culture
There are many guides to the sites in Istanbul which are listed on our website but these are some of the recommendations by our families.
For art lovers who are in Istanbul or visiting:
- Modern Art Museum is free Thursdays for residences of Turkey (so show your Turkish ID). - Pera Museum is free every Friday between 6pm and 10pm. - Sabancı museum is free every Wednesday. - Doğançay müzesi is a free museum (Balo Sk. N°42, Beyoğlu). - Yapı Kredi Kültür Sanat (İstiklal Caddesi No: 161), exhibitions and events are free of charge. Source: from a member of "Foreign Women in Istanbul" Facebook group.
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If you've not been to the Anatolian side of Istanbul, here's a little video clip to encourage you to go explore. The neighborhoods of Kadikoy and Moda are good places to start.
https://www.facebook.com/nytimes/videos/1937731286444384/ I had a great time today visiting Arnatvukoy which was named after Albanian builders brought to Istanbul in the 19th century to lay sidewalks. The 19th and early 20th century architecture is beautiful.
Some of our families have provided the following suggestions when visiting the Princes' Islands. For more detailed information on the Princes' Islands, have a look at the Lonely Planet guide:
I spent a week on Buyukuda last year. We stayed in an airbnb but there were plenty of boutique hotels around. Hire a bike and go exploring. It is just such a lovely island to wander around. Stand outs were the old greek orphanage (the oldest wooden structure for the size) and this cafe is a must - Eskibagteras - paradisoscafe&rest Splendid Hotel on Buyukuda is lovely (only open from April to September). I'd recommend visiting Heybeliada - less touristy than Büyükada & there is a very beautiful 11thC Greek Orthodox monastery set in a lovely garden, which is well worth the walk up the hill! Splendid views. I visited the largest of the Princes Islands (Büyükada). Well worth it for the architecture and history - see the photos. You would probably need a few days to visit the others as well. Ferries are limited until April apparently. This is the website for the ferry timetable. The tour company Istanbul Tours Studio has been highly recommended. It does tours of 19th century architecture in Istanbul amongst others.
Arnavutkoy is worth a visit if you are interested in Art Nouveau architecture. "Named after the Albanian (Arnavut) builders brought to Istanbul by Sultan Abdülmescid in the 19th century to lay sidewalks in the city, Arnavutköy is home to beautiful wooden houses, many of them lining the Bosphorus waterside". For more information, read this article.
The Florence Nightingale Museum is housed in the Selimiye Army Barracks and is well worth a visit. You have to seek permission from the army to visit the museum but the process is straightforward. Have a look at the website for more details:
While you are in the area, you may also want to visit the Haidar Pasha cemetery which has the grave of the first British Ambassador to Turkey, graves from the Crimean war and other war graves. The latest copy of Cornucopia (Issue 52, 2015) has very interesting articles on both sites. The Koc museum in Istanbul is well worth a visit, with examples of mechanical and industrial design, children's activities and a planetarium. The restaurants associated with the museum are excellent too.
The Chora Church museum features magnificent mosaics from the 12th century and is well worth a visit. Next door is the Asitane restaurant which features dishes from the royal palaces of the Sultans from the 16th century.
The Pera museum has a number of excellent exhibitions on at the moment on Orientalism which are worth visiting and a great coffee shop.
The Sabanci museum also has some very interesting exhibitions on show on Joan Miro and Turkish paintings from the Ottoman period to the Republic. |