The Guide Istanbul - November/December 2017

In this issue

While Istanbulites live in a city full of historical sites, in the rush of one’s daily life one rarely gets the opportunity to stop and appreciate them. We may pass by one of the city’s many palaces daily on the way to work but never take the time to detour and go inside. If we visited the Hagia Sophia 15 years ago with a school trip, we see no particular reason to revisit the landmark as adults. We take their presence for granted—after all, they have been in the same spot for centuries.

Many of the monuments and sites we see today have replaced ones of the past. If we are lucky, we can see how the site looked like decades and centuries ago in a black and white photo. If we are not so lucky, we can only read about these monuments in chronicles and narratives. These stories become their own form of historical preservation.

The founder of ONE Association Demet Sabancı Çetindoğan started to lobby for cultural protection of the Mosaic Road long before international travelers began to shy away from Turkey due to insecurity. Together with İlber Ortaylı, professor and historian, she put the region on the international agenda again, presenting the global relevance of the historical site and its ties to numerous cultures and civilizations. In this issue, we invite you to explore that area of Turkey with a cultural tour extending beyond the Mosaic Road to Mardin, a city so unique its entire landscape has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Simit

SESAME-STUDDED SYMBOL OF THE CITY The simple simit has held a special place in Turks’ hearts for centuries. People across the country enjoy the snack, with some adding regional flavor and tastes.

3 mins

Bao Buns

New on-the-go Favorite 

1 min

Big Chefs

New winter specialties

1 min

Pistachios Abounding From Antep

A fertile land with abundant agriculture, Turkey is the third largest country in pistachio production. These green gems are gathered in the late summer months right before they reach their full blossom. Fortunately for pistachio lovers, there is no specific season for eating them; you can enjoy pistachios as often as you wish, on their own or incorporated into your favorite Turkish dish.

2 mins

Hamdi Ulukaya

The Billion-dollar Man Without a Birthday 

4 mins

Intema Yasam

A One-stop-shop for Your Kitchen Needs in Kanyon Shopping Mall 

2 mins

A Creative Lingua Franca Culture Groups In Istanbul

As a metropolis of more than 15 million, Istanbul is a hub where cultures from around the world intersect. There are groups in the city that promote the sharing of culture, and like the city itself, show participants how people are more similar than different. With a bit of curiosity and open-mindedness, it is easy to join them.

3 mins

21st Istanbul Theater Festival

Raising the Curtains (and the Bar) 

1 min

Tunel 90 Seconds Through History

While many think of buildings when they think of architecture, architecture goes beyond—and at times underground. Tünel, an underground funicular that connects Karaköy to Istiklal Caddesi in a 90-second ride, boasts a unique history that links neighborhoods and cultures, from past to present. Today, the cars have a capacity of 170 and the system transports about 12,000 passengers per day.

3 mins

Like Music To Your Ears

Sound Therapy in Turkey

4 mins

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The Guide Istanbul Magazine Description:

The Guide Istanbul, founded in November 1991 and published bimonthly by Apa Uniprint, is an essential guide to the city, offering candid recommendations and expert advice on restaurants and cafés, nightlife, the arts and entertainment scene, as well as design, fashion, touristic sites, and undiscovered places. We are a publication based on the principles of unwavering honesty and an insistence upon quality. Our goal is to simplify choices and make life easier for travelers as well as locals by providing information on select venues and events. All of our writers are locally based and offer insider advice on what to see and do in the city.

The official website of The Guide Istanbul magazine, theguideistanbul.com is a sharp, sophisticated, and trustworthy filter for the city’s happenings, and offers comprehensive listings of restaurants, bars, hotels, and more. The locally sourced information is written and edited by experienced writers who are in the know and dedicated to offering their wisdom impartially. We value quality over quantity and we are selective when it comes to our recommendations: we scour all the corners of Istanbul with a critical eye and recommend only what we rate positively amongst ourselves. The first of its kind, theguideistanbul.com aims to enrich your Istanbul experience and share its wealth of information to bring you the true essence of Istanbul and those gems that might otherwise get overlooked.