AZ Guidebook: Yerebatan Cistern in Istanbul

Y is for Yerebatan Saray Sarnıçı in Istanbul

Hidden beneath the historical area of Sultanahmet in Istanbul is one of my favorite sites to show visitors, especially during the hot summer months.

After walking down a few flights of somewhat slippery steps, you’ll find yourself in what is commonly known as the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıç in Turkish) because it lays beneath the Stoa Basilica, a grand Byzantine public square. The cistern also is called the Sunken Palace Cistern (Yerebatan Saray Sarnıçı) because of its gorgeous 336 Byzantine marble columns and impressive size – nearly 9,800 square meters (2.4 acres)!

Did you know that this dark chamber has the capacity to hold near 80,000 cubic meters of water (21 million US gallons) of water?

In fact, when Istanbul was Constantinople, hundreds of Byzantine cisterns were located underneath the old city and were used to store fresh water. The Ottomans used the Yerebatan to supply fresh water to the Topkapı Palace. You can still find a few cisterns around Sultanahmet that are used in restaurants or simply forgotten about.

The Yerebatan Cistern is the perfect retreat from Istanbul’s sweltering summer days. The cavernous room is cool and dark, lit only by lights along the elevated pathway and to illuminate some of the columns. Water droplets of condensation fall down on you as you’re exploring this underground treasure.

I also always imagined that the cistern would be the perfect location to fill a horror movie as well!

Did you that one of the old James Bond movies was filmed in the cistern? Not too long ago, I had to rewatch From Russia With Love especially the scene when Bond is seen rowing a small boat between the cistern’s columns?

When you visit the Yerebatan Cistern, don’t forget to look for the mysterious Medusa-like head as well!

I’m linking this post to the monthly A-Z travel guide link up organized by Fiona, a fellow Australian blogger, at Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures. Each month features a new letter of the alphabet. This month is the letter “Y.” Please pop on over to Fiona’s blog to read more travel stories or feel free to link up your own!

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A-Z Guidebook: To Üsküdar by Boat in Istanbul

U is for Üsküdar

Having moved six times in the past 10 years, with four of them international moves, it’s often the simpler things in life that I miss about a place – besides the people we’ve met and befriended.

One such fondness from nearly three years of living in Istanbul is quickly crossing from Europe to Asia in 10 minutes via the iconic yellow-trimmed white vapur (ferry boats). Walking from our apartment in the Beşiktaş neighborhood past all the local stores, we picked up the vapur from the iskele located along the Bosphorus. Once we boarded the boat, the Bosphorus breeze started blowing in my blonde hair. Seagulls chased us, being the scavengers that they are, begging for lil nibbles from other passengers. If you have time, you can even buy a glass of Turkish tea on board.

The quickest way to cross from Europe to Asia is to take the vapur from Beşiktaş to Üsküdar. Boats depart nearly every 10 minutes during the day, so it’s easy to do.

Üsküdar is not a typical neighborhood you would visit as a tourist, necessarily. It’s a more traditional neighborhood with older ladies wearing long trench coats and headscarves going about their normal day-to-day activities. Üsküdar is almost like a village the middle of the giant megalopolis. With just a quick boat ride, you can plunge yourself into a very culturally different atmosphere from the touristic side of the city. It’s a quick trip that I definitely recommend!

 Of course, I couldn't resist having my own glass of Turkish tea while admiring the Kız Kulesi and the city's minaret-studded skyline. Gorgeous!

After looking through some old photos, I’d almost forgotten that Üsküdar is one of the best places to see the Kız Kulesi (Maiden's Tower) – the city’s legendary lighthouse in the Bosphorus. Once you exit the boat dock on the Asian side, follow the coastal road in a southerly direction, walking for 10 minutes or so. Eventually, you’ll find an area filled with benches and Turkish waiters serving up copious amounts of tea.  

This is what I miss – simple moments like this one that I took for granted when I lived in Istanbul.

What do you miss from places you’ve lived before?

I’m linking this post to the monthly travel guide link up organized by Fiona, a fellow Australian blogger, at Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures. Each month features a new letter of the alphabet. This month is the letter “U.” Please pop on over to Fiona’s blog to read more travel stories or feel free to link up your own!

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A-Z Guidebook: Rüstem Paşa Mosque in Istanbul

R is for Rüstem Paşa Mosque

Down the backstreets in Istanbul, you’re bound to find some type of interesting architecture dating back a few hundred years.

One of my favorite areas to wander was Eminönü, home to the tantalizing scents of the Spice Bazaar. Past the smiling sellers touting everything from handmade wooden spoons and baskets to local Turkish cheeses and coffee, you could even miss the doors to one of my favorite mosques here. The Rüstem Paşa Mosque, built in 1560, is one of the city’s architectural gems.

Designed and built by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, who also designed the nearby Süleymaniye Mosque and other impressive structures in Edirne, planned Rüstem Paşa Mosque with a unique octagonal plan. Although small, the mosque is covered with intriguing Inzik painted tiles, particularly in vibrant red, which was a difficult color to obtain back in the day.

Also, as you look around, be sure to notice also the kündekâri doors of carved and inlaid wood and the intricate gilded trim high on the walls and ceiling in the vestibule. The mosque truly is a work of art!

A bit of interesting here is that the mosque was paid for by Rüstem Paşa, one of the wealthiest men in the Ottoman Empire as well as the son-in-law and a grand vizer of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. Of course, his namesake mosque couldn’t rival that of his master’s so he selected a site amid the busy market, just downhill from the Süleyman's grand mosque. Rüstem Paşa also is remembered in history for having plotted with Süleyman's wife, Hürrem, to denounce Prince Mustafa, Süleyman's son and heir to the throne. Süleyman had Mustafa beheaded, which allowed Hürrem’s son, Prince Selim, to inherit the throne after the sultan’s death – and this started the long decline of the Ottoman Empire. What drama!

Anyway, the Rüstem Paşa Mosque is definitely worth seeking out when you visit Istanbul, don’t you think?

I’m linking this post to the monthly travel guide link up organized by Fiona, a fellow Australian blogger, at Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures. Each month features a new letter of the alphabet. This month is the letter “R.” Please pop on over to Fiona’s blog to read more travel stories or feel free to link up your own!

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A-Z Guidebook: Ferry Ride to Kadıköy in Istanbul

K is for Kadıköy

To me, a ferry ride is a brief escape from the world. A chance to feel the cool, salty breeze on my face. A moment to watch the seagulls chase the ferry and admire the fading shoreline.

When we lived in Istanbul, taking the ferry from our neighborhood of Beşiktaş to Kadıköy was one of my favorite things to do. During these brief 20 minutes, I felt transported to a different world – a beautiful, exotic world so different from my own upbringing in the Midwest of the U.S.

Every day, barring bad weather and government closures, the iconic white and yellow Şehir Hatları ferry boats crisscross the Bosphorus Straight and will even take you all the way to the Princes Islands. The ferries cross between Beşiktaş and Kadıköy and back again twice an hour. Day time trips between the two neighborhoods is perfect, but unfortunately, the ferries stop service long before your going out hours are up and you’re stuck taking a dolmuş (a shared minivan taxi) to either side.

Once you arrive in Kadıköy, you can enjoy a pleasant walk along the Bosphorus shoreline or head straight to the pedestrian-friendly market area. Guess where I usually ended up?

In the market area, you’ll find dozens of stall holders and shop owners touting fresh fish, seasonal fruits and veggies, dried fruits, honey, nuts, cheese, baklava and more. You’ll even find the odd sheeps’ head, offal and foreign pork products for sale (a must for any displaced expat)

If you’re in the mood for lunch or dinner, head over to Çiya, a fantastic local spot which has three cafés/restaurants on Güneşli Bahçe Sokak. I visited this popular eatery many times while I lived in Istanbul and during my visits. The Turkish food features typical homemade goodies such as lentil soup, meat casseroles, mezzes and kebabs.

Just thinking about Çiya has my mouth watering! Hopefully, we’ll be visiting and eating here again later this year!

When you visit Istanbul, don’t miss out taking the ferry ride to Kadıköy and exploring this bustling neighborhood.

I’m linking this post to the monthly travel guide link up organized by Fiona, a fellow Australian blogger, at Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures. Each month features a new letter of the alphabet. This month is the letter “K.” Please pop on over to Fiona’s blog to read more travel stories!

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Istanbul’s Bizarre Bird Pazar in Edirnekapı

If you have ever wanted a pet pigeon, then I know just the place to go in Istanbul.

Yes, the parks may be full of pigeons, but these feathered companions can be bought for upwards a hefty price at the Edirnekapı Kuş Pazarı (Edirnekapi Bird Market). This pazar is held on Sundays, nestled amongst the old city walls, in the Edirnekapı neighborhood, just a short stroll from the namesake bus stop.

I was recently reminded of this unique pazar when I read Elizabeth’s blog post over at the Geriatic Gapper. I met Elizabeth, a longtime Istanbul expat, when we were both part of the local photography club. I knew I had a bunch of my own photos from this bird market somewhere, so I found them on my computer and finally compiled a new post.

In 2012, my husband and I toured through the Edirnekapı neighborhood on a wonderful spring day. This was one of the first times I saw the old walls of Constantinople upclose. The walls themselves date back to the reign of the Byzantine emperor Theodosius II, who was in power in the first half of the fifth century AD. They replaced a previous wall, built during Constantine the Great’s rule, to protect what was then the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The walls withstood for more than 1,000 years until 1453 when Sultan Mehmet II attacked and then the city became the new capital of the Ottoman Empire.

I always found Istanbul’s immense history so fascinating!

Back at the bird pazar, I recall being the only female there at the time. I’m sure traditional Turkish women were at home doing household chores while the men debated over the prettiest or perhaps, the fastest, pigeon. Meanwhile, I had my camera and took several photos as we wandered through this fascinating market.

I tried to find some history about this pazar, but couldn’t. I’m sure pigeons used to be a very effective means of communication between people way back in the day. However, the Edirnekapı Kuş Pazarı’s Facebook Page does seem current and even includes prices for some of the pigeons.

Istanbul is full of such stark contrasts like this market hidden amongst the old city walls, nearby apartment buildings and towering skyscrapers off in the distance. As the city continues to rapidly sprawl in every direction, I fear unique markets like this one will become a thing of the past all too soon.

Location:

Take one of the many city buses and disembark at the Edirnekapı stop. About a 5-minute walk away, look for the covered stalls and tents. The pazar is set up near the Altinay Spor Kulubu sign, Ayvansaray Mah., Salma Tomruk Cad. No. 4.

For a written guide/tour of the area, check out Istanbul’s Old City Walls by The Guide.

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3 Favorite Cafés for Turkish Breakfast in Istanbul

One of the many Turkish things I still miss is the fantastic kahvaltı or Turkish breakfast.

To an American or other foreigners, having fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley as part of your breakfast selection may seem strange at first. However, it is a Turkish tradition I fell in love with and have recently been rhapsodizing about to two expats who are soon moving to Istanbul. I miss the breakfast plates piled high with varieties of Turkish cheese, balkaymak (honey with clotted cream), green and black olives, gözleme, eggs with sucuk, homemade jams, tahini paste, simits, soft, slices of white bread and the list goes on and on.

Turkish mezes for breakfast at Sütiş. 

Are you hungry yet?

Well, since I’ve been telling these new expats about my favorite breakfast places located in and near the Emirgan neighborhood, I thought this information would make an excellent blog post as well. Emirgan is a popular, slightly posh neighborhood located along the Bosphorus and is known for its many seaside cafés and the large Emirgan Park. Even though we lived in the city center, we often retreated to this area on the weekends to indulge in the Turkish kahvaltı tradition and admire the amazing water views.

Kale Cafe

I first heard about Kale Café shortly after we moved to Istanbul. In 2010, chef and TV show star Anthony Bourdain filmed an episode of his “No Reservations” television show in Istanbul and showcased this small, family-owned café. I’ve always admired Bourdain and had a mild crush on him for awhile. I figured if the café was good enough for him, it was certainly good enough for us.  I recommend ordering the serpme kahvalti (breakfast spread) and sharing between at least two people. You can order additional egg dishes separately.

Cafe Nar

Often, Kale Café is swamped because of its popularity and that’s how we discovered the nearby Café Nar. Here, you can order several delicious omelets or breakfast plates based on Turkish names such as Asli, Beril or Demet. The presentation is a bit more modern and the portion sizes are more than generous. Just keep waving down one of the friendly servers if you want more çay to drink.

My husband and I usually would order one of the omelets and a breakfast plate to share between the two of us. You can even get small, almost American-like pancakes here!

Emirgan Sütiş

Sütiş has several locations around the city, but we preferred the Emirgan location because of its spacious, seaside position. This place gets packed on the weekends, so I’d recommend arriving by 10 a.m. if you don’t want to wait forever for a table. Here, you want to order small plates of individual items, sort of like Turkish breakfast mezes.

Photo credit: Emirgan Sütiş 

If you save room, I also can recommend Sütiş’s selection of homemade desserts and ice cream, or you’ll have to make another trip back here just to try the sweets!

Afiyet olsun!

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Good Eats: Best Meals in 2014

It’s probably no surprise that the majority of our travels and even our normal day-to-day lives revolve around food.

That’s what happens when you’re married to a pastry chef and love food, at least that’s what I tell my husband.

This year, we did quite a bit of traveling in Europe and ate well along the way. From the backstreets of Istanbul to cozy brasseries and from eating at Michelin-starred restaurants to dining at home with friends, we’ve had a lot of good meals. I’d rather spend the money on a wonderful meal than on something with less value to me like jewelry or new clothes.

The following destinations are where we had some of our Best Meals in 2014! Where did you have your favorite meal this year? I’d love to know!

Bon appétit!

Joy

Lake Como

In March, we spent a long, leisurely weekend in Lake Como and ended with a home-cooked, four-course dinner at Osteria Sali e Tabacchi, a cozy, Slow Food restaurant located in Mandello del Lario. Eating here was like being invited into an Italian’s mother’s home where local ingredients are key. A few of the dishes I remember: local fish in two dishes, cured Italian meats for an antipasti, braised beef with polenta, pumpkin-filled ravioli and homemade pistachio gelato. Be sure to make reservations in advance!

Istanbul

I never thought I’d have a good steak dinner in Istanbul, but in March our Turkish friend, Huseyin, proved me wrong. Our meal at Nusr-Et Steakhouse consisted of lokum (Turkish delight), spaghetti (thinly sliced beef), sliced-to-order lamb ribs, unlimited crispy fries and a salad. The meat used comes from the Marmara Sea region and was quite tender and juicy.

And for dessert, don’t skimp on the pistachio baklava that is flown in fresh every day from Gaziantep and served tableside with a generous scoop of Maras dondurma. My mouth is watering just thinking about this heavenly baklava!

Paris

In May, we spent my birthday in Paris. I had My Delicious Day in Paris and then later we went to Au Pied de Cochon for French oysters and dinner. This wasn’t our best meal ever in Paris, but it’s more that this brasserie holds a special place in our hearts. We first ate here in 2009 right after my now husband had proposed.

London

In July, I followed hubby on his business trip to London. We arrived two days early so we could enjoy ourselves and have a good meal at St. John Bread & Wine, which we first had visited in 2010. The standouts here were the foie gras on toast (I love foie!), roasted duck leg with peas and bacon and an appetizer of salt beef hash with a fried duck egg on top. All delicious! The only miss was the too-tart gooseberry pavlova for dessert.

Warsaw

In August, we sadly bid farewell to our fun Aussie friends with a fancy dinner at the new Senses Restaurant. This was our most expensive meal of the year at 380pln ($125) per person, but this doesn’t include the bottle of champagne and post dinner drinks we shared. You can tell that the French-Italian chef, Andrea Camastra, likes to play with molecular gastronomy here with the foams, jellies and smoke used throughout our multi-course dinner.

Our first courses included tuna with lard and corn, beetroot with goat cheese and foie gras and smoked eel with a scallop, celeriac and potato puree, which was my least favorite dish.

Next courses were a monkfish goulash with beans, kobe beef ribs with cherries and spring onions and a yogurt dessert with fresh “forest fruits.” I loved all of these dishes and wish I had more of the beef dish!

Overall, Senses definitely was an interesting experience, but I could have done without the chocolate-beet drink and some of the hocus-pocus smoke. The best part of this meal was spending another fun night with our good friends before we said goodbye!

 

Tallinn

In November, we enjoyed our best meal in Tallinn (as part of our Baltic road trip) at a cozy restaurant called Salt Restoran, tucked in the residential neighborhood of Kadriorg. It's headed by local chef Silver Saa who focuses on using seasonal ingredients, which seems to be the trend everywhere.  We ordered the seared scallops with wakame, pumpkin cream and ginger beurre blanc, a not-so classic beef tartar, veal cheeks with red wine sauce and grilled endive and crispy duck breast with roasted beetroots, plum jam and sherry sauce. I had a difficult time sharing my veal cheeks because they were irresistibly tender and delicious!

For dessert, we shared a chocolate cake with salted caramel and the pumpkin cream (panna cotta?) with cocoa.

The total meal cost was 108 euros ($132), which included a 26eu ($32) bottle of red wine and 2 glasses of Spanish cava at 6eu ($7.30) each, making it our most expensive meal on this trip. However, I feel like Salt was definitely a restaurant worth seeking out!

Düsseldorf

At the end of November, we celebrated Thanksgiving in Düsseldorf, Germany. Before stuffing ourselves with turkey, JT took us to Manima Der Laote, a restaurant owned by his friend that specializes in Laotian food. The chef/owner greeted us and he instantly reminded me of NYC chef David Chang, owner of Momofuku. I knew we were in good hands! The highlights of this meal were the very spicy green papaya salad and minced duck meat served with lettuce leaves and sticky rice.

San Sebastian 

This coastal, Spanish city is all about the pintxos! With so many good restaurants to choose from, you really can’t go wrong here. We had to escape from the drunken crowds of the Santo Tomas Festival on December 21^st so we went to the Gros neighborhood across the river. Here, we got our pintxos on at Bergara Bar, a local place recommended by our pension owner. We liked this place because we could actually sit down, it was quiet enough to where we could actually converse and the food was delicious and fresh.

We ordered mushroom risotto with foie gras ( my favorite), Spanish tortilla with roasted red peppers, a croquette, a seafood “tin can” and a few other items. Bergara Bar was a great recommendation!

Southwest France

We ended 2014 with a road trip through Southwest France and enjoyed several outstanding, homecooked meals with our French friend’s families. I’m so grateful for this expat life that allows us to travel, to meet new people and to enjoy new experiences together. The French families went all out with their hospitality and with course after course of decadent food for the Christmas season.

Just some of the courses from our French meals on December 23, 24 and 25th.

Christmas part II on December 26th.

After eating like this for four days in a row, I felt like a fat French saucisson! I'm thankful to our friends, but I still feel fat!

I might have to kick off 2015 with a bit of dieting after all these trips!

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Finding Peace at Feriköy Cemetery in Istanbul

Before we moved from Istanbul last year, I tried to tick off the remaining items on my bucket list.

Perhaps one of the odd items on my list was visiting an old cemetery, located in the Kurtuluş/ Feriköy neighborhoods, which is where I walked through sometimes from our apartment.

The Feriköy Protestant Cemetery (Feriköy Protestan Mezarlığı) is tucked away off the busy streets of the neighboring, working-class neighborhood and surrounded by high brick walls. The gravestones here date back to the 19^th century and depict the melting pot that once lived in Istanbul. In 1857, the Ottoman government donated the land for this cemetery to the leading Protestant powers of that time, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Prussia, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The cemetery is even divided into separate sections for the different nationalities.

You’ll even find a section, separated by a stone wall, that is reserved for Armenian Protestants. The history information I found stated that since Armenians were regarded as “Ottoman subjects,” they had to be separated from the burial plots of the other foreigners. Strange!

Here is a place where you can gaze up at the sunny skies above and find a piece of quietness in Istanbul. Trust me, this doesn’t happen very often when you live (lived) in a city of 15 million. Here, you can block out the yelling simitci, the annoying honking horns and the Turkish children frolicking after school.

Though you may find it odd, I like walking through old cemeteries. I find them peaceful. It’s interesting to see the different architecture and sculptures and take note of the elaborate headstones. I think you also can discover a little bit more about a city’s history by walking through a cemetery. This one in Istanbul is worth searching out if you have extra time or are interested in cemeteries like me.

At the Feriköy Cemetery, I think you will find a lil bit of beauty among the chaos.

Location:

Listed as Feriköy Mezarlığı on Google Maps

Map: Paşa Mah. 34379 Şişli/Istanbul

About a 20-minute walk southwest of the Osmanbey metro stop.

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