World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Istanbul  - Excursions
Excursions

For a Half Day

Eyüp:
The much-touted Pierre Loti Café (tel: (212) 581 2926), at Gümü?uyu Balmumcu Sokak 1, in the very religious district of Eyüp, is located about eight kilometres (five miles) from Sultanahmet. The café is the old home of the Orientalist romantic writer and French naval officer Pierre Loti, but the stunning view over the Golden Horn is its most attractive feature. The walk down through the old Ottoman cemetery to the village is also delightful. The village was founded by the Conqueror for new Muslim settlers in the city, and the highly revered Eyüp Mosque houses the casket of one of Mohammed's favourite standard bearers. The area and its people are very devout, alcohol will certainly not be served at the café and visitors should be extremely discreet in the mosque and cemetery. A good time to make the trip is at weekends when religious newlyweds arrive from their civil weddings to be blessed by the Imam.
There are infrequent buses from Sultanahmet, including the 39, the 55T or the 99A, but a taxi is recommended.

For a Whole Day

Prince's Islands:
These nine small islands in the Sea of Marmara, 12km (seven miles) southeast of Istanbul, were once used to keep unwanted heirs to the Ottoman throne in isolated luxury. Today, however, they have a special attraction as a taste of the past, made more authentic by a ban on cars and tours by horse-drawn carriage. Commuter ferries run to four of them and the rest are private, military or uninhabited. Büyükada is the largest and has a number of beautiful wooden mansions as well as a cool pine forest for picnics. At the top of the peak, there is a Greek Orthodox church with a wonderful view of the surrounding islands. Heybeliada, however, was the centre of an old Greek community, with six churches and monasteries, one dating to 1431, while Bürgazada has a Greek monastery on a bluff overlooking the sea. Ferries run to the islands from Sirkeci and Bostanci, taking about 50 minutes to reach the first island and 15 minutes between the other three. Faster sea-buses (tel: (216) 382 7171) also run from Kabata?, not far from Dolmabahçe Palace, about three times a day.

Polonezköy:
This forested Polish village, 25km (16 miles) northeast of Istanbul was originally called Adampol after Prince Adam Czatoryski, who settled the area for emigrants in the mid-nineteenth century, a reward for having fought for Abdül Mecit I during the Crimean War. Today, however, it is a choice summer residence and excursion spot for upper-class Istanbullites, and is primarily famous for its restaurants and health spas. The easiest way to get there is by car, along the the coast road on the Asian side to Çubuklu, then following the signs to ?ile.

Termal:
Located 38km (24 miles) southeast of Istanbul, Termal is a natural hot (thermal) springs famous as a spa since Roman times. After a 20-minute sea-bus journey from Kabata? to Yalova (tel: (0226) 814 2108), which runs five times a day, it is a short bus (Ta?köprü-Termal no 4), dolmu? or taxi ride to the main complex, which has a historic Turkish bath (hamam), an outdoor swimming pool, private rooms and several hotels and restaurants. Cost for a day's bathing and hamam combined is about US$4, and the spa is open daily 0900-1700.



Copyright © 2001 Columbus Publishing
    
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