This picture was taken at the Istanbul airport just before we departed for our respective destinations – Jyothi & I to India while Sid & Prerana left for the UK
Continuing from the last Postcard, here is the final piece of my 4-part travelogue describing our incredible trip to Turkiye…
Day 6
Day 6 was meant to be a day of long walks.
On our leisurely walk, we passed by some interesting sights.
Ah! Open-air Istanbul!
For instance, a Bentley Continental GT car used by the Istanbul Traffic Police and parked near the Blue Mosque has an interesting story. 
This car is part of a 23-car seizure from a drug trafficker. The vehicles range from high-end luxury cars like the Porsche Taycan to performance cars like the Ferrari 458 and Volkswagen Golf R. According to the Daily Telegraph, Ayik was the leader of the Comanchero Motorcycle gang based in Australia and had an estimated fortune of somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 billion. He and 36 of his associates were arrested in Istanbul. The court handed over these cars to the police who are now using them on the Istanbul streets. If nothing, the Bentley was offering a lot of publicity to the Istanbul Traffic Police – many people were taking pictures. Trafficker to Traffic!
Or a colorful open-air cafe…so inviting!
Or a street wall decorated with ceramic leftover pieces. I was reminded of the Rock Garden in Chandigarh, which I visited a long ago…
Or Istanbul’s ubiquitous cats…
We were to visit Istanbul’s bustling bazaars.
Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar
First, we headed to the Grand Bazaar.
The Grand Bazaar is one of the world’s largest and oldest covered markets – dating back to the 15th century – with 61 streets and over 4,000 shops. In 2014, it was listed as No.1 among the world’s most-visited tourist attractions. In 2022, 40 million people visited the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is often regarded as one of the world’s first shopping malls.
The construction of the future Grand Bazaar’s core started during the winter of 1455/56, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, and was part of a broader initiative to stimulate economic prosperity in Istanbul.
Having visited another historic market – Chandni Chowk – in Delhi, I found a lot of similarities. In Chandni Chowk too, one finds a concentration of similar businesses on the same street. For instance, in Chandni Chowk, Dariba Kalan is known for silverware and Khari Baoli specializes in spices. You can read more about my Chandni Chowk visit here.
We had all the time in the world to stroll through the Grand Bazaar. I made it a point to follow Jyothi, Sid & Prerana so that I knew where they had stopped…or entered a shop. Occasionally, I strayed from the group to take pictures but quickly returned.
The Grand Bazaar was a veritable treat for shoppers. The vendors were very tourist-friendly and kept inviting us into their shops. It reminded me of New Delhi – a combination of the open-plan Dilli Haat and the covered Palika Bazaar (in its heydays, of course!).
More than just a shopping center, the Grand Bazaar was a vibrant social space where people gathered to shop, meet, and socialize. It is part of Istanbul’s cultural milieu. I spotted several senior citizen shopowners very elegantly dressed – some with ties, jackets, and moccasins. They were chatting in small groups. I surmised that the next generation had taken over their trade and this was their time to step back into the shade and enjoy each other’s company.
Water fountains can be found in public places in Istanbul and the Grand Bazaar was no exception.
The sight reminded me of the traditional ‘Piao’ (drinking water kiosk) found in Delhi in those days – it was a much-needed service in the Delhi heat and served as an act of charity. During those days, affluent folks with a charitable disposition set up such kiosks on the streets of Delhi. During my last visit, I was pleasantly surprised to spot an old ‘Piao’ still in service in Chandni Chowk. Travelers have a habit of connecting the dots during such travels.
We stopped at a hole-in-the-wall joint inside the Grand Bazaar and enjoyed some hot tea.
Street food
On the way out of the Grand Bazaar, we enjoyed some street food – delicious vegetarian wraps.
Incidentally, whether at home or abroad, wherever we go, we do try street food. All over India, the most authentic and tasty food is often available at nondescript restaurants, hole-in-the-wall joints, roadside Dhabas, and local pushcarts. With zero advertising, some operating without even a signboard, and some almost hidden from sight, these eateries are made popular by their fiercely loyal customers.
You may not find these places very clean. Aesthetics is not their strong point. Going by the latest definition of customer service, many of them could end up scoring very low points. Don’t expect a smile from the owner as you enter the eatery or a uniformed waiter to attend to you. Don’t expect any individual attention or a printed menu on your table.
On the contrary, many of these eateries could be dimly lit, that is, if they are operating out of a building because some of these eateries could be just pushcarts. With no proper exhaust mechanism, you could be engulfed by the smoke from the kitchen. The owner could be looking tired and the waiters dispirited. The tables could be scarred from heavy-duty use and the chairs sagging. It is as if these eateries consider their infrastructure as an unnecessary distraction so that patrons can focus on the real deal.
After the tour of the Grand Bazaar, we entered the Spice Bazaar. Built in 1660, it is much smaller than the Grand Bazaar – some 85-odd shops selling spices, Turkish Delight and other sweets, jewelry, souvenirs, and dried fruits and nuts. Many of the shops offered sample sweets for tasting.
The shops were a riot of colors. We bought some spices and some sweets to take back to India & the UK.
Afeti Devran
From the Spice Bazaar, we headed to Haci Ismail Hakkizade Hafiz Mustafa (HM for short), estd. 1884, to taste their iconic Afeti Devran. Jyothi had been following a chef on Instagram and she had spotted him enjoying this dish at HM. It was on Jyothi’s recommendation that we added a visit to HM to our itinerary.
Delectable, it is a monster of a dish. Thankfully, we had ordered only one plate which we shared amongst ourselves.
Don’t miss Jyothi’s expression of sublime satisfaction…
Turkish Sand Coffee
It was time to catch up with another Turkish specialty – Turkish Sand Coffee at Kozde Kahve!
Traditionally, a cup of Turkish coffee is brewed using a pan filled with sand that is heated over an open flame. The sand-filled pan allows for total control over the heat. Cups left on the surface stay warm, and the heat used for brewing can be adjusted by the depth of the coffee in the sand. The fine coffee grinds and water are added to a special wide-bottomed pot called a cezve, and then they are mixed and placed in the hot sand. The sand creates an even heat, and the coffee foams to the top almost immediately. The cezve is removed and added to the sand three to four times and served in a small cup. The coffee grounds quickly settle to the bottom, making for a strong, thick cup of coffee.
Art-on-the-move
On the way back to the hotel, we passed by an Art Museum. Prerana spotted an open-air workshop on Paper Marbling and wanted to try her hand at it.
Paper marbling is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to smooth marble or other kinds of stone. The patterns are the result of color floating on either plain water or a viscous solution and then carefully transferred to an absorbent surface, such as paper or fabric. Through several centuries, people have applied marbled materials to a variety of surfaces. Part of its appeal is that each print is a unique monotype.
By now I was quite tired and found a bench under a tree to rest. I carried all the shopping bags and for the next hour or so, I could rest my limbs.
At the end of an hour, Prerana was delicately holding a sheet of paper rather victoriously. Given that each such artwork is unique, here was another masterpiece from Prerana after her masterpiece at the pottery studio, Chez Garip, at Avanos (Postcard from Turkiye -3)
We returned to the hotel after a long, tiring, and incredible day.
Day 7
Day 7 was special because it was Jyothi’s birthday. While this trip was meant as a gift to Jyothi for her birthday, we planned to head to Viyana Kahvesi for their iconic Cheesecake, another of Jyothi’s recommendations. But then to taste that Cheesecake, we had to head to Asia – we were still in Europe.
Europe to Asia in minutes
You see, Istanbul is the only Transcontinental city in the world. It straddles both Europe and Asia. Istanbul’s European part is separated from its Asian part by the Bosphorus Strait. This 31-km-long waterway connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and forms a natural boundary between the two continents. The Metro runs underwater in this part of Istanbul.
We took the Metro from Asia (from the Sirkeci station)…
and reached Europe (at the Ayrilik Cesmesi station) in a few minutes. Fascinating! Isn’t it?
It was to be another day of long walks.
We headed to Rulo Ezberbozan Lezzetler, a budget vegan restaurant in the Kadikoy region of Istanbul. It was based on Sid’s recommendation. We could choose a platter or a wrap. Behind a glass counter, a lady presided over a variety of items that went into the platter or the wrap. We just had to point it out and she would add that item to the meal. The fact that the restaurant was vegan was a relief – we could point to any item behind the glass counter to be added to our order.
The portions were generous. The platter looked very inviting. All the items were very tasty and we ended up having a hearty meal.
We continued our walk through the town. The Asian side seemed much more relaxed and laid back. We passed through residential areas and leafy neighborhoods.
During her travels, Prerana has a habit of collecting storybooks of local folk tales. However, we browsed a couple of bookshops during our walk but found none to her liking. But then as compensation, she saw something she loves – a cat peeping out of a home window.
NosTRAMgia
The next item on the agenda was to take a short tram ride.
Istanbul had a system of horse trams in 1871 and it gradually changed to electric trams. But then as the city turned modern, the tram service in Istanbul closed down in 1966. However, by the mid-1980s, the city realized its mistake of shutting down the tram operations and the tram system returned more as a heritage tramway, mainly as a tourist attraction, and as a test system to see how trams would be accepted by the younger generations in Istanbul.
We took the Kadikoy-Moda Nostalgia Tramway that had opened in 2003.
The short ride was a little rough with some jerks. That was only to be expected because sometimes revisiting history leaves you a little shaken.
But then getting in touch with history firsthand was a moving experience. Quite literally…
Viyana Kahvesi
The next stop was Viyana Kahvesi for their iconic Cheesecake. Ah! Sinfully delicious!
The birthday girl was very happy with the celebrations.
In a way, this was the high point of the trip.
On the way back to the hotel, Prerana picked up her Dondurma (ice cream is known as Dondurma in Turkiye) in full trademark show.
Winding down
Our trip was coming to an end. It was time to wind down. However, there were still a few items pending on the list: some souvenir purchases, and a Turkish massage for Jyothi that was planned for the next day. Sid and Prerana wanted to visit the Blue Mosque once again while I wanted to take it easy and begin writing my ‘Postcard from Turkiye’ in the comfort of the hotel room. Prerana helped me recall the day-wise itinerary for my writing. I made my notes.
On the final day, things went as planned. While Jyothi disappeared for her Turkish massage (we gathered that it was a heavenly experience), Sid & Prerana went about the Blue Mosque and took some more pictures. I was in the hotel room busy on my phone organizing the pictures and the videos for my writing. I would go back to Bangalore and begin the actual writing and was looking forward to it.
As we were being driven to the airport, all of us were quiet. Just as I was doing, I suspect all of us were recalling in slo-mo the splendid time that we had had as a family. There had been so much to savor.
My Quote #221 says, ‘Some travels have the power to redirect your life.’
Such travel experiences act as force multipliers to further strengthen family bonding. And that’s certainly bound to redirect our lives as a family…to a higher plane.
Read my last 3 ‘Postcards on Turkiye’…
