafes are keyif central, offering patrons pockets of tranquillity off crowded streets. Games of tavla (backgammon), glasses of tea, nargiles and quiet conversations are the only distractions on offer. The İskele Traffic in İstanbul is nightmarish, so it’s sensible to take to the waters wherever possible. The city’s famous flotilla of fer ries transports thousands of commuters daily. Many of these passengers spend time before or after their journey enjoying a glass of tea or a snack at the iskele (ferry dock), making these often ramshackle places wonderful pockets of local life. The Mosque İstanbul’s magnificent Ottoman mosques may be important tourist destinations, but their primary function is religious. Observe these rules when visiting: ¨ ¨ Remove your shoes before walking on the mosque’s carpet; you can leave shoes on shelves near the mosque door or carry them with you in a plastic bag. İstanbul’s 14 million residents enjoy a lifestyle crammed with culture, backdropped by history and underpinned by family and faith. Head off the tourist trails to experience the city as they do.