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That was not the case for “The
Harem” where we gleefully snapped the
opulent rooms of the private quarters
of the sultans’ wives and concubives,
gold trimmed, embroidered and with
a wonderful array of ceramic tiles
throughout. Fascinating for their design
and their colourful past!
Shopping
In our next installment I will cover the
showcase shopping centres of Istikal
Street and the Grand Bazaar, here I just
want to give a quick note on the fact that
Istanbul has a huge variety of shopping,
from the marvellous Spice Market to
sumptuous antique and carpert stores.
The heritage Spice Market is an
enthralling traditional bazaar, crammed
with shops selling Turkish delight,
ceramics, lamps, silver, textiles, fruit,
flowers, carpets, coffee, silver and
-of course- spices! Far from being
pushy and aggressive, the vendors are
charming, amusing and welcoming. It’s
an absolute must on anyone’s agenda but
decide first: shop or look, or you
will get confused. I recommend
you shop!
Did you know tulips
originated in Turkey? Me
neither! But seeing the
abundance of them in the flower
markets gave us a clue. The
flowers and gardens produce
in the local markets were
outstanding.
There are a large number of
really wonderful antigue and
carpet shops dotted around the
old city. Enter if you dare. The
pictures tell the story of serious
temptation! Credit cards sadly
are accepted everywhere. You’ll
need them.
In my next installment: the
mosques, Dolmabahce Palace,
the Grand Bazaar and dining
delights. For now, farewell
from Istanbul, a city of serious
surprises!
FAST FACTS:
Getting there:
Turkish Airlines flies daily from
Jakarta to Istanbul.
Jakarta Office:
Prudential Tower, 19 th floor
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav.79
Jakarta 12910, Indonesia
T: +62-21 5795 7666
F: +62-21 5795 7667;
www.turkishairlines.com
Panorama Tours organise
excellent tourism services,
hotels, tours, etc in Istanbul,
through their representatives:
Renk United
T: +90 216 357 40 46
F: +90 216 302 28 91
www.renkunited.com
Panorama Tours
Panorama Building,
Jl. Tomang Raya No. 63, Jakarta
T: +62-21 2556 5555
F: +62-21 2556 5556
www.panorama-tours.com
We stayed in Cartoon Hotel, just
off Taksim Square which was
comfortable and friendly.
T: +90 212 238 9328
F: +90 212 238 52 01;
www.cartoonhotel.com.tr
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122 | MAY 2011 www.nowjakarta.co.id
www.nowjakarta.co.id MAY 2011 | 123