Most visitors to Istanbul spend the vast majority of their time on the European side, which is understandable given that the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar are all there. But Istanbul is a city of two continents, and crossing to the Asian shore gives you access to a dimension of the city that operates at a completely different register from the tourist intensity of Sultanahmet.
The Asian side of Istanbul is an optional but enriching addition to any Turkey travel package that includes extended time in the city.
Kadikoy: Istanbul's Neighbourhood Soul
Kadikoy is the most characterful of Istanbul's Asian districts, a lively market area and neighbourhood that operates primarily for the benefit of the people who live and work there rather than for the visiting world. The market streets of Kadikoy sell fresh produce, fish, cheese, olives, bread, and spices to local residents in a way that the Grand Bazaar, despite its genuine historical significance, is not oriented toward.
Walking through Kadikoy market in the morning, eating a fish sandwich by the ferry terminal where the boats cross the Bosphorus back to the European side, and sitting at one of the neighbourhood's many cafe tables drinking tea is a version of Istanbul that most visitors to Turkey never experience and that regular visitors to Istanbul consistently cite as among their favourite parts of the city.
Uskudar: The Historical Asian Shore
Uskudar, slightly north of Kadikoy, is the more historically significant Asian district. The waterfront is lined with Ottoman mosques including the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent for his daughter, and the Semsi Pasha Mosque by the waterfront. The Maiden's Tower, a small structure on an islet just off the Asian shore, has been a lighthouse, watchtower, quarantine station, and most recently a restaurant, and its silhouette against the Bosphorus is one of Istanbul's most photographed views.
The Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian waterfront, which Memphis Tours includes in some Bosphorus programme itineraries, is considered the most elegant of the late Ottoman palaces and was used as a summer residence by the sultans. Its six grand furnished reception halls and its location directly on the Bosphorus give it a setting that the larger Dolmabahce on the European shore does not quite match.
Crossing the Bosphorus
Part of the pleasure of including the Asian side in an Istanbul Turkey travel package is simply the act of crossing the Bosphorus by ferry. The frequent public ferries that connect Eminonu and Karakoy on the European side with Kadikoy and Uskudar on the Asian side are used daily by thousands of Istanbul residents commuting between the continents, and the crossing, even on a grey morning, is one of the great ordinary experiences of urban life in Istanbul.
Standing on the ferry deck as it crosses the geographic boundary between Europe and Asia, watching the European shore recede and the Asian shore approach, is one of those moments that carries a significance disproportionate to the fifteen minutes it takes.
Conclusion
The Asian side of Istanbul adds a neighbourhood authenticity and a geographic completeness to any extended Istanbul Turkey travel package. Memphis Tours can incorporate Asian side visits into private Istanbul programmes. Inquire at memphistours.com today and experience the Istanbul that most visitors never reach.