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.
One of my favourite venues in Istanbul is the waterfront cafes in the fashionable district of Beşiktaş, just a short walk away from the Dolmabahce Palace. Here is one of the places in Istanbul where trendy Istanbulites go out to see and to be seen. It is also a place popular with younger people to meet up with friends and colleagues.
If you have time, you can walk down from the posh shopping district of Nisantasi all the way to Besiktas. There is a park on the way where you can stop for a glass of tea and admire the views of the Bosphorus with minarets and stadium floodlight towers in the foreground.
The district of Besiktas is dotted with pleasant roadside open air tea-gardens, where people can relax and socialise with friends and relatives in the midst of this busy metropole.
Such scenes are very different from the stereotypical images of Istanbul being the city of a thousand minarets conjured up by tourism posters and travel literatures. But this is just one of Istanbul's many faces. This amazing city never ceases to surprise or to entertain.
Besiktas is also home to some of the most luxurious shops, hotels and designer stores in Istanbul. The photo below is the elegant open-air shopping arcade next to Westin's W Hotel, where the boutiques of world-renown designers and fashion houses such as Chloe, Marc Jacob et al. are located.
Copyrights@2010. All Rights Reserved. All text and photos by YC Cheng.
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