Patmos: the Holy Island

Patmos is a beautiful Aegean island off the coast of Turkey. Although by all means worth a visit in its own right, nowadays the island of Patmos is primarily famous throughout the world because of one of its former residents - St. John the Apostle (St. John the Theologian), who was banished to the island in 95 A.D. from Ephesus and supposedly wrote the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation, in a cave somewhere up the hill of this small rocky Aegean island. Because of this, Patmos is now home to an impressive hilltop monastery and a popular place of holy pilgrimage to Christians. Even secular tourists are drawn in hordes to Patmos in order to visit the holy grotto and the beautiful religious relics and art treasures housed in the museum of the Monastery of St. John the Theologian.

Picturesque Suburbs of Istanbul (Part 5): Bebek

Of all the suburbs on the European side of Istanbul, Bebek is probably my favourite. It is one of the most affluent seaside residential neighbourhoods in all of Istanbul, with beautiful tree-lined streets along the Bosphorus and pretty wooden houses, exclusive villas and modern penthouse apartment with balconies which offer splenid views of the Bosphorus Straits.   

Like all other exclusive leafy suburbs of Istanbul, Bebek is devoid of foreign tourists, but its marina is full of expensive yachts, while its elegant streets are a good place for some serious shopping for fashion-conscious visitors. 

The House Cafe, Bebek: Central European Flaire in the Middle of Istanbul

The House Cafe is a fairly well-known bistro-cafe chain in Istanbul. Aimed at the city's affluent middle-class consumers, the House Cafe has opened up shop in some of the most fashionable shopping malls (e.g. Istinye Park, Canyon Shopping Mall) and exclusive residential districts of Istanbul (Bebek, Etiler, Sisli). 

Prices are not cheap, almost on par with major cities in western Europe, but when compared to similar establishments in other parts of Istanbul or major coastal resort towns such as Antalya, the House Cafe actually offers quite decent fares at comparatively reasonable prices.

One of my favourite House Cafe venues is the one in Bebek, a petite yet elegant leafy suburb of Istanbul. The decor reminds me of those stately fin-de-siecle Kaffeehaeuser in Central Europe, notably Vienna.

Picturesque Suburbs of Istanbul (Part 4): Istinye

The neighbourhood of Istinye is not very well-known amongst foreign visitors, but locals flock to the little waterside village, about 40 minutes by car on the European side of the Bosphorus, for its restaurants and views.

Picturesque Suburbs of Istanbul (Part 3): Rumeli

Most people know about the famous Rumeli Hisari (Rumeli Castle) on the European shore of the Bosphorus, but few have bothered to spend more than just an hour in this scenic little quarter and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere of its traditional waterfront tea gardens and European-style roadside cafes.

Just like in the neighbouring suburb of Arnavutköy, there are also many beautiful Ottman wooden mansions in Rumeli. Rents in this part of Istanbul are certainly not cheap, but the elegant apartments and houses which dotted the hills and slopes overlooking the Bosphorus are among some of the most sought-after real estates in the country.

Picturesque Suburbs of Istanbul (Part 2): Arnavutköy

Arnavutköy, 'Albanian Village' in Turkish, is a small suburb in the European shore of Istanbul, famous for its colourful wooden houses that lined the waterfront of the Bosphorus.

Before the great fire of 1877, Arnavutköy was predominantly inhabited by Jews, followed by ethnic Greeks and Muslims. Nowadays Arnavutköy is a chic district with many up-market fish restaurants and bars frequented by affluent Istanbulites.

Along the open marina that lined the waterfront promenade, one could spend a leisurely afternoon strolling along the Bosphorus and admire the beautiful sceneries along the way.

Picturesque suburbs of Istanbul (Part 1): Beşiktaş

It is a pity that most of the foreign visitors to Istanbul choose to stay within the tourist ghettos in and around Sultanahmet; as a result of which, few of them have actually managed to venture outside of the  Holy Golden Tourist Triangle of  Sultanahmet - Taksim - Eminonu. Being a city that straddles both Europe and Asia and surrounded by water on almost all sides, the city of Istanbul has so much more to offer  in terms of tourist attractions than just oriental bazaars, Ottoman mosques and museums. Both on the European and the Asian shores are plenty of beautiful leafy suburbs, full of tree-lined streets, picturesque marinas with lighthouses, waterfront promenade, 19th century European-style villas, mansions, and grand public buildings, which remain relatively unknown to foreign visitors. Be it Kadikoy and Fenerbahce on the Anatolian side, or Istinye and Bebek on the European side, these marvellous little neighbourhoods of Istanbul, with its diverse architectural, cultural and historical heritage and offering postcard-perfect views of the Bosphorus, are worth at least one full days' visit.  Virtually all of them are easily accessible by bus or boat from downtown Istanbul.