Galata Tower and those in Genoa share a lot of similarities. They’re both set in hilly locations and have famous towers and funiculars. Like Istanbul, Genoa is built on a series of steep hills and dates back centuries. The old city centre is made up of tiny streets and narrow alleys called caruggi, with numerous…
I’m never without a book in my hand, next to my bed or in my handbag. They’re as essential to me as breathing. Wherever I travel or live, finding the nearest bookshop is high on my list of things to do, and thankfully there are English Language Bookshops Istanbul. There are pasajlar (passages) on both…
I love Islamic architecture and have been in more mosques than I can count. However after travelling in Istanbul and Turkey for a month with my Dad, in 2007, I was mosqued out. Dad was fascinated by them and big or small, famous or completely unknown, he wanted to see inside every one we passed….
I’ve had a passion for funiculars and vertical railways since my Dad took me on the Scenic Railway in the Blue Mountains in Australia when I was seven. Back then it went from the top of the cliff to the bottom of the valley at high speed in about ten seconds flat. These days it’s…
Where ever I’ve lived in Turkey (so far Istanbul, Kayseri and also Antalya for a while), there have been sosyal tesisleri. Roughly translating as social facilities, they’re designed to add value to the social life of the residents of the towns and cities where they’re located. There are many Istanbul Sosyal Tesisleri providing green areas,…
I recently went to visit Suleymaniye Mosque (cami in Turkish) after last having seen it in 1996. Despite being some time ago, I still had memories of its majestic grandeur. However nothing really prepares you for just how light this solid structure appears. It seems to be perched on the edge of a hill overlooking the…
Tucked away in an almost overlooked corner of Sirkeci Railway Station in Istanbul, the one room Sirkeci Railway Museum is a ferroequinologist’s (someone who studies trains) delight. In fact, even people like me who see trains simply as a useful form of transport will find lots here to enjoy. Sirkeci Railway Station was built in…
Anyone who’s ever visited Istanbul, even for the shortest time, will have seen a kedi (Turkish for cat) or two (hundred). It’s no surprise really, as love for cats in Turkey goes all the way back to the life and times of the Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him. Muhammed was raised by his uncle…
Nowadays Emirgan Park is known around the world for its famous tulip festival held in the grounds every April. Beds of these once priceless flowers cascade down the winding paths and slopes, blanketing the banks of the Bosphorus with a wealth of colour and vibrancy. Less well-known is the history of the park. In the…
A recent visit to the Turkey Is Bank Museum took me back to my primary school years. I can still remember a man from the bank standing in our classroom telling us all about the merits of saving. Or some such thing. Truth be told, as an eight year old I was more interested in…