10 Romantic Things to do in Istanbul, Part 2

6 - Rumelihisarı (Rumelian Castle). A fortress located in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul, Turkey, on a hill on the European side of the Bosporus. Built by Sultan Mehmed II in1451 before he conquered Constantinople. Since 1960, it has been used as a museum and an outdoor theatre for concerts and festivals. Enjoy breathtaking views trekking around the fortress or a summer’s night of rocking to music echoing into the Bosphorus.

The Rumelian Fortress. Image: TrekEarth

7 – Kalamış. A bay on the Asian side of Istanbul, Kalamis is well-known for it’s luxury marina, park and tea gardens. Walk along the marina by day, drop into the classy night clubs by night for dancing. Kalamis used to be an elegant walking spot for high-class Ottoman ladies and famous Turkish poet Munir Nurettin Selcuk even wrote a song* dedicated to it; “No place else gives pleasure, whether winter or summer, such as the sweet peace of Kalamis”.  
*Listen to it here on Grooveshark. The scratchy gramophone recordings do seem strange nowadays, but it's a nice taste of Ottoman nostalgia, and who knows, one day in Istanbul you just might here those violin strains wafting out from somewhere and then you'll know...

Kalamis at night. Image: TrekEarth

8 - Anadolu Kavağı.  A district in Beykoz, in the lush green heights of the Asian side directly upon the point where the Marmara sea joins with the Black Sea. Although known for its Roman castle, the best feature is the quaint little fish restaurants. Reached either by winding hilly roads, or a romantic ferry-ride, enjoy a tranquil meal by the water accompanied by raki. The fishing town looks just like a picturesque Aegean island and during the summer you can also enjoy the Moonlight Ferry Trip, which leaves from Bostanci and slowly travels up to Anadolu Kavagi accompanied by music.

Quaint and tranquil - Anadolukavagi. Image: turkiyetanitim

9 – Maiden Tower. As far as romantic places go, this looks like rather the obvious choice, however there’s no denying the attraction. Built on a tiny islet in the Bosphorus, it’s also known as Kizkulesi. So many legends abound, from Greek gods in rapturous love to a sultan who tried to hide his daughter from a prophesy of death, that it’s impossible to pick one, so I suggest doing your own research. Now restored with a new, cosy café, and often hired for weddings, it can be reached from Uskudar with a little motorboat.

Mythical, Mysterious: The Maiden's Tower. Image: Beautiful Wallpapers

10 – Galata Bridge. Subject of many works of fiction, paintings and poetry, the bridge was a link between two cultures and Leonardo Da Vinci actually designed the original, which was never built. At first glance you’ll only see hundreds of fishing lines thrown over the edge, but underneath is a whole row of fish restaurants and cafes where you can dine and drink until the late hours, lazily watching the ferries swan past, with the aroma of apple tobacco wafting over you from the narghile cafes.

Tucked away under the Galata Bridge. Image: Alfred Molon

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Painted on Water

Traditionally used to embellish pages of the Koran, the traditional art of paper-marbling is still popular in modern Turkey.  Called ebru in Turkish, this artwork is so revered that many girls are graced with its name when they are born. Martha Stewart even had a show on it though there are questions regarding her techniques. Perhaps if she had invited a Turkish ebru master for the demonstration ...

When you sign up to take an ebru course you will start from the beginning by making the brush from horsetail hair and a thin tree branch. You will then be taught how to mix the paints and make the liquid that fills the tray and suspends the paint.


Above is an early piece from artist and instructor Zeynep Orhan. If you look closely you can see traces of the paint from when the paper was pulled out of the solution in the tray.


One of our guests thought the tulip was painted on separately but the marbling and tulip are done at the same time and pulled from the tray altogether. It takes lots of practice before it can be done correctly.


These pieces are from one of Zeynep's students and are not so traditional.

 

Ebru is so popular in fact that the famous Turkish soprano and cross-over pop star Sertab Erener and her partner Demir Demirkan used it in naming their English language group Painted On Water. 

 

Image from Painted On Water

In describing their group, they say:

Ebru has been passed down as a practical art, with its techniques of preparing water, pigments, paper, and hand-made brushes, combs and other instruments, from master to apprentice. Much the way that Ebru marbled paper has been used in bookbinding and in combination with calligraphy, its visuals and philosophy frame the alchemic fusion of Turkish classical and folk melodies with jazz, modern rock and blues created by PAINTED ON WATER.

If you want to know what Painted On Water sounds like, you can listen here. If you want to see it in person, we recommend a trip to Turkey where it has been practiced for centuries.

Welcome to Behind the Bazaar

Centuries-old artisan workshops

Behind the Bazaar is the enfolding of a story which takes two expat women from a providential meeting in the nostalgic quarter of Istanbul known as Beyoglu on to a journey of friendship, partnership and creative discovery. Tara is an American and came to Turkey seven years ago when she married. She is a successful entrepreneur in her own right with company Citara's and blog Turquoise Poppy. Figen is half British/half Turkish and came to Turkey 16 years ago from London, also through love and marriage. She has built a very successful online business of her own, The Knit Box and also publishes her own designs.

With many similar passions and ideas, it only seemed right for us to join forces to create Intarsia Concept, which supports artisans, small businesses and creative endeavours. Behind the Bazaar was born out of a joint passion for Turkish arts - both traditional and modern and particularly those created by women, as well as our desire to share the many secrets of Istanbul with people who will appreciate them. For Behind the Bazaar, we will always be grateful to Linda Alepin.

A modern twist on traditional art by young, women designers

So, anyone who is a traveler, a discoverer, an entrepreneur or simply a lover of arts, crafts and design; welcome again to Behind the Bazaar.