Today I take you to Cihangir, the beautiful and picturesque bohemian neighborhood and “alternative” in Istanbul, a cheerful home for artists and creatives; the Turkish writer also talks about it Esmahan Aykol in his novel Apartment in Istanbul (highly recommended, by the way). Right here are some of the most beautiful places in the whole city, among the colorful and dilapidated houses, the music and the scent of roast meat.
In these parts there is one of my favorite places, especially with the arrival of summer: it is called Ikinci Kat. It is authentic, not touristy, frequented almost exclusively by locals: a very pretty terrace, illuminated by colorful lights made from dried pumpkins and decorated with a thousand colored beads… A must see! People come here to relax, play checkers or Backgammon (in Turkish it is called Tavla) and smoke a very good one hookah with friends, at really low prices. The very kind staff also serves excellent chay and Turkish Efes beer on tap: calculate around 25 TL for two medium beers and a hookah. Ikinci Kat is located on the fourth floor of an all white period building, next to the French high school in Cihangir.
You get there by taking Istiklal Caddesi, the large and chaotic pedestrian street of the city center and continuing towards Taksim Square, among the crowds of tourists. Almost at the end of Istiklal, turning left into any of the uphill alleys, you will find yourself out of the maddening crowd, catapulted as if by magic into picturesque Cihangir. One of the best places to get lost in the city, there aren't many landmarks - it really is a maze of alleys! With the address in hand, ask for the French Lyceum: you can't go wrong, Ikinci Kat is right next door.
Ikinci Kat address:
Çukurçeşme Sok. No: 11/2 Beyoğlu, Istanbul - tel. 02122436867
Hours: from 10 am to XNUMX am, but as long as there are people they don't close;)
