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???
2. Hagia Triada
4. Hemdat Israel Synagogue
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!"
Malatya is a city of apricot.
Number of hybrids is about 400,000. Apricots grow everywhere here, even in the coat
of arms of the city. For many years, Malatya is the largest exporter of
apricots in the world. Not surprisingly, the yellow fruit, ripening in the sun,
are the best there. People just love their fruit, that since 1978 has been
organized Apricot Festival in Malatya. The most delicious for me are dry apricots. 
So now maybe something about my favorite fruit. Diyarbakir (formerly Amida). Place where the biggest watermelons grow. The city's population is about 850,000. The city is located in the south-east Turkey, on the banks of the river Tigris. Diyarbakir has a semi-arid climate with hot and dry summers and cold and wet winters. 
