Here's my top ten of outdoor cafés in Istanbul. Some of the places in this article offer you a chance to experience history and mysticism, others offer an escapade to serenity in the middle of the hectic city life. It's very unlikely you can try them all out during your visit, but I'm sure you'll find a few that are just what you were looking for. Çorlulu Ali Paşa This is … [Read more...]
Nargile or Turkish Water Pipe – 500 Years of Smoking Tradition
The Turkish water pipe or nargile (sometimes also called a hookah or hubble-bubble) has been around for centuries. Contrary to popular belief, it is not an instrument to smoke hashish or any other drug. The only products used are different flavors of (Turkish) tobacco. There is nothing shady about this 500 year smoking tradition. It's just a great way to slow life down and … [Read more...]
How To Make Perfect Turkish Coffee, and Its Social Importance
Turkish coffee (Türk kahvesi) plays an important role in Turkish society. It was like that in the past, when coffeehouses were the place to meet fellow countrymen and have a conversation about politics, religion, social and even scientific matters. But even today, almost 500 years after coffee was first introduced in Turkey, it still fulfills an important role in Turkish social … [Read more...]