Touring Turkey (Part 7): Istanbul’s coolest neighbourhood, and my first Turkish bath experience

Hello from somewhere high above the clouds! After fifteen days of cross-country travel, I’ve come to the end of my trip around Turkey, and I couldn’t be more disappointed to leave. Not only have I got to wave goodbye to one of the best nations I’ve ever visited, but also I’ve got to say hello to university essays as soon as I land back in the UK. (Edit: said essays are the reason this post has taken so long for me to upload!) It’s not all bad, though: thanks to my general laziness, I’ve still got a few days of my holiday to catch you up on, so my return to reality can be postponed that little bit longer! Without further ado, then, let me pick up where I left off: in the wonderful city of Istanbul.

Day 13 (9th September)

On the evening of my thirteenth day in Turkey, I touched down in Istanbul for the second time. My flight had been pleasant enough – we’d been moved, for some unknown reason, to a swanky plane with multiple aisles and seat-back TVs – but my stomach was still churning away, and I was beginning to question whether I’d be able to survive the hour long coach journey from the airport to my hostel.

My luggage took about half an hour to arrive on the carousel, but for once this was a cause of relief, rather than annoyance. Indeed, the wait gave me time to sit down, drink some water, swallow a couple of pills, and generally nurse myself back to health. By the time my rucksack had appeared, I was in a much better way, and my subsequent Havaist bus ride, I’m pleased to say, was trouble-free.

One hour later, I was checking in once more to the Cheers Vintage hostel, in the Sultanahmet district. My stomach was, by this point, totally empty, so my first priority was to find something nourishing with which to fill it back up. The nearby Pudding Shop immediately sprang to mind: I’d been there the week before, but hadn’t tried their staple dish: rice pudding. Back I went, then, to order just this. Did it live up to the hype? You’ll have to wait for my upcoming ‘Istanbul restaurant reviews’ article to find out!

A thought-provoking conversation

On my way back home, I decided to stop off for a second time at the Arasta Bazaar. One of the many spice sellers working in the complex invited me into his shop for some free tea. Normally I would have politely declined such an invitation, but something drew me to him: I think it was the way he cheekily replied ‘I know you won’t,' when I told him meekly that I ‘might come back later’. Inside, we chatted about everything from destiny (I don’t believe in it; he did), to honesty. He explained to me that it was no use trying to beat around the bush while I was in Turkey. If I didn’t want something, I was to be frank, and say a firm ‘no’, instead of trying to come up with kind excuses.

The conversation, of course, eventually took a turn for the worst. ‘Let me take you to a nearby hotel roof terrace,’ he said. ‘There’ll be people all along the way, so you’ll feel safe the whole time.’ (This pre-emptive statement in itself set alarm bells ringing in my mind.) Remember the advice he’d just given me, I declined the offer, thanked him for his company, and left.

Day 14 (10th September)

I didn’t leave my hostel the next day until around noon: after a series of early mornings and stomach upsets, I’d decided to take it easy for once, and give my body the rest it needed. However, as soon as I was up and ready, it was time to get back to exploring, something which that day entailed walking nearly twenty kilometres.

Food, glorious food!

Kilometre number one was covered by my walk to Osmanlizadeler, a small but elegant bakery located on the corner of the bustling Hudavendigar Caddesi. Here, I sat and enjoyed a huge slice of chocolate cake for breakfast (I’d slept in too late to eat at the hostel), all the while gazing around at the gorgeous lamps and tiles that decorated the place.

You’d have thought I had quite enough sitting in my stomach at this point – indeed, I’d had to ask the waiters in Osmanlizadeler to pack up almost half of my breakfast for me to take away – but as I was approaching the Galata Bridge, I remembered a food recommendation that I’d received a few days earlier from one of my roommates in Cappadocia. Fishermen, she had told me, kept boats along this part of the shore, where they fried up the creatures they had caught that day. Tourists could watch them doing this, and, for a small price, buy their own fish-filled sandwiches.

I wasn’t planning on coming back to this part of town, so, adopting a ‘now or never’ attitude, I decided to treat myself to one such product from Kalyatah Barbaros. It was, after all, lunch time for those who’d awoken at a civilised hour. I took one bite of the baguette, realised I was too full to eat any more, and put the rest away in my backpack to enjoy later. (Probably not a wise move – fish does tend to emit a pretty foul odour – but five hours later, it at least tasted as great as it had before!)

Exploring Balat

From here, I walked a further four kilometres west along the bank of the Golden Horn, only cutting back inland once I’d hit the fabulous Balat neighbourhood. Known for its coloured houses and cosmopolitan vibe (it was formerly inhabited by Istanbul’s Greek, Jewish, and Armenian communities), this part of town is one that few travellers will explore, but that many would benefit from adding to their bucket list.

I was, I’ll admit, ever so slightly disillusioned when I first arrived: the streets I saw before me certainly didn’t match up to those I’d seen in travel guides. The red-brick Church of St. Mary of the Mongols was attractive enough – although unfortunately closed to visitors that day – but I wasn’t sure that this building alone was worth trekking miles to see.

However, after an extensive Google search – since few tourists visit this district, there’s still not a whole lot of information about the place available online – I realised that Kürkçü Çeşmesi was where I ought to have been all along. Up and down the steep streets I went towards this shopping strip, stopping off briefly to look at the Fener Houses planted along the two sides of Meridivenli Yokuş. Formerly the homes of Greek aristocratic families, these mansions are now what one might describe as the ‘face’ of the neighbourhood.

Stepping into Kürkçü Çeşmesi was like entering a new world. Up until this point, I’d come across maybe ten other people; now, suddenly, I was surrounded by hundreds of them. The picture-perfect Café in Balat (inventive name, huh?) was my first port of call. Here, I quenched my thirst with an Oreo milkshake, and scrolled through travel guides to find out which were the unmissable shops on this street.

Vintage clothing stores seemed to be everyone’s top pick, so after paying the bill, I set off in search of some. Kulis Vintage was the first I stumbled across, and I spent a good ten minutes there, browsing the crowded racks of clothing, and admiring the little trinkets and accessories that lined all the shelves. Among these, I was amazed to find a pair of sunglasses that actually suited my face shape (I usually look so much like a bug in glasses, that I prefer just to go without). Unfortunately, I was not willing to drop 200TL (£28) on this occasion, although looking back I rather wish I’d been a bit less stingy.

Next up was Neo Vintage, a boutique which stretched back to the street behind. Inside, I found everything from 70s-style windbreakers, to makeup bags which proclaimed in block capitals: ‘FRIES BEFORE GUYS’ (a great motto, if you ask me!). Again, I walked away empty handed: less because I didn’t find anything I liked, and more because I was afraid that frivolous purchases would bring me over my luggage weight allowance.

The Bulgarian St. Stephen Church

After poking around a few antique shops, I decided to make a start on my return journey. Luckily I had only to walk in a straight line to get back to the water’s edge, or would have, had I not been distracted along the way. The first sight that caught my attention was the Bulgarian St. Stephen Church, a neo-Gothic structure built entirely from iron, but painted white, no doubt to resemble marble.

The facade alone was pretty spectacular, but the inside of the building – with its gilded wood iconostasis, and brilliant glass chandeliers – was a whole ‘nother story. Up in the gallery area, I gazed in wonder at the three naves that stood below me, while down in the basement, I browsed a fascinating exhibition on cartography.

Istanbul’s coolest café

Back outside, I decided to continue along the main road for a bit, and before long, my journey was interrupted again: this time by Atölye Kafasi, a quirkily decorated café. Inside, surrounded by leafy plants, fairy lights, and hanging wooden crates, I enjoyed a refreshing Fanta. Halfway through my glass, I spotted a plug socket, and, after moving tables, I spent the next hour sitting next to it, charging my phone. I wouldn’t normally allow myself this much downtime while sightseeing, but since my feet were in need of a rest, and I had nowhere to be for quite some time, I allowed myself this rare break.

Revisiting old sights

When phone and body had had their batteries sufficiently recharged, I decided to pay a second visit to the Grand Bazaar. To my dismay, the Turkish lamps here were significantly pricier than those I’d found in Cappadocia. None, therefore, were purchased, and, regretting my former stinginess once again, I decided I’d just have to find a cheap one online when I was back in England. My shopping spree was not an entire waste of time, however. Indeed, I found many boutiques and alleyways that had escaped my notice on the previous trip, not to mention a couple of impressive painted ceilings.

My first Turkish bath experience (no photos, for obvious reasons!)

After a quick stop in Gülhane Park (to eat the rest of my cake from breakfast), followed by a quick stop at my hostel (to drop off my backpack), I headed to my last destination of the day: a Turkish public bath! After a great deal of research, I’d gone for the nearby Kadirga Hamami: not only was it cheap and conveniently located, but also, thanks to its authentic nature, it had rave reviews from tourists and locals alike.

I will, in the near future, be bringing out a whole article on Turkish hamams, but here’s a quick summary of my experience to whet your appetite. Upon arrival, I headed to the women’s section, and paid an entrance fee of 85TL (£12). I was handed a tiny towel, and told to undress. This I did – in a changing room with a huge transparent window on its door! – before scuttling towards the massage area, trying my best to cover up with what little material I had.

I was sent to relax in the sauna room, where soothing music played as beads of sweat rolled down my face. Just as I was on the point of suffocation, my masseuse called me through, and ordered me to remove my towel. I’d been worrying about this moment all day, but when I obeyed her command, the world miraculously kept spinning, and nobody in the room so much as batted an eyelid. They had, after all, been through the same process just minutes before. Lying all exposed across a block of marble, I enjoyed a vigorous exfoliating scrub, followed by an indescribably relaxing foam massage.

I was, of course, being handled rather intimately by a complete stranger, but not once did I feel in the least bit uneasy. Rather, it was almost comforting to have this grandmotherly figure stoop over me and ease all the tension that had built up in my muscles. Once I’d been treated to the full works, and sent to rinse off my hair, it was back to the sauna for a second lie-down, then out again into the massage room to pour cold water over my body. The warm temperature here was such that this process became almost addictive: each time it took about five seconds for the initial feelings of refreshment to wear off, and after that it was back over to the basin to fill my bowl up with water again.

When I’d eventually managed to break free from this cycle, I headed back to the changing room,  where I was given a much bigger and fluffier towel to dry myself off with. I tipped my masseuse –as is customary in Turkey – and headed back out into the street, feeling squeaky clean, and wonderfully calm.

A nasty encounter

This inner serenity did not last for long, however, because just five minutes later, I was exposed to my daily dosage of creepy man. Initially, said person just wanted me to take a photo of him. ‘Fair enough,’ I thought: I’d asked others to do the same thing for me at various points in my trip. When I’d done as he’d requested, however, there was no parting of ways. Instead, he started to ask me questions about myself, and insisted that we walk along together for a bit. Since he was headed in the same direction as me, I couldn’t really protest.

‘Don’t let me stop you eating that,’ he said, pointing to an ice lolly I’d begun to consume just before bumping into him. No cylindrical object was going anywhere near my mouth while this man was still around to ogle at me. I let it drip on the pavement.

The conversation quickly turned to that evening. What was I doing? Would I like to grab a drink with him? I made my excuses, but he wouldn’t give up. ‘I’ll pay!’ he promised. Again, I declined the invitation, telling him I needed to be up early the next morning (actually true!).

‘Well, do you at least have Whatsapp? Facebook Messenger?’ he demanded, his voice betraying his disbelief at being rejected. ‘Ermmm…’ I replied, hoping he’d switch subject. ‘Liar!!!!’ he screamed, seizing my hand in anger. I thought back to my conversation with the spice seller the evening before: I had to be firm. ‘Listen,’ I said. ‘I’m just not interested in seeing you again.’

And you know what? This was all it took for him to let go of me, and storm away, never to be seen again. I stuck the ice lolly back in my mouth to celebrate.

Final thoughts

My fourteenth day in Turkey – as well as the evening that preceded it – was certainly one to remember! I ventured off the beaten track of Istanbul, I roamed the alleyways of the Grand Bazaar, and I faced my fears at an authentic hamam. What did I learn from these adventures? Read on to find out!

1. The least touristy neighbourhoods are often the most beautiful (Balat is, of course, a prime example of this)

2. Going to a Turkish bath is a great way to become more confident in your own skin: not only will you have to get comfortable with the idea of others seeing you with nothing on, but also you’ll likely feel a sense of great accomplishment once you’ve successfully surmounted this hurdle

3. It’s good to be sensible about your finances while you’re travelling, but it’s also important not to be too stingy. We’ve all got to treat ourselves every once in a while!

4. When it comes to warding off creepy men, making excuses and beating around the bush will get you nowhere. It’s all about being polite but firm: about explaining frankly that you would like to left alone, and about not entertaining any further advances.

End of part seven

So there we have it: the seventh and penultimate installation in my ‘Touring Turkey’ series! I’ve got one more day to tell you about, so stay tuned for part eight, which will be coming to you very shortly. In the meantime, be sure to catch up on any posts that you’ve missed, and get planning your own trip to this extraordinary country!

Photo gallery