I’ve always been fascinated with Istanbul, having read extensively about Constantinople, the Ottoman empire and the Byzantine era. My first trip to Istanbul was in April 2013, when spring was in the air and 3 million tulips were in full bloom in time for the Istanbul Tulip Festival. I was on a week-long business trip and determined to experience as much of the city as I could in the evenings and over the weekend. During that first trip, I managed to explore the Old City and visit the Bosphorus area.
During my second trip, about a year later, I had more time on my hands. This time, I was staying right by the strait of Bosphorus with a gorgeous view of the Marmara sea and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge. I even experienced a glimpse of the Istanbul nightlife. (Those Turks can party, I tell you!)
This is the ONLY city in the world that sits in both Europe and Asia and is perhaps the largest city in the world, by population (17 million) within city limits. Throughout its long history, Istanbul has acquired a reputation for being a cultural and ethnic melting pot. Some of the most beautiful examples of Byzantine, Ottoman and modern Turkish architecture can be seen in the Old City, that is still partially surrounded by the Walls of Constantinople built in the 5th century.
Armed with my iPhone, I managed to capture the essence of this unique city, as best as I could. These are images I edited mostly on instagram, snapseed and colorblast. Interestingly, my instagram was on fire when I started posting these while in Turkey. Within seconds of the post I would get ldoznes of likes from strangers with Turkish sounding names.
Food is an important part of Turkish culture and despite my diet restrictions as a vegetarian, I was able to feast on an amazing variety of delicacies. Breakfast in Turkey was quite a surprise. Turkish people love cheese. I counted about 7-8 different types of cheese available in the breakfast buffet at the hotel and was told this is the norm.
I fell in love with two Turkish two breakfast dishes.
- Bal Kaymak – Bal is honey, and Kaymak is a type of clotted cream (remember those Enid Blyton books?). This cream is made from the milk of water buffaloes. The honey (sometimes with bits of the honeycomb) is poured over the Kaymak. Then you break a piece of Simit, a type of sesame encrusted Turkish bagel and dip it in this mixture and bite into a little piece of heaven!
Warning: This stuff is loaded with calories and if you are watching your waistline, this is not for you. Despite my attempts at healthy eating, I simply could not resist Bal Kaymak for breakfast almost every day that I was in Istanbul.
- Menemen – I am afraid to call it scrambled eggs, because this is much more than that. Menemen is a type of creamy Turkish scrambled eggs mixed with tomatoes, peppers, onions and generously drizzled with olive oil. Eat it with a side of salty cheese, olives, and some good crusty bread. The eggs are cooked till they are just about to set, which gives it that beautiful creamy texture. The dish is typically cooked in mini copper pots and the pot is served directly to your table. It reminded me of its middle eastern cousin the Eggs Shakshuka, but this has a unique texture and taste I haven’t experienced before.
During a third and very brief trip to Istanbul during a long layover from London to San Francisco, I met my now former colleagues for breakfast at this amazing place overlooking the Marmara sea. Even before I could open the menu, my friends said – So, you want Bal Kaymak and Menemen, right?
Ofcourse!
Teşekkür ederim!
[…] to take advantage of this, I had arranged to meet with friends who live here, for breakfast. Having visited Istanbul several times in the past, I have come to love this city and its very friendly people. But this […]