I wrote about this magnificent city in Romanian, you may consult the post at least for the wonderful pics! I used to live there and I used to keep visiting it every time I had the opportunity. The Turks are very proud of it, the Greeks living in Istanbul are calling it “I πόλις” (I Polis, “the city”) as there is no other in the world, loving it more than most people can imagine. This is a post with a few pictures and a different perspective for one of the most beautiful cities of the world. I was inspired by another post by someone a little bit famous, but who understood nothing of it. I respect his opinion anyway, even so different from mine.
The famous Blue Mosque
photo courtesy Philip Greenspun
Famous for it’s mosques, Istanbul is the place where some of the world’s most delicious culinary delights can be found together!
Dining on Istiklal Caddesi (the Independence Boulevard)
photo courtesy Philip Greenspun
Some of the Americans can find it unusual, but they can rest, Istanbul is a city full of McDonalds, Starbucks, Burger King’s, and they may successfully avoid the famous Beyti Restaurant, in Florya, a neighborhood containing a forest and Istanbul International Airport.
Restaurant Beyti, Florya, the head of states “favorited” restaurant in Istanbul
Beyti Güller, the founder, is a character who photographed himself with most head of states or celebrities than a lot of people alive. He is an interesting character, as you see in the next pictures (I borrowed them from the restaurant’s website):
Beyti with Lord Carrington, Margaret Thatcher and a Turkish official, I suppose 🙂
It seems that the website manager’s doesn’t know who a great deal of the pictured personalities are. The pictures donțt have captions. I have recognized some of them, but for a lot of others I had to research separately.
With Li Xiannian, once China’s President, Beyti sporting here some masonic paraphernalia
Above, Beyti seems to have landed from another meeting, more secret, just to be framed with one of the “Eight Elders of the Communist Party in China”. “Beyti” is a “grill meat restaurant”, famous for it’s charcoal grilled chicken and lamb.
“Pilav Üstü Et döneri” – shaved roasted meat cooked on a vertical spit on buttered rice
They say it’s a king’s table
Let’s go on with the famous visitors:
Beyti with Gorbachev!
Beyti with Carter!
This is the last “Beyti” pic here, there are a lot on their website, many without captions, but that’s the spirit. Who cares? The most interesting fact regarding the city is that it is built on two continents. There is an European side and an Asian side. I prefer the European, and only in the following picture, you can see the Asian side, across Bosporus.
Fishing in Ortaköy
photo courtesy Philip Greenspun
This photo was taken from Ortaköy, a part of Beşiktaş, a famous European neighborhood. Asian side has it’s own beauty, try to explore it when you are visiting. I like the people in Istanbul. They are relaxed even when they seem busy. They’re fine together, as a mix.
Waiting for Tram
photo courtesy Philip Greenspun
They’re good and normal, even tired. A mixture of nationalities living with the visitors. I have noticed less hassling in Istanbul compared to what I found on Mediterranean beaches.
Cruise Ship in Karaköy
photo courtesy Philip Greenspun
This pic is taken from the the Asian side. A lot of cruising vessels are visiting Istanbul during the whole year. This is an all season city. This one is of my favorite neighborhood, named Beyoğlu.
Beyoglu, over the Golden Horn
This picture is taken from Eminönü, the original Constantinople, over the Golden Horn. Beyoğlu, the neighborhood containing the Galata Tower and the Tunel, the oldest subway in the world, was called Pera, and was the Jewish neighborhood. After you climb out of the “metro”, you meet Istiklal Caddesi (The Independence Boulevard), a pedestrian promenade, where the public transport is done with a small old fashioned tram.
The trams on Istiklal Caddesi
[source: doesn’t exist anymore, it was a website called gezilesimekan.com]
This is one of the famous parts of this marvelous city. It has a lot of cinemas, bookstores, fashion stores and restaurants. There are some night clubs as well, but the trendiest are placed in other parts of the town.
Istiklal, again
One of the most cosmopolitan people conglomerates in the world, Istanbul is very peaceful compared to New York, for sample. It’s full of gold and shopping places. Other blogs are full of those, the bazaars and the mosques. Here, I tried to show you a little of all and what I personally like most. If you made a bucket list with cities to visit before you pass out, Istanbul is a must. I like Bombay too, quite a lot, but I like Istanbul more. There you can breathe. That’s actually a metaphor, the air is as polluted as in any other city with over fourteen million living people in it. But if you have a heart attack on the streets, you’re being taken care well. There they care.
If you liked what you read (and for that I humbly thank you for your patience), subscribe to this blog by Email! Follow this blog on Twitter, and on Facebook! For a joyous day, check out my pins on Pinterest or my grams on Instagram 😄. I hope you like this blog so much that you think it’s time to take a step further by becoming yourself a blogger; in order to do that have the kindness to read the Own Your Website offer I have prepared for you! You won’t regret. Thanks for passing by 😄 Speak your mind, don’t be shy!
Copyright © 2012 Rodolfo Grimaldi Blog – Eternal Istanbul
If you liked this article, tell someone about it
[…] the felons are drinking tea all day and sing, as presented in Turkish movies of the same era. Istanbul is one of the most beautiful city in the world, if not the beautifulest! My feelings are telling […]