Maybe I go in a few weeks time for about a week to Istanbul. I´ve been there already 3 times and I think I saw all major tourist attractions. This time I like to ´feel´ Istanbul, to see the (relatively) unknown places, to get off the beaten track.

What can you advice me? Where can/should I go for seeing, experiencing Istanbul in other ways than package deals and tour guides offer? 

As an İstanbullu i can give you some suggestions

first, if you want to feel istanbul, start from ortaköy. go the ortaköy and eat kumpir; sitting on the stone-platform in front of the mosque. sea is just under your feet and bosphorus in front of you. if you cant finish your kumpir, put it somewhere else and let piegons do it instead of you

the best place you can feel istanbul is taksim - istiklal street and its surrounding. Sıraselviler, the street that connects Taksim to Cihangir is another place to discover; with egzotic and interesting restaurants, bars and night clubs.

Cihangir is another nice Beyoğlu district where a lot Turkish famous people hang out.

if you are a little tired and want to have some rest and if you are lucky and weather is sunny, you can drink a glass of tea in Boğaz Cafe with a wonderful Bosphorus scene; an open-air cafe in the left-up corner of Taksim Gezi Park and nearby the avenue that goes to Beşiktaş.

actually, as an advice, if you want to feel İstanbul, dont make plans. Just get out of the place you stay and walk where you wish. Dont use transportation and go to every place by walking.

(take a map in your hand not to get lost)

this what i can say. hope you a have nice days in istanbul.

thx

turkishcobra//

 Very subtle way of looking for a tour guide  expect an increase in spam!

 Ahhrrmmm ... ahhrrmm .. cobra - as Istanbul is the only intercontinental city in the world, wouldn´t it be a good idea to cross the Bosphorus and visit us on the Asian side?

Stroll along Bağdat Caddesi, enjoy the view of the old city from the cliffs at Moda (and have the famous ice-cream), take a ferry to the islands from Bostancı, have a beer at the Divan at Fenerbahçe Marina (sitting on the decking and looking at the boats you could imagine you are in Antalya or Fethiye), see the fascinating toy museum at Göztepe, enjoy the market at Kadıköy, explore the mosques at Üsküdar, have yogurt at Kanlıca, enjoy a Turkish coffee at Çamlıca, wow at the art deco elevator at Hıdıv Kasrı, eat fish with a great view of the Bosphorus and the bridges at Çengelköy, explore a small but exquisite palace at Beylerbeyi, enjoy quaint Anadolu Hisarı, see the judas bloom at the Tema park ......

Have I sold it enough? Do I need to add call in and see us at Greenhouse in Kadıköy?

Hi 

I am also going to Istanbul for a few days in the near future. Does anybody have any details/advice about seeing the whilrling dervish dancing there?

Actually I have just seen that it is perfomed at the Hodjapasha cultural centre in the evenings. Has anyone been before and would they recommend it?

Thanks

 We will be there in March...wanna have coffee???

What about having a sunday breakfast in Bebek or in Çengelköy?? And having a lunch in Hisar ??

well - my knowledge about Asian side is not rich.

BTW, if you like nargile visit Tophane or Çorlulu Ali Paşa Medresesi in Çemberlitaş. Hmmm..smell of nargile is really wonderful... you can also taste Ottoman-style Turkish coffe in these places.

Or, if weather is sunny go the tea-garden in front of Dolmabahçe Palace in Kabataş; watching the amazing scene of Bosphorus. In this tea garden Bosphorus is just in front of you..

don´t...it just comes from (sigara) içmek...so don´t... 

 İ dont care from where it comes! So i will still . İn english we use to smoke the cigarette ( or nargile) not to drink it.

that´s my point exactly  in turkish the same verb goes for both meanings  so you just have to pay attention on the semantics  and i sure wouldn´t want you to laugh on MY mistakes 

Shame on you Reyhan!!

Smoking nargile...ok...a small mistake. ?????!!!!!!!!!!

İ only  about it. Whats wrong ? 

do you even HAVE TO ask...? 

Oh, yes, why shall i be surprised? this is what you everytime do

no she doesn´t do it always....sometimes she can be good, too

and u should be her new follower?? she expands the gang....

İ´m Yakamozzz´s follower. İ learnt from her.

...somebody is a little...bitter today.... 

no difference....u complete each other and look very good together...couple of 2010!!

We dont expect from persons who speak english like their native language to say that nargile is for drinking.

u should revise ur priorities of being here. i doubt u are in wrong place to tease and fight

no more words. have things to do.

i don´t even remember how many of those "i-speak-english-like-native"-people we have here in TC do you?

 At least 3... as i remember..

is that a threat...?  Rey, be careful now or you will be "signed out" from TC...permanently... 

 Who knows . Everything is possible 

Talking from experience, Libra?

 Not an option when you have a husband tagging along...

You could lose him in the cisterns......

 Tried that - didn´t work, also the bazzar, didn´t work, leaning over Galata Bridge, did not work and before you say I also tried an underground city in Cappadocia........... didn´t work 

You should keep him on a longer leash!

"iç" = inside, so içmek probably meant to take something inside at some point, of course throughout the centuries it has become to mean drink only. Anyway, yeah it´s kinda funny, at least my Azerbaijani friends told me they crack when they hear "sigara içmek"

I wish we used "tüttürmek" commonly for smoking, it is perfect. Fits with "tütün" also (tobacco)

Thanks Marion, this is what I need.

 Have fun on "our" side of the city!

  why i didnt ask same question 2 weeks ago....i lost so many places....

but i was on Kadikoy market and Uskudar...also islands...( but honestly they are wonderful in summer time, especially Buyuk Ada)

i love asian side

and Trudy of course enjoy your time there....bring to us new stories and pictures

cheers

E.

I went to the Islands in February and they were fabulous. I had two nice guides with me though and they told me to bring some bread for sea gulls

  im sure they were nice DD and im not claiming for guides only for weather .....snow and rain went with me to Istanbul, and in febuary you cant enjoy your eyes with flowers on Buyuk Ada , thats why i voting for island trip in summer time

flowers? who cares about flowers, there are date trees!

 DDyou sound like yilgun

huh? how come? I haven´t made a single list nor have I used the plural first personal pronoun. Have I?

 flowers!!!!

yilgun says"no time for flowers!!!"

he does? I haven´t heard this one from him. And I´m still goign to argue that I differ from him. I said who cares about flowers, not that there´s no time for them