Staying in Istanbul for two weeks

**Greetings, Senior citizens halfway thru a bus trip orchestrated by sarikanarya (Thankyou so much) thru western Turkey and planning about ten days in Istanbul before returning home. We need inspiration as to a great area representative of Turkish culture but not a super tourists d area such as Sultanahmet or Taksin Sq. We are comfortable with mass transit and will take suggestions re splitting the ten days to broaden the experience. I guess we would prefer going to the tourist places than living next to them. Any help would be appreciated.

Oh goodness hello,yes;I remember you posting up about a route from Bodrum up to Istanbul :) I hope it has all worked out nicely for you.

In Istanbul Sultanahmet really is tourist central as this is where 99% of the ancient history is to be found,but it can be a bit....full on at times tbh,especially for 10 day stay.As you are open to splitting your time between a couple of places here are a couple of suggestions.
Firstly the Asian side.This could be Kadıköy whi ch has quite an arty atmosphere and is well connected by ferries to the European side.There are some nice lanes to wander around,plenty of nice hotels and eating places too.Not far from the ferry pier is the nostalgic tram stop to take you to Moda,a very nice neighbourhood just south of Kadıköy with wonderful sea views.I recommend a visit there.

Further north from Kadıköy is Üsküdar,tucked almost under the Bosphorus Bridge.This has a nice traditional feel to it and is connected to the European side by both ferry and the underwater Marmaray system to Sirkeci,so that is very convenient for going to Sultanahmet.Again there are a fair few hotels there and also plenty of AirBNB retals too.
Either of those would be lovely for a 5 days stay.And there is also plenty to see and vi,sit on that side too-Beylerbeyi Palace,Mihrimah Park at Beykoz,Kalamiş Marina,Bağdat Street for upmarket shopper watching :) Maidens Tower in the middle of the Bosphorus has boats leaving from the shore regularly.Kuzguncuk just after Üsküdar is a very old part with a lot of it's history still there to see.Further north still Çengelköy and Kandilli have lot's of beautiful yalı's. At Beykoz there is Küçüksu Köşk ,a mansion,which is very pretty.So you could almost use those 5 days just on the Asian side.All of these are far from the tourist trails for the most part so you can mingle with the locals and imagine one of those fabulous yalı's is yours!

For the second spot...
Ancient Balat on the Golden Horn now has hotels and rentals available.Tourists are slowly starting to discover Balat but it sill isn't on everyone's radar.Once home mainly to the Sephardic Jews it now has a mixed-neighbour make up and for the most part retains it's historical feel including it's Jewish heritage.Buses will take you into the city centre or you can use the Haliç Line(Golden Horn) ferry.

Another option could be just north of Beşiktaş at Arnavutköy close by the second Bosphorus Bridge.There are still many traditional old wooden houses here and some are hotels.Staying here would give you a nice atmosphere and possibly great Bosphorus views but it would mean a bus to Taksim and then metro or tram down to the historic peninsula.But of course Taksim is an important transport interchange for many other places and transport forms so you are sure to pass through regularly over the 10 days!

If you'd prefer not to be quite so far out then also look at the Küçükayasofya neighbourhood of Sultanahmet and the next door one of Kumkapı.Both close enough to be convenient for sightseeing but far enough away to be peaceful and both area's still have a lot of local residents;not all properties have been given over to tourist accomodation.

So that gives you a few off the wall idea's.Each would give you chance to be amongst local people,to see how their daily lives are,experience public transport and get a feel for the real city rather just what every visitor sees.Each of these districts has upmarket and more working class parts too so you would get a good cross section of everything in them.Hope something in this lot appeals to you :)

Hi billiebaja I have sent you a private message with a suggestion for a good airbnb option on the Asian side that I've just returned from and stayed in twice. Everything is very handy and the area is quiet and safe with locals living their daily lives and all necessities are handy.

Have a great time.

Sarikanarya, many thanks! You spend a lot of time and we appreciate your effort. William e Nancy,

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