Yesterday, nearly every building we passed in Istanbul had a Turkish flag hanging in the window or on its exterior.
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| Large Turkish flag hanging outside of the Pera Museum. |
October 29th represents the date Turks celebrate Cumhuriyet Bayrami or Turkish Republic Day. This day marks the anniversary of the declaration of the independence of Turkey and when Mustafa Kemal Atat�rk was named as the first President of Turkey.
Kutlu Olsun 88 yil! Happy 88th Birthday to Turkey!
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| Smaller flags like these also were strung up between the streets of Istanbul. |
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| Another large Turkish flag adorning the Pera Hotel. |
We spent Saturday afternoon walking through the old neighborhood of Pera down in Beyoglu. We visited a new exhibit at the Pera Museum and then decided to grab a cocktail on the rooftop bar at The Marmara Pera. The bar didn�t open for another hour, but we were able to capture some amazing views of Istanbul for free. The lighting was perfect!
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| A great view of the Galata Tower, Yeni Mosque and Sultanahmet in the background! |
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| The Pera neighborhood of Istanbul going all the way to Sisli in the background. |
As my husband told me yesterday, �it pays to be nosy sometimes.� This was our first time up here, and certainly won�t be our last now that we know about this panoramic view.
As you can see from our photos, the Turks are quite patriotic and love to fly the Turkish flag!
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| Another view of Galata Tower and Sultanahmet with the Ayasofya and Blue Mosque to the left. |
We finished off our day in Pera by stopping by Ficcin for dinner. This small restaurant, featured in Istanbul Eats, serves the unique cuisine of the Caucasus Mountains.
We tried the recommended soup called Tulen tavuklu �erkez �orbasi - a chicken-broth based soup with shredded chicken and lots of delicious chunks of garlic. (I must learn how to make this one!) A superb welcome from all the lentil-based soups here.
For our main course, we both chose Ficcin�s version of manti - Turkish ravioli, which is smothered in a yogurt sauce and a red pepper oil. Their version, called �erkez mantisi, is more like a thick dumpling similar to a Polish pierogi.
This is a hearty meal, but perfect for savoring in this cool autumn weather. I highly recommend stopping here if you are in the area.
Full and happy, we decided to head back to our apartment. Another great day in Istanbul!
Places recommended from above:
We tried the recommended soup called Tulen tavuklu �erkez �orbasi - a chicken-broth based soup with shredded chicken and lots of delicious chunks of garlic. (I must learn how to make this one!) A superb welcome from all the lentil-based soups here.
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| I generously sprinkled pul biber on top of my soup. |
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| There are two versions of manti on the menu - stuffed with ground meat or with potatoes. We selected one of each dish to try. |
Full and happy, we decided to head back to our apartment. Another great day in Istanbul!
Places recommended from above:
- Pera Museum, Mesrutiyet Caddesi No.65
- The Marmara Pera, Mesrutiyet Caddesi 95
- Ficcin, Kallavi Sokak No. 13