Michael Powell's Blog, page 116

The Gül Camii and Aya Nikola

Istanbul has no shortage of cool old churches and mosques, and it can often feel like too much of a good thing. “You know”, Jürgen or I will remark on a increasingly frequent basis, “I think we’ve visited enough mosques”. And we’ll briefly consider changing the day’s plans. But what are we going to do? Just ignore something as cool as the Rose Mosque?

When entering an extremely old mosque, we’ve learned to look for the placement of the mihrab: the semicircular niche which indicates the directi...

The Rezan Has Museum

Set in the basement of an old tobacco factory on the southern shore of the Golden Horn, the Rezan Has Museum presents a thoughtful walk through Turkey’s archaeological history, from the copper age to the arrival of the Selçuks.

The former Cibali Tobacco and Cigarette Factory is today home to the Kadir Has University. The factory dates from 1888, but was abandoned for decades before being purchased by a foundation which, following the examples of the Istanbul Modern and Santralİstanbul, discove...

Our First Hamam: The Kılıç Ali Paşa

It’s hard to imagine that we could have found a better place for our first Turkish bath than the Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı. This historic hamam in Tophane is one of Istanbul’s most beautiful, and has only recently reopened after years of restoration. We were invited to visit on a Sunday afternoon.

Contemporary Turkish hamams find themselves in a difficult position. For centuries, these public bath houses were an integral part of Ottoman life. Islam places great significance on cleanliness, and ham...

The Historic Arcades of İstiklal Caddesi

I’m beginning to think that we could have dedicated 91 days to just Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district. In fact, a blog devoted entirely to the city’s main shopping street isn’t inconceivable. İstiklal Caddesi For 91 Days. The number of bars, restaurants, shops, theaters and galleries along “Independence Street” is overwhelming. We recently spent an entire day exploring ten of its historic arcades.

The most famous of İstiklal’s arcades is the Çiçek Pasajı, or the Flower Passage. This is one of the pr...

The Land Walls – Day Two

The Walls of Theodosius protected Constantinople from invasion for a thousand years, until finally being breached by the Ottoman forces of Mehmet II in 1453. Aside from the magnificent old walls themselves, there are a number of sights along them, and a walk along their length, from the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn, makes for an excellent excursion. It’s only six kilometers and could easily be completed in a day, but we decided to split it into two.

Eager to get started on a big day of hi...

The Panorama 1453 History Museum

The Conquest of Constantinople was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most important event in Turkish history. On May 29th 1453, the Ottomans put an end to the Byzantines, and began a lengthy reign as one of the world’s most powerful empires, after the troops of Sultan Mehmet II managed to breach the Theodosian Walls. Today, near the exact spot of the Byzantine Empire’s final stand, there’s a museum which recreates the battle in stunning detail.

The Panorama 1453 History Museum is unlike anythin...

A Walk Along the Land Walls – Day One

Stretching for six kilometers from the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn, the Land Walls of Theodosius II kept Constantinople safe from invaders for over a thousand years… until the arrival of the Ottomans and their giant cannons in 1453. The walls have survived mostly intact to the present day, and a walk along them makes for a rewarding day out. Or, as in our case, multiple days out.

We started at the Marble Tower, which marks the southern terminus of the walls at the Sea of Marmara. The tow...

A Walk Along the Land Walls – Part I

Stretching for six kilometers from the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn, the Land Walls of Theodosius II kept Constantinople safe from invaders for over a thousand years… until the arrival of the Ottomans and their giant cannons in 1453. The walls have survived mostly intact to the present day, and a walk along them makes for a rewarding day out. Or, as in our case, multiple days out.

We started at the Marble Tower, which marks the southern terminus of the walls at the Sea of Marmara. The tow...

The Istanbul Film Festival and Turkish Cinema

Run by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts since 1982, the Istanbul Film Festival brings excellent movies from around the world to the city’s theaters, with a special focus on home-grown cinema. And as we’ve learned since arriving, there is plenty to celebrate about Turkish cinema.

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Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia)

Although we’re huge movie-goers (and even run a film website called Criticker in our day jobs), and even though Istanbul’s festival ran for two full wee...

Istanbul Quick Eats: Kumpir, Çiğ Köfte & Soggy Burgers

Hustling from mosque to mosque, museum to museum, climbing steep hills, darting across traffic to catch the tram, or leaping onto an Asia-bound ferry at the last minute… You can work up quite an appetite while navigating Istanbul! While on the go, we’re often in the mood for something more substantial than a simit, but have no time for a real meal. Luckily, Istanbul has plenty of cheap ways to fill up on quick energy… here are a few of our favorites:

I think we can all agree on the tastiness o...