Istanbul Guide

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SULTANAHMET’S HIPPIE TRAIL Plenty of monuments in Sultanahmet evoke the city’s Byzantine and Ottoman past, but there are few traces of an equally colourful but much more recent period in the city’s history – the hippie era of the 1960s and 1970s. Back then the first wave of In trepids (young travellers following the overland trail from Europe to Asia) descended upon İ stanbul and played a significant role in the Europeanisation of Turkey. The In trepids didn’t travel with itineraries, tour guides or North Face travel gear; their basic baggage embodied a rejection of materialism, a fervent belief in the power of love and a commitment to the journey rather than the destination. All that was leavened with liberal doses of sex, drugs and protest music, of course. Sultanahmet had three central hippie hang-outs in those days: the Gülhane Hos tel (now closed); a cafe run ‘King of the Hippies’ Sitki Yener (now a leather shop on İ nciliçavu ş Sokak); and the still-operating Lâle Pastanesi (Pudding Shop; Map p240; % 0212-522 2970; www.puddingshop.com; Divan Yolu Caddesi 6; mains ₺ 25; h 7am-11pm; j Sultanahmet) , known to hippie-trail veterans the world over as the Pudding Shop. Sadly, this retains few echoes of its countercultural past, substituting bland food in place of its former menu of psychedelic music and chillums of hash. Nonetheless, you may wish to turn on, tune in and drop by for a çay, to view the period photos on the tab letops, menus and walls recalling the eatery’s halcyon days. Notes stuck in the window by enthusiastic tourists attempt to revive that spirit of old. To evoke those days, we highly recommend Rory Maclean’s Magic Bus: On the Hippie Trail from Istanbul to India, a thought-provoking and wonderfully written history-travelogue.

SULTANAHMET & AROUND ENTERTAINMENT

3 ENTERTAINMENT LES ARTS TURCS CULTURAL Map p240 ( % 0212-527 6859; www.lesartsturcs. com; 3rd fl, Incili Cavus Sokak 19, Alemdar; ₺ 70; j Sultanahmet) This long-established cul tural tourism outfit based near the Basilica Cistern offers twice-weekly opportunities to attend a sema (whirling-dervish ceremo ny) at the EMAV Silivrikap ı Mevlana Cul tural Center in Fatih on Thursdays at 8pm. The ticket cost includes a 15-minute Q&A session in English, a guide and minivan transfers to/from Sultanahmet. The company also sometimes takes visi tors to a Monday evening sema at a different tekke (Dervish lodge) in the same district. Other Les Arts Turcs offerings include reli gious tours and cultural workshops. HODJAPASHA CULTURAL CENTRE PERFORMING ARTS Map p238 ( % 0212-511 4626; www.hodjapasha. com; Hocapa ş a Hamam ı Sokak 3b, Sirkeci; per formances adult ₺ 70-80, child under 12yr ₺ 40-50; j Sirkeci) Occupying a beautifully converted 550-year-old hamam, this cultural centre stages a one-hour whirling dervish perfor mance at 7pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday year-round, with additional per formances in busy months (daily in April, May, September and October). Note that children under seven are not admitted; and

KYBELE CAFE BAR, CAFE Map p238 ( % 0212-511 7766; www.kybelehotel. com; Yerebatan Caddesi 23; h 7.30am-11.30pm; j Sultanahmet) The hotel lounge bar–cafe close to the Basilica Cistern is chock-full of antique furniture, richly coloured rugs and old etchings and prints, but its signature style comes courtesy of the hundreds of col ourful glass lights hanging from the ceiling. CAFERA Ğ A MEDRESESI ÇAY BAHÇESI TEA GARDEN Map p238 ( % 0212-513 3601; www.tkhv.org; So ğ ukkuyu Ç ı kmaz ı 5, off Caferiye Sokak; h 9am 7pm Tue-Sun; j Sultanahmet) On a fine day, sipping a çay in the gorgeous courtyard of this Sinan-designed medrese is a delight. Located close to both Aya Sofya and Topkap ı Palace, it houses a craft centre and serves simple food at lunchtime. HOTEL NOMADE TERRACE BAR BAR Map p240 ( % 0212-513 8172; www.hotelnomade. com; Ticarethane Sokak 15, Alemdar; h 2-11.30pm; j Sultanahmet) The intimate terrace of this boutique hotel overlooks Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque. Settle down in a comfortable chair to enjoy a glass of wine, beer or freshly squeezed fruit juice. The only music that will disturb your evening reverie is the Old City’s signature sound of the call to prayer.