Recently, my neighbourhood Goztepe Istanbul, 20 minutes inland from Kadıköy by bus, has become somewhat popular with Chinese and Taiwanese tourists. Apparently my middle class, middle average nothing much happens mahalle has been featured on Weibo and Rednote, popular Chinese social media platforms. The very fact Goztepe is so normal and ordinary is what they…
Today Kadikoy is a hive of activity, packed with cheesemongers and charcuteries, cafes and coffee shops galore, popular bars, cheap student eats and a smattering of upmarket restaurants. So much so I decided to write this brief Kadikoy guide so you can find all my posts about the neighbourhood in the one place.
In an effort to improve my Turkish and learn what’s going on in my neighbourhood, I regularly check out the Kadikoy Council website. That’s how I discovered their initiative, Dukkan Kadikoy Council Waste Free Shop. It sells products and foods that are long-lasting, ecologically sustainable, produced from indigenous seeds, non-poisonous and seasonal, sourced from local…
I’ve been using public transport since forever. I have a driver’s licence but to be honest, the idea of driving in Istanbul scares the living daylights out of me. Besides, the traffic is so heavy I’d prefer to be on a bus, train or ferry, free to chat, read or look out the window, rather…
When I was about 12, I was bored to tears by rock music. My brother was in a band and practised for hours. If I wasn’t listening to him pick his way through chord progressions, the walls were shaking to the sound of early raw ACDC. They were known as ‘Acca Dacca’ in Australia, and…
Istanbul is world famous for glorious historical sites in the old city of Sultanahmet like the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace to name a few. Once you’ve seen them, what’s next? A completely different experience awaits with this Istanbul itinerary Asian side, based at Hotel Suadiye* on the Asian side of the city. Istanbul itinerary…
I’d love to start this post by writing that I go to my local Istanbul street market in Göztepe every Monday but I can’t. My husband’s the one who goes. He’s known to the vendors as the Turkish looking foreigner (his mother was Italian) who buys the food for his family, rejects any apples, strawberries…
Get more out of your next trip to Istanbul by coming to the Asian side of the city and exploring Kadikoy with the help of a long term resident. I’ve used my knowledge and years of experience to research and create a self-guided Kadikoy walking tour called Stepping Back Through Chalcedon: A Kadikoy Walking Tour…
I’m a long time Kadikoy resident and I love it. The maze of backstreets with no names where it’s easy to get lost as you stop and stare, duck in and out of little shops to taste and touch and buy. However when you’ve only come over on a day trip from your hotel in…
Tombs are very important in Dervish traditions in Turkey and elsewhere. One tomb I particularly love is in a suburb called Merdivenköy, also on the Asian side of Istanbul. Today this is a heavily built up residential area but the suffix köy, meaning village, points to its history. During the reign of the Ottoman sultans…