|Places| Dining with a view of Haliç Bridge at the Peninsula’s Gallada restaurant; left: the 16th-century Zeyrek Çinili Hamam now doubles as a contemporary art space As we sailed along the shore, first we encountered a group of young people dancing the folk dance of halay and blasting Kurdish songs from loudspeakers right under the Haliç Metro Bridge. Next was a black-tie wedding at the Rahmi M Koç Museum, where a parade of glittery haute couture dresses dazzled our eyes. Further up at the campus of Bilgi University, a DJ was on stage at a music festival as the crowd exuberantly waved their arms. Imagine that all this action was taking place against the backdrop of centuries-old monuments, majestic mosques, church silhouettes and ancient shipyards … Despite, or perhaps because of its imperial past of over 1,600 years, Istanbul never ceases to surprise. It is mesmerising, colourful and chaotic all at the same time. The Vikings called it Miklagard, “the great city”. Napoleon Bonaparte said, “If the whole world were one country, Istanbul would be its capital.” Even the purported origin of its name in ancient Greek, Eis tin Polin literally means “to the city”. Needless to say, for many civilisations – including the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans – Istanbul has been “The City”. This glorious history often comes up as the first reason why visitors put this megapolis on their radar. The splendour of the remains of Byzantium, the magnificence of Ottoman structures, and the beauty of the Bosphorus Strait bridging Europe and Asia are unmatchable. Yet lately, many around the globe come to Istanbul for other reasons. Take food, for instance. The culinary map of Istanbul is vast, formed by layers of communities that have been part of this geography for thousands of years. “Turkish gastronomy is a fantastic mix of flavours from the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Central Asia. It hasn’t always gotten the recognition it should, but now, with the help of new initiatives, people are starting to understand it better,” says Fatih Tutak, Turkey’s first two-Michelin-starred chef. Earlier this year, Tutak opened his second venue, Gallada, at the brand-new luxury hotel, The Peninsula Istanbul. Overlooking the Bosphorus from a stunning rooftop, he comments: “Here is a contemporary gastronomic journey based on the historic tastes and traditions of the Silk Road’s Eurasian trade routes and their connection to this ancient city.” Gallada is not the only new restaurant delving deep into the roots of Turkish cuisine with a fresh angle. Biz İstanbul, situated at the rooftop of the iconic Atatürk Cultural Center, just joined the movement. The restaurant already gained popularity with its PHOTOS FROM LEFT: HADIYE CANGOKCE, EMRE DORTER 30 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
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