Destination - Kadıköy!

Today I want to take you to  Kadıköy - awesome place, which everyone should visit during his Turkish travel. Let's see the gate of Asia where meet both sides of Istanbul and where life is so colorful and interesting! 

HISTORY

       We should start our trip from the old legend. Everything about  Kadıköy (685 BC) we owe Byzas - son of Nisos (Greek king) and the legendary founder of Byzantium (667 BC). According to the history, Byzas went to the oracle to learn sth about his future. The oracle told him to built a new colony - "The Land of the Blind". The Land of the Blind (Chalcedon) - city on the eastern side of the Bosphorus Sea. Why blind? Well, residents of Chalcedon didn't realize that western side is better because of strategic reasons and many years they were living like the slaves of their enemies. The situation looked like that until 1353 when Ottoman Empire appeared. 

              New colony was called "Kadi Koy" (village of the Quadi - a religious judge). Few years later  Kadikoy became the most important place of the Byzantium. Kadıköy became a separate part of the Istanbul in 1928. Its neighbouring districts are Üsküdar, Maltepe, Kartal and Ümraniye.

TODAY

         Istanbul can be proud of Kadikoy, really. This district is one of the fastest growing part of the city because of the thousands shops, markets, restaurants, bars, cafes, cinemas, etc.  For example Baghdad Avenue (Bagdat Caddesi) is the most popular street where you can eat traditional Turkish food (and some fastfoods like McDonald's) or buy the fashionable clothes in the reasonable prices. :) But really you should be careful. If you see sth pretty you should check the price and go to the next shop. There is possibility that same thing will be 10 or 15 TL cheaper! 

             Also you can't miss the biggest food market in Turkey. I saw that and fell in love with that place. The variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, fishes, olive oil and much more. I'm sure you would buy there everything... from a fresh salmon to the soap. I was stunned... new smells, new colours. And everywhere the sellers who were convinced their goods are the best. Yes, I think I could spend there my all money. :P

          You can be sure. That fishes were fresh. Mostly sellers buy them in the morning  when the fishermen back to the harbor. After they clean them and prepare to eat, take them into the ice and sell. 

 

               If you ever thought the olives are only black or green you should see this place. I didn't try them but I believe they are awesome. Probably because of Turkey I liked the black olives. Who knows, maybe others are delicious too. Have anybody ever tried them before? 

      But you don't have to like fish or vegetables. For the sweet people Turks sell the sweets. Cookies, candies, Turkish Delight, halvah. You open door of the shop and you die because you don't know what to take first. Decision is hard especially if you area sweet-tooth. :)

           There are also modern shopping centres like in every big city. I will not write about them because it's quite normal. Only I'll show that every man can dress up his woman like a princess. :P

1. Extremely cheap shoes...

2. ...a beautiful dress...

and we can start a night life in Istanbul.

            But interesting is another thing. When I was in Kadikoy I couldn't walk free. Why? Reason is easy. All the pavements are crowded but not because of people - because of the street vendors. They sell everything: the bestsellers, CDs, pictures, posters, socks, shoe laces and clothes. Of course you can find illegal copies of well-known movies too. :) What I liked the most? Second-hands bookshops. But don't think wrong. In that kind of places are selling also new books. Kadikoy is well-known unprecedented number of language schools and this is the reason why you find books in English, French or Russian.

ALTIYOL 

            At the top of the shopping district there's a statue of a bull Altıyol (Six Ways). Six ways lead to the civic buildings: houses and schools and a market - Salı Pazarı (Tuesday Market). It's really miracle if you can take a photo without the  tourists or residents. At least you should touch a bull to be sure you'll back there. Did I touch? Hm... didn't! :S

STREETS

             Kadikoy is unique. It's enough to look at the buildings - history connects to modernity. Ottoman houses near modern shops. Everything in one place. Even streets are some kind of piece of art. For example, the beautiful pictures on the walls, interesting monuments and exotic trees cause you feel like in a different world. 

           I would be so happy if I had this tree in my garden!!! :D

HAYDARPASA TRAIN STATION

            For me looks like the old train stations in London. It was my first impression when I saw it. I remembered the scene from the Harry Potter movie when he's goingHogwart first time. Maybe stupid but my brain works like that. So... built in 1906, the Prussian style, connection from Istanbul to eastern Turkey. The beautiful and huge building near the sea. An amazing view...

SO, WHAT YOU SHOULD SEE IN KADIKOY???

1. Söğütlüçeşme Mosque

2. Hagia Triada

3. Hagia Efimia

4. Hemdat Israel Synagogue

5. Süreyya Opera House 

                 If you're still not sure should you visit this beautiful part of Istanbul (the district of Fenerbahce Sport Club) you should see sundown in Kadikoy. And now I can say "Have a nice travel!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFvSd1HDagY

“ - Give him a room...”

Every country and every society create own culture. But culture is not only food or tradition or history. It's also everything what a man (a representative of his society) can make as a knowledge about his point of view and everyday life. Today I want to recommend one Turkish movie I watched 3 days ago but still I'm impressed. Enjoy!

An intelligent combination of laughter and tears in "Babam ve Oğlum" (My father and my son) - the movie directed in 2005 by Çagan Irmak. Protest, love, loneliness, problems, death - only few words to describe a plot but so important words! The director takes us to 1980, the time of Turkish coup d'état. 

PLOT

Sadık's father, Huseyin, (Çetin Tekindor) tries to force him to study Agricultural Engineering and marry a girl from their village but boy doesn't want that kind of life. Father's plan is clear - he needs somebody to menage his farm. Unfortunatelly, Sadık's brother is mentally ill and has own family so father can't count on him. Sadık (Fikret Kuşkan) doesn't want to give up  his dreams and in the 70's he leaves a small village and goes to study journalism at Istanbul University. 

But jail is only a small part of his life and the smallest trouble he has ever had. The worst day of his life will be September 12, 1980, then he will lose his beloved wife. In the early hours of that day she starts having contractions but couple can't find anyone who could take them to hospital. The woman births son (Deniz) in a park, near the home but she bleeds. 

After this tragedy, Sadık goes to jail because of his political supporting for the left. The man, beaten and tortured there, is released after 3 years. Again life isn't easy because some time after he learns he will die soon. The illness becomes a reason for coming back hometown and giving his son chances for normal life without father. 

The man prepares Deniz (Ege Tanman) for the hard situation and complicated relations with grandfather. The clever boy who falls in love with the comics books and lives in a world of imagination becomes a favourite of all family. Actually, Deniz's imagination world is some fake. I can understand that if I say that it was kid's world and his point of view. However, main problem is still unsolved. 

What will happen in village? I'll not say. You have to watch. Great movie, great music, great plot which will make you smile and cry. This is really good movie because of one reason more. You can learn a lot about Turkish culture and family. You can realize it's so different but same so similar to your family - not important from where you are. You can watch it here (version with English subtitles):

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2287383019795315085

Babam ve Oğlum, 2005, Turkey

"A cup of coffee will be remembered for 40 years."

Turks can say millions words about coffee: "Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and as sweet as love", "Coffee and tobacco; pleasure is complete", "Sleep cannot be without blanket, coffee without foam" and more. But why Turkish coffee is the most sentimental and romantic drink? Why is so original and irreplaceable? And last but not least, why I like Turkish coffee more than "modern" coffees from the coffee machine? Today something about second best drink in Turkey.

"Turkish coffee" doesn't mean that prepared coffee comes from Turkey because coffee doesn't grow here. It's rather a style or fashion, maybe  we can say "method" of preparing and serving this black drink (Türk Kahvesi). Exactly Turks introduced coffee to West Civilization in XVI century. Big thanks! All people addicted to morning coffee should be grateful! :)

Yesterday in Kadıköy, on the street, I saw a man who was making traditional Turkish coffee on the fire. Smell was awesome and so fresh, also sweet. I don't know this street but for me it'll be Coffee Street forever! It looked like that:

Actually I don't like coffee at all. I love smell but not taste... it's too bitter for me. Maybe I didn't know how to make good one, but really - Turkish was so sweet and thick. Delicious. You can know absolutely nothing about this country, but when you drink a cup of coffee you'll feel like you spent all life in Istanbul or another Turkish city. All Oriental world will seem to be familiar and well-known. Magic... 

English people have their "5 o'clock", Turks have "11 o'clock". This hour is mostly coffee hour. In traditional houses, housewives serve "morning coffee" - it's impossible to drink coffee here with breakfast or before breakfast! You can forget about that!

What you need to prepare Turkish coffee?

1. cezve - a small boiling pot with a handle; 

2. teaspon - to stir coffee with water and sugar before boiling and to take the foam - the most important thing; Turkish coffee without the foam isn't Turkish coffee; all ingredients are  heated together and when the liquid boils, you can serve!

3. coffee; 

4. COLD water; always, always, always use cold water!

5. sugar; there are 4 levels of sweetness: sade (no sugar), az şekerli (a little sugar), orta (medium sugar) and şekerli (really sweet); 

6. cardamon or cinnamon (if you wish);

7. fincan - to serve coffee in a traditional way; it's so small cup, similar to espresso cups but so pretty painted; modern cups (like this one) have handles but they aren't traditional cups; if you be really serious about customs you should use cup without handle but with zarf - metal thing for catching cup;

What can you serve with Turkish coffee?

1. cold water - to fresh your mouth and make better coffee taste;

2. Turkish delight;

After drinking you will find somebody who will tell you from the left grounds everything about your future! Then you have to turn over your cup and wait until cup will be cold. The pattern of the coffee grounds will show what will happen to you soon. This fortune telling is so famous tradition in Turkey and calls here kahve falı. 

Every important family meeting or friends meeting finishes with cup of coffee, but not only... Drinking coffee or rather preparing it is the part of wedding ceremony. Future husband's family visits future wife's family to talk and ask blessing and permission for wedding. Then, the bride must make Turkish coffee and serve it for the groom's family. But not so easy!!! :)  This day's last test for a boyfriend. If the boy really wants his lovely girl he has to drink coffee with salt. He can say nothing but must drink all without complaining. Only then he can be sure she will be his woman forever. 

I'll try to find Turkish coffee in my country. I think I have to learn how to do that. Now it's only theory. Who knows maybe someday I'll have to prepare this drink for my future husband... :)

So now, greetings and... enjoy your coffee. :)

“The quality of tea is a decision your mouth takes.”

Can you imagine Italy without spaghetti, France without cheese or Czech Republic without beer? I suppose you can’t. Now I can’t imagine Turkey without tea too. :)

I’ll never forget an awesome taste and great smell of Turkish tea which welcomed me here. The best tea taste ever! My first glass and absolute love. Love at first sip… It's so simple - a day without Turkish tea is a wasted day. I'll back home soon and I don't know how to exist drinking Lipton Tea again. I'll miss both - çay and tulip glass. :( Normal cup isn't same...

According to the statistics Turkey’s the fourth consumer of tea in the world.  People drink it always and everywhere but if you want to try real Turkish tea you need to know some rules.

Çay is Turkish traditional black tea produced on the eastern Black Sea coast. This place’s quite uniqe because of special maritime climate. Turkish tea must be… tea so I think because of that I’ve never seen  people who drinked çay with milk here.

What you need to make çay? Hmm…

1. two stacked kettles (çaydanlık) can be aluminum or steel – in the larger lower kettle

    you have to boil water and then some of that water is used to boil a strong decoction

    of tea in smaller kettle;

2. tulip shaped glasses for serving tea – you have to mix water and strong tea in

    proportion you like; Turks prepare two kinds of tea: strong (koyu) or weak (açık);

    tulip glasses are so small (not to let tea be cold) and white (to show an amazing

    colour) or green, blue, red... etc.;

3. cubs sugar (kesme şeker); 
 

4. ...and of course... a good tea, real tea... I'd recommend this one. 

  

Turks drink tea (usually not only one glass) for everything: family meetings, friends meetings, work break, party, breakfast, business meetings and as a friendly gesture for guests. Because of that you have to know that drinking is some kind of ritual for Turks and they never drink tea fast. You shouldn't be hurry. Follow native's example! :) They taste every sip and talk to friends or family. Some families have a secret recipe for preparing an ideal tea and if you aren't a member of this family you can forget about learning it.

PS I could find this kind of glasses...

... and nice shop with thousands kinds of tea bags.

First minutes in Turkey

I'm in Turkey 1 month... precisely. Everything what connects to my travel was so exciting. For example, the first time I flew. I was so afraid of that but now I can say I definitely fell in love with the planes. I’m so happy I can be here. 

As I mentioned, I set my foot on Turkish earth on July 29th at 18.30.  The first thing I remember was really warm wind and the bus from plane to airport. I didn’t know what should  I do, so I found people whom I rememebered and decided to go with them. 

Bus (crowded), airport (huge), visa (queue), control (why?/for what?/how long?), luggage (waiting) and… where is the exit??? People disappeared and I left there alone. I know, it can be funny for you, but I was in this situation first time and I panicked. At least I found ÇIKIŞ! :) 

I was at home at 21.30 – this date is the best moment ever. Then I tasted Turkish tea (Türk çay)! Amazing!!! But why it’s incredibly awesome I’ll write in next post. :)

This song I will always connect to Turkey: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvJWdBBMOBo 

Merhaba!

I can find more conditions of understanding a foreign country than the author of this quote. Because not only smell shows reality or confronts our ideas. I think all senses are responsible for that and I’ll try to prove my statement here. I find it’ll be not so hard. :)

This blog is both for the people who love Turkey because were there (or live there) and future travellers. I hope some of you will like this country because of my posts and who knows, maybe choose Turkey for next holidays. 

Enjoy my notes and photos! :D