Michael Powell's Blog, page 114

Gezi Park – After the Storm

Following the wild weekend, we ventured back up to Gezi Park on Sunday to see how things were going. The police had pulled out, leaving Taksim Square wholly in the hands of protesters. There were thousands of people gathered around the square, and a festive atmosphere. We saw hundreds of volunteers cleaning up the trash and broken glass which had accumulated over the weekend, and others, less civic-minded, posing in front of vandalized, flipped-over cars.

We both felt much more at ease than we...

The Gezi Park Protests in Istanbul

I’m at my desk in Cihangir, trying to finish up a post about the Yeni Camii, while outside the dueling sounds of chanting and tear gas cannons clamor for my attention. When just outside your window, tens of thousands of people are clashing with police in an extended protest that’s making headlines around the world, it’s a little hard to concentrate on anything else.

The drama started on Friday in Gezi Park. A small group had occupied this park near Taksim Square, to protest a new shopping mall...

Miniaturk – Touring Turkey the Lazy Way

Spread across some of the most beautiful land in Europe and the Middle East, Turkey is a huge country with a jaw-dropping number of incredible sights. Visiting all its highlights would be a project that takes a lot longer than 91 days. Luckily, there’s an alternative. Welcome to Miniaturk.

Opened in 2003, Miniaturk is a bizarre theme park that reproduces the wonders of Turkey in miniature. And it’s exactly as kitschy and fun as you might expect. Found at the end of the Golden Horn, across from...

The Ottoman Fortress of Rumeli Hisarı

It was the mid 15th-century, and although the Ottoman army had long since surrounded the city, Constantinople was proving stubbornly resistant. In order to more effectively isolate the Byzantine capital, the invaders hastily constructed the Rumeli Hisarı. Today, this fortress along the Bosphorus is in marvelous condition and makes for a fun outing.

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By running a heavy chain (a section of which can be seen in the Military Museum) between Rumeli Hisarı and its Asian counterpart, the Analodu Hisar...

The Bosphorus Villages of Arnavutköy and Bebek

Though they’re adjacent to each other on the European shore of the Bosphorus Strait, the seaside towns of Arnavutköy and Bebek are worlds apart. Dr. Jeckyll, meet Mr. Hyde.

Ah, Arnavutköy and Bebek. One of you has retained the charm of a sleepy fishing village, with narrow alleys and a peaceful seaside atmosphere. The other is an obnoxious mess of playboys tooling around in Porsches they’ve done nothing to earn. One demonstrates the subdued and tasteful application of accumulated wealth, while...

Mant More Manti!

Manti are best understood as Turkish tortellini. Really, there’s little to distinguish them from their more famous Italian cousins. Pockets of dough stuffed with meat, potato, cheese, spinach, or anything else, this delicious Turkish staple immediately won a place in our hearts.

The classic Turkish manti are tiny, peanut-sized dough pockets filled with meat, usually lamb. They’re served in a bowl with a healthy wallop of yogurt, and optional garlic sauce. Their diminutive size makes easy to sc...

Üsküdar’s Çınılı Camii & Hamam

Having hiked up Istanbul’s biggest hill, the Büyük Çamlıca, our tired bones had earned a reward. So, after making our way to the gorgeous Çınılı Camii, Üsküdar’s Tiled Mosque, we ended the day by resting in its hamam.

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Built in 1640, the Çınılı Camii is a miniature work of art, reminiscent of Tathakale’s Rüstem Paşa Camii (perhaps our favorite of Istanbul’s mosques). The doors were locked tight when we arrived, but it wasn’t difficult to locate a caretaker who was happy to open up. The Çınılı C...

Büyük Çamlıca: Istanbul’s Biggest Hill

As anyone who’s spent time walking around here will know, Istanbul is a city of hills. Giant, soul-crushing hills which suck the very life from your legs. So tackling Istanbul’s biggest hill, the Büyük Çamlıca in Üsküdar, was something we dreaded… but were excited to be done with. After this, it couldn’t get any worse!

Amazingly, the walk up Istanbul’s highest hill was a piece of cake, because the mini-bus from the Üsküdar piers brings you most of the way up. But even had it been a grueling tw...

Sirkeci Station and the Orient Express

The Orient Express, which once linked Paris to Istanbul, is almost definitely the most famous train line in the world. Favored by the kings, statesmen and spies of Europe’s tumultuous 20th century, the line’s eastern terminus was Istanbul’s magnificent Sirkeci Station.

Today, Sirkeci Station retains only a fraction of its former glory. Built by a Prussian in the “European Orientalist” style, the building is beautiful, but has an undeniable atmosphere of decrepitude. It looks old and dusty, lik...

The Istanbul History of Science and Technology in Islam Museum

The Istanbul History of Science and Technology in Islam Museum… needs a new name. Look, Disneyland wouldn’t be nearly as popular if it were called “The Anaheim Place of Enjoyment and Fun with Cartoon Characters Theme Park”. Yes, we know exactly what to expect from the Istanbul History of Science and Technology in Islam Museum, but by the time we’re done saying its name, we no longer feel like going!

While Europe was mired in the Dark Ages, the world’s most advanced learning was being done by I...