istanbul

Through the streets of Istanbul: My experience discovering the city’s distinct neighbourhood vibes

Alhamdulillah , I’ve spent countless hours wandering through charming streets of Istanbul, whether it’s for sightseeing, people-watching, or simply soaking in the atmosphere.

What hit me, is the distinct feel that each neighbourhood contains. It adds to the interesting history and experience of Istanbul, and it means you’ll never tire exploring this colossal city!

So heres what I have discovered:

Uskudar

This charming neighbourhood is rich in history and culture.

At any given moment, you will hear 2-3 adhan at the same time and there is a distinct Muslim feel such as in Ramadan.

There are plenty restaurants, local stores, markets and a promenade to walk along the Bosphorous.

Here’s a link to my top 6 best things to see in Uskudar

Arnavutkoy: For good coffee, a lovely stroll along the Bosphorous or to see the unusual and beautiful houses. I came here once for sunrise and it was spectacular Alhamdulillah.

Balat and Fener

Balat you will go to for something different – so many interesting things to see in the streets, like colourful walls and quaint cafes and stores.

There are historical monuments to see as well so makes for a great day out to share amazing tourist photos on Instagram!

I wrote a longer post on spending a full day out here – you can read it here

Bebek, Besiktas

Here you find modern cafes, smart cars and beautiful Bosphorus views.

Bebek Parki is a gorgeous little park with kids playground, sandpit and area to ride bikes.

There are kumpir and waffle, ice cream places dotted along the streets near the Bosphorous, so you could takeaway your lunch and sit near the boats and relax in the evening.

Cihangir

 Street walks and views. Lovely breakfast spots and independent coffee shops.

Taksim

One of my favourite places in Istanbul because the vibe there is unparalleled!

Most people come here for street shopping, and while you do get almost the same stores at a mall, theres just a lively tourist feel here thats appealing. I do recommend to soak in the atmosphere

You’ll find a variety of cuisines in Taksim – including some of the best Indian/Pakistani and Iranian food in the city.

Theres plenty of street food options as well, so come hungry!

You can also visit the museums such as Illusions, Madame Tussauds.

The new Taksim Camii near Taksim square is worth a check out.

Galata

The area around Galata tower is filled with vibrant windy streets and funky stores!

Behind the tower, is the famous Viyana Kahve for San sebastian cheesecake – look, their cholcoate topping is good but take it from me – you could get this anywhere in Istanbul so dont feel disheartened if you miss it here!

Anyway, I have roamed this area at night (be more careful with tourists etc) and in the day, and its always busy!

Besiktas

Transport hub, with connections to all over the city. Always busy, plenty of great places to eat at and shopping here is also good. There are a few museums worth checking out near the Bosphorous.

BaĹźakĹźehir

This is up and coming neighbourhood, with lots of expats here, there are international food options.

Plenty of parks and open spaces that have been created.

Near to Mall of Istanbul, a mega shopping centre.

We would only venture here to meet our friends, otherwise its quite far out from the Besiktas centre so wouldn’t simply recommend!

Emirgan

Lovely, leafy neighbourhood, near the Bosphorous.

There are restaurants and cafes alongside, where you could take relaxing walks.

Emirgan park is worth a check out – its on a hill so I suggest starting on the top and making your way down 🙂 There are playgrounds, picnic spots, restaurant, tulip garden in season (April/May) and a small pond and waterfall.

Sultanahmet

The historic centre in the old part of Istanbul. There always a buzz here too, of course unmissable Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and other museums and important sites.

You could wander around here till you get to the Grand Bazaar – enter if you have the right amount of energy (and money!) to!!

Dont forget the streets of Sirceci for shopping and picking up a bargain (with haggling!).

Its quieter at night, not really a hang out spot, but there are plenty of dinner places here so youll always have something to do if you are staying in the area.

Rumeli Hisari
Another great place to take a relaxing stroll along the Bosphorus, eat out at any of the delightful cafes and restaurants and visit the Rumeli Fort (closed at time of writing this post) which is one of my favourte places in Istanbul

Karakoy

Has a chilled, hippie kind of vibe! Here you’ll find very distinct coffee shops, has a great nightlife. Near Galataport so makes for a good place to hang out for the afternoon. Filled with interesting streets to discover and lots of photo opportunities!

Ortakoy

Another amazing area to explore for a local vibe if you’re walking through the streets – markets with fresh fruit, homeware and street cafes.

Or you could head for the sahil to the Ortakoy Camii thats on the water which is beautiful and peaceful inside.

For food, go for kumpir and waffles or dine at any of the restaurants – great at night or during the day – its always busy!

There are a few open market stalls for souvenirs and jewellery. A small playground to keep the kids happy while you shop around!

There you have it, a run down of all the big areas in Istanbul, for weeks of exploring!

Which is your favourite spot to hang out at?

An escape from the city to Anadolu Kavagi

We love the hustle and bustle of Istanbul , but every now and then we welcome a break for fresh air and new sights.

This time we visited Anadolu Kavagi in Beykoz, on Asian side. This is a small village located at the point where the Bosphorus meets the Black sea. There are charming little sights to take in and and breath taking views.

Here’s a full day out itinerary you could follow:

  1. Walk around the little town, marveling at the charming houses (10 minutes)

2. Climb up Yoros Castle discover the ruins, take in the sweeping views, and see the furthest point of the Bosphorus. You could eat at the restaurants up there, but everything is priced at a premium. (1 -2 hours)

3. Visit tomb of Prophet Yusha (AS). There are signs in English. There’s a cami with full facilities there too where we prayed Jumuah. (1 hour with salaah)

4. Eat fresh fish at the seafood restaurants. Look for “alkolsuz” (no alcohol) for a more halal version.

5. Have local dondurma (ice cream) to cool down 🍦

We took a ferry from Sariyer to Anadolu, (15 minutes) and the ferry back stopped right at Bebek ( EU side) making it super convenient (1 hour)

It was a fabulous day out Alhamdulillah for a breather and being in unspoilt nature.

Would you like to visit? I feel like everyone would have their own special experience there with the unique sights, sounds and feels. Let me know what you love the most about it!

ErtuÄźrul Gazi tomb: This ain’t a movie site- so go, but go with correct intention!

Yes, it finally happened!

I’ve always wanted to go to Sogut to visit the burial place for Ertugral Gazi and some of his family members. But I didn’t manage to for the past 5 years living in Istanbul because:

a) it felt like my intention wasn’t right – this is a graveyard for a real person, not a movie set for Engin (The Turkish actor who plays his role in the hit series Diliris Ertugral)
b) the distance of 4 hours to drive with two kids to this remote town had zero appeal to me.

Until last year, Alhamdulillah we got an out of the blue opportunity to go with our friends visiting from South Africa who had hired a car and driver and wanted us to join the road trip! So having great company (and no kids!) and travelling in comfort made it all the more worth it (even if some of us dozed for most of the ride!). I also managed to correct my intention to remind myself that I was going to visit the resting place for a great Muslim personality in our rich history. Although not much is known about him- what we do know is that he raised one of the greatest leaders in modern Islamic history, Osman Gazi who founded the Ottoman Empire- one of the most powerful states in the world.

It took us around 4 hours (one way) with one comfort break at a petrol station. Total duration for the whole trip with lunch stop 10 hours- we left around 8am from Besiktas and we made it back home for kids bedtime.

What to see at the tomb site


What’s to see at the site:

– Tomb and burial sites for Ertugal, Halime Hanim, Turgut Alp and others. We made dua here and walked around the site.
– There are some Alps dressed in traditional gear to give you some movie vibes- but that’s it – don’t expect more
– Souvenir shop with plenty swords, IYI tribe gear and houseware and gifts which was great to check out.
– Sadly facilities are linited for toilets and food. Small snacks and drinks you may find only.

Length of visit : 1 hour maximum

What I learnt from the visit:
I was quite touched at the site, thinking back to what it must have been like in those days to fight for land and rights and how these amazing leaders had a vision for their people that they managed to fulfil. It’s really remarkable what they achieved and its important to teach our children about this important part of our muslim history.

Read more on this site in Sogut here

Lunch in Sapanca



What’s to see around there:
There are some other things such as Ertugrul Gazi Museum and the house of Sheikh Edebali. We stopped at Sapanca for lunch on way back to Istanbul because we really needed to pack in more value for this rather this long day out! You could drive to Bursa to make it a longer trip with overnight stay.

So is it worth it to go to or not?
No easy answer from me, sorry! I am glad I went, there is alot of significance for this site – if you are willing to read up or watch the series even for inspiration. In my case, there was a bigger picture of spending time with my friend as well for a couples outing after ages, but everyone’s motivation is different so you need to decide whether you would want to spend your time and energy on this trip out to Sogut!


Have you been, what did you enjoy about your visit? If you haven’t, been yet, is this on your bucket list?


Visit to Ihlamur Kasiri (Palace & grounds)

An oasis  of calm in the busy Sisli/ Besiktas area!

I recently went out with my 3 year old boy to spend the morning in nature and we both had a blast! 


What’s to see?

                          Spectacular palace (Entry to the palace for a separate fee)


                                        Beautiful peacocks always a pleasure to watch.


                                    Ample space to walk around beautiful trees and flowers.

                Rabbit hatch – take along carrots and lettuce to feed the animals.

                                                            Two ponds, with ducks & turtles 

Look out on my Instagram account for the FULL video of the cute turtle trying to get up on the edge next to his turtle friend and not quite making it! 

FOOD:

Cafe /restaurant with full menu.
It’s technically a museum so picnics aren’t allowed. Small snacks are ok.

Flat, stroller friendly. Good for toddlers, but requires a watchful eye near the main pond area as it’s open with no barrier.

Across the road from the palace are two playgrounds with swings, slides etc so you could add that to your day if the kids want more activity.

A great way to spend some time in nature and be near animals – a precious find in Istanbul!

Will you go to visit ?

discovering Istanbul, one kid-friendly place at a time,

Taskeen
Productive Muslim Mom

Dinosaur Themed Garden Party for a Three Year Old

 ZAYD TURNED THREE!  Alhamdulillah 

We hosted a simple dinosaur theme garden party at home. As always, I used smart ways to bring the theme alive that don’t break the bank.

{Read my blog post for ideas on how I throw parties on budget with max fun!}

Here are the elements for the party with a few close friends:

Plates & matching crockery. This has a great impact. I bought a package this time including decor, so it was all in one no need to search for different items (and forget stuff!)

Table setting and food : We had roast beef sandwiches for hungry carnivores, savoury muffins, honey pancake rollups (made by my friend Ayesha- Martha Stewart recipe- yum) , dino eggs (grapes) for herbivores

                                         

Sugar free cake, iced with whipped cream (very tricky to work with as cream doesn’t whip stiff in Turkey!)

Mom’s Tea & treats: Sugar-full cupcakes for Mama saurus + tea/coffee

Snacks: Selection of healthy-ish nibbles for pekish dinos

Water Play: We had water balloons which was great fun and ideal for our summer heat to cool down.

Grateful that it went off well, (managed their minor moaning in the morning till friends arrived!). He says he loved the “cake” and “presents”  so mission accomplished! Alhamdulillah

Is your little one into dinosaurs yet?

Taskeen
Productive_Muslim_Mom

How to see 3 museums and 2 masjids in Istanbul Old City in a day!

A few weeks ago, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to do some sightseeing in Istanbul, after months of staying local to home due to the pandemic.

I had a few places on my bucket list and decided to tackle them
all on 1 day as I couldn’t be sure when I would get a chance like this again (given having the kids around during upcoming school holidays, various lockdown situations etc!)

(Tip: don’t recommend this itinerary  if you’re a savour the moment kinda tourist! But if you have limited time like me then this itinerary may work as you get to taste all the sites mentioned just enough to satisfy your FOMO!!) but as I live here, I do also know I could return insha Allah if I didn’t finish it all, so mindset is different. Also kids didn’t join us this time so super speed was possible! 

Note: On a random weekday everywhere inside was super quiet and outside was not crowded at all therefore social distancing was always adhered to.

Destination: Sultanahmet/Sirkeci Istanbul
How to get there from Etiler: Bus to Kabatas. Change to tram – stop at Gulhane Park. (1 hour)

First stop: Archaeological Museum- we love history! Interesting to understand how early inhabitants conceptualised life and death and religion. There are also art works through the years and lots of statues. Some buildings are closed off but still worth a visit.
Duration: 1 hour.

Coffee Break at Coffs in Sirkeci. Suitable if you’re in the area and in need of a coffee fix!

                                     
Museum of Science & Technology- fascinating to learn about the contributions made by muslims in this field. Our favourite (needed more time to read and digest). There are many sections. We had 45 minutes but probably 1-2 hours is better

Stroll through Gulhane Park. Must see for a break and breathe of fresh air

Dhuhr prayers and my first visit to Hagia Sophia since it has  returned asa a masjid.

The energy inside is very uplifting and strong. This incredible building has been a place of worship for 100’s of years and you feel it Alhamdulillah. I wish we had more time to soak it all in.
Note: women’s whudu facilities are located all the way on the opposite end at Blue Mosque currently.

Lunch stop – Kofte Ekmek at the famous Sultahahmet Kofteci across the road. It does the job but I fail to see what the big hype is except maybe its been around for a long while? We bought our takeaway and came back inside Sultanahmet square to eat it along the benches under the trees. They is now a checkpoint to enter so there are just two entrances to the complex that I saw.

Refreshed we were ready for the next visit to Masjid Sokullu Mehmet Pasha– do read up more on it as the history is interesting.

It is designed by Mimar Sinan and the most fascinating (and not that well-known) aspect is that it hosts 4 pieces of the Black Stone (Hajr Aswad from Makkah). 

It is quiet and peaceful, as in all masjid courtyards in Istanbul Subhanallah. It is closed between prayers, but we were fortunate to join another couple who managed to find a caretaker who kindly opened up for us. It’s mesmerising.

Here is one of the 4 pieces of the black stone placed on top of this mimbar.  It was so exciting to witness and I am so grateful we made it there, Alhamdulillah.

Quran through the ages. So interesting to see how style changes.
Very interesting to read about what influenced Muslim rule in the world through the decades, to where Turkey is today.

There are including relics of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him). I cant speak to the authenticity, I myself was surprised to see it here as I only knew of Topkapi Palace that also hosted these historical significant artefacts. 

It was also of interest to learn about the clothing that changed through the years. You should spend 1-2 hours at this museum to do it justice.

Ice Cream stop before we headed back home. We ended our whirlwind tour at 3:30pm.

Exhausted, but exhilarated!

Tip: Museum Pass card got me FREE entry to all places. 

Other tips: Be prepared to walk. We hit 10 000 steps just at midday, to give you an example. Dress comfy, carry a light back pack with you. Bottled water is available and cheap. Use toilets at museums. 

Have you been to these places – which is your favourite site?  Which one makes it to your must checkout on your next trip? 

MbyDesign
The Organised Traveler

Travel: Discovering Balat and Fener

It’s been ages since I’ve travelled across the Golden Horn for good old fashioned sightseeing so on a rare mild weather day recently, we headed over to explore the historic neighbourhoods of: Balat & Fenner in Istanbul, Alhamdulillah. I had this on my bucket list as it’s usually cited as the slightly lesser known tourist spots as well as being interested to see yet another different side to this rich, captivating city! 

Situated near Eminonu, on the European side of Istanbul, there are several buses headed in that direction and we took the 99 Bus.

Being a random Monday, there were tourists milling around but it was crowd free and restaurants were quiet making social distancing easy and feasible everywhere we went. 

Equipped with a  guide book and Google maps on our phone, we walked around the area, stopping for breakfast and later snacks (Pancake house).

Here’s the highlights from our 3 hour self tour:

Breakfast at Balat Antik Cafe – beautiful garden setting with a great menu for breakfast, coffees with fresh gozleme and juices on offer.

                                   

Walking along between the significant sights, we came across charming streets, colourful tables, beautiful settings to admire or sit down and enjoy. There are also quirky stores, really nice to browse around and support local designers and stores.                                                
Funny street art -very apt! 
                    
  

Greek Orthodox College: A really interesting story is about how when Conqueror Mehmet conquered Constantinople (Istanbul today) he granted immunity for the Church of St Mary to remain a Greek church and the signed order is in the church today. This was how Christians, Muslims and Jews lived alongside each other. 

Mesnevihane Tekkesi- musjid, lodge where sufism was taught. This is located on a rather steep hill – but worth the short walk up to see these places and the view. There is also a musjid up here if you need a prayer stop.

                                                     
 There’s plenty of cute cats and cafes here, you’ll never get enough of. Make sure you have your camera and good walking shoes! It’s a worthwhile visit if you have been here a while or on your third or subsequent trip to Istanbul and want to experience a different vibe in the city. The walk itself around the area between sites is probably around 45 minutes. Adding in leisurely stroll, snack and meal breaks and that’s how we spent about 3 hours here.
Have you been to Balat or will you be adding it to your travel itinerary for your next trip? (when safe and feasible!) Share with us your favourite thing about this neighbourhood below.
Exploring Istanbul, one amazing little spot at a time,
Taskeen, travel happy!

Our recent FOREST EXCURSION to Kemerburgaz Kent Ormani

FOREST EXCURSION: Alhamdulillah, we took a much needed nature break recently. It’s been a long winter holiday home so we enjoyed a day out in nature for fresh air and a welcome change of scenery! 
đź“ŤKemerburgaz Kent Ormani
We have been here before, but this time we discovered more as we went by car, whereas last time we went by taxi and therefore saw just what we could on foot! Check my previous post for details
on that visit.
This time we explored these areas:


 

Lake (Gol): 

It’s so beautiful to sit near and take in. There are just a few benches and tables near the lake to sit at for a picnic, as well as benches to sit on to view though its on a hill. 

However there is a long pathway alongside the lake where you can probably find more places to sit.


Forest : We drove along a little deeper into the forest this time, where it was super isolated. There are even playgrounds here- almost for our private personal use! We had our picnic  lunch here as well as nap and quiet time amongst the trees which was awesome.


bonus : hearing the adhan amongst the trees (yes they have a mescit – prayer facilities)

Animals: We were thrilled to come across a pygmy goat family. This is nearby to the main entrance on the way to the ice-rink

Rides: always a favourite- there is a carousel, train and water car rides – plenty of options. You need a ticket (20TL/ride- bit pricey but kids loved it) 

Sahlep in the forest


Food: I’m not sure if the restaurant is was open for takeaway. However there were two kiosks serving everything from fresh gozleme, sahlep, sandwiches, biscuits, drinks and snacks. Some hot food ran out though so I wouldn’t rely on it for main food but it was perfect for snacks.

This has become one of our favourite nature places out of the busy-ness of the inner city. Just great for a day out as there’s something for everyone!

Discovering Istanbul, one fun family spot at a time!
Taskeen,

@Productive_Muslim_Mom




Kemerburgaz Kent Ormani Istanbul

There is alot to discover at this amazing park in Gokturk,  and you will probably only be able to see it all if you have a car. We travelled by taxi (Progo to be precise), and therefore covered what we could on foot- with 2 strollers (2 toddlers under 4)

It took us 20/25 minutes to get there by car. We spent 5 hours and probably could do with more. Entrance fee is 15TL per car, and more for minibuses etc. As we entered on foot since we were dropped off, there was no charge. (however costs added up with all the rides and activities- see below!)

To eat:There are plenty benches located in the forest and around the park if you want to bring your own food for a picnic. You could camp out for the day! There is also a Beltur restaurant selling breakfast items (till 1 pm) and then a lunch menu including pasta, kofte, sandwiches as well as drinks and desserts. It overlooks the green open field so it has a great setting and prices are reasonable.

Being in Nature: There is plenty of open green space to run around in, picnic or just relax. The kids enjoyed rolling down the gently hills. You can hire a car buggy to zoom around in and discover more (additional 50TL for 1 hour).

                                

Fun Fair : There are rides such as carousel, trampoline, train, bumper cars in water (very cool!) and the grownups are allowed to go on with the kids, making it really appealing. They range from 15/20 TL per kid per ride, depending on the type of ride. Some are located right at the entrance, and others a little into the park. There are directions and security guards around for further help.

                                          

Playgrounds: There are at least two playgrounds (slides and climbing) for little ones, and also more intense adventure type activities (pay extra 50TL and includes helmet and harness) for older ones.                                                                              
Fast climbing (parkour- obstacle equipment) for kids over 150cm and adults.
                                                        

Animals: There are ponies located further into the forest at 20TL per ride.

.
                   
We certainly did not cover everything at the one visit- so thanks to the moms from my local group for sharing some of their pics and areas that they discovered!
Discovering Istanbul, one exciting outdoor place at a time,
Taskeen
Follow me on Instagram for more reviews and proven toddler play ideas : @productive_muslim_mom

Review : Polonezkoy Zoo -The Ultimate Guide including pics and prices

Overall: A great day out for the family to get a healthy dose of animals and nature away from the city.

Not a place to go out of your way for if you’re for tourist – but ideal for us animal-deprived Istanbullus!

There are aspects I am not so keen on like some animals being enclosed. However, as I understand these animals can no longer survive in their natural habitats and are therefore being kept here as a way to preserve their lives- at least that the view I am going with 🙂

Entrance fees and details:

They open at 9am at least during August when we visited. It was super quiet at 10am when we arrived but picked more by midday.

50TL adult, 30TL kids over 2. There are discounts for older people. Under 2 is free.

Duration of visit : 6 hours (2 adults, 2 toddlers under 4). We did 10am-16:30pm including naps, lunch and snacks.There are different sections to enjoy so you could structure your day best suited for little legs, the weather (its open and hot), and also meal times. There is enough shady areas and benches throughout for rest and picnics.

It’s divided into:  Animals, Playground, Fun Activities, Outdoor Adventure Park, Restaurant. It’s not that huge – like you can get from one side to the other fairly quickly. Maps are provided at the entrance and it’s handy to pick up one to follow.

polonezkoy zoo

There are different areas to walk around to view animals in their respective enclosures. This took about 1.5 hours. It is stroller friendly. We got the kids out of the stroller at times so they get closer to see like the birds in the pond, or the lake. There is also an enclosed “forest” area that you can roam in – not stroller friendly but it’s not big so you can take the kids walking. we saw donkeys, deer and emus. Some animals were following us around so we didn’t spend alot of time there. There is also another area to touch animals which we didn’t visit as our friends told us it was difficult to walk around – so we skipped it.

Fun Activities: Include kiddy car rides, mini train, Ferris wheel, pony and horse rides. Theres also carnival style games like giant bow and arrow/punching. Everything is old but there is effort to maintain and we saw them cleaning out the equipment beforehand.

Each activity is between 10-20TL. You purchase tickets at the reception (a few minutes walk away) and use them at the activity area to pay for each thing you are going on.

Food: 

Inside the park, there is one self service restaurant with an option of  made to order food (eg pasta, sandwiches etc) , or cook your own (mangal – barbecue meat and chicken). 

There is also snacks, ice-cream, desserts and fruit available for purchase. It is slightly pricey, but expected.

There is a beautiful outdoor setting with plenty tables. You are not allowed outside food, however they did not check.

                             

Playground: really exciting, novel play equipment like swings, climbing , tractors to sit in, basketball court and much more. You could spend alot of time here so do allocate accordingly.

                                                                


Covid measures: standard :staff wear masks and there is sanitiser at entrance and at restaurant. The
park was not over busy on a Sunday, meaning there was enough opportunity for social distancing.

How to get there: We took a taxi which was 80-90TL from Etiler (Istanbul), and it took around 35 minutes. To return, we weren’t sure whether we could get a taxi back easily and therefore booked a Progo car in advance to pick us up which was a minivan so a more comfortable ride as well.

There isn’t alot of detailed info available online on this park so I have decided to share our experience to help other families! Hope you have an enjoyable day. Please feel free to share a comment below or ask any questions from myself or the readers.

                                                                     

Exploring Istanbul, one outdoor place at a time,

Taskeen

@Productive_Muslim_Mom