|Places| From far left: the 16thcentury Zeyrek Çinili Hamam now doubles as a contemporary art space; dining with a view of Haliç Bridge at the Peninsula’s Gallada restaurant; Olafur Eliasson’s Your unexpected journey installation at the Istanbul Modern; “octopus in ash” with Aegean salad, sumak and isot pepper at Mürver restaurant 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 blacktie 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. This summer, 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 18 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: CAN METE, COURTESY ISTANBUL MUSEUM OF MODERN ART juxtaposition of historic recipes from the Ottoman palace with the simple cuisine of Sephardic Jews and the old flavours of Armenian yiayias (grannies). Adding to the richness of the gastronomic experience is the mastery of open-fire cooking. A traditional ocakbaşı with perfectly grilled meats and kebabs has always been a must-visit. Now, venues such as Mürver and the newly launched Okra are building on this mastery and offering an elevated dining experience. “Regional, home-style dishes reinterpreted in chef-driven restaurants is what I find exciting about Istanbul’s current culinary experience,” says food editor and cookbook author Cemre Torun. “The growing number of small-scale producers focusing on high-quality regional products and wines made with little-known indigenous Anatolian grapes are other developments that I am happy to witness.” Besides the vibrant food scene, Turkey’s traditional spirits are also taking a new contemporary turn. Together with Turkey’s famous chef and food entrepreneur Mehmet Gürs, Torun takes the country’s much-loved rakı to another level. “With Prototip: Rakı, our first and foremost priority is to make a flavourful, aromatic and super-smooth spirit. With each passing year and harvest, we push the boundaries. The region is blessed with an abundance of indigenous grape varieties. Some have never been explored in making rakı before,” says Gürs of the pair’s new brand. The bustling nightlife, despite the current government’s attempts at curtailing it, comes out as another reason to travel to this city of contrasts. “The industry has encountered significant challenges in recent years, but these trials have honed our skills. It compelled us to master the art of ‘pulling a rabbit out of a hat’ to bring creative ideas to life,” says Emre Garan, the music director of the multipurpose liveperformance venue Frankhan, launched in 2023 in one of the rising areas of Istanbul, Karaköy. “Turkish music is now gaining increasing recognition on the global stage. Turkish psychedelic music, in particular, is finding its way into the works of renowned artists, spanning from DJs to pop sensations like The Weeknd.” Istanbul’s lively social scene welcomed its new “hot” members-only club this autumn, after Soho House, which opened in the striking Palazzo Corpi back in 2015. Set on top of a scenic hill overlooking the beautiful bay of Bebek, the new initiative, Clubhouse, stems from the desire to bring back the spirit of fellowship that once thrived among the people of Istanbul. “We will reintroduce the spirit of old Istanbul, CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 19
