Amusing, cultural places on Golden Horn’s northern shore
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Niki Gamm
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Temmuz 03, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Historically, the Golden Horn was continually fed by streams from the Belgrade Forest, and its western-most reaches, around the area now called Sütlüce, were favorite places for recreational boating. Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III's 17th-century efforts to create an entertainment center on the north shore of the Golden Horn have echoed into the modern era with the series of cultural venues, museums and amusement parks that line the waterway's banks today
The north shore of the Golden Horn was, for centuries, farmland supplying both the Old City and the foreign community in Galata with milk, vegetables and fruit. But Sultan Ahmed III’s 17th-century efforts to create an entertainment center there have reverberated into the modern era with a series of cultural venues, museums and parks that line the waterway’s banks today.Â
Historically, the Golden Horn was continually fed by streams from the Belgrade Forest, and its western-most reaches, around the area now called Sütlüce, were favorite places for recreational boating. The land on the north side seems to have been left fairly unsettled until Sultan Ahmed III and Grand Vizier Nevşehirli İbrahim Paşa established the famous Saadabad entertainment venues there during the Tulip Period, or Lale Devri. Parties and merry-making prevailed, poetry was read and songs sung, games were played and plays were performed, while turtles with candles on their backs walked around the extensive gardens, illuminating the night.
Though the modern-day Saadabad is nothing like it was in the 17th century, the sultan had perhaps the right idea, with his efforts seemingly inspiring a variety of cultural and entertainment venues to set up shop on the Golden Horn’s north shore.
Dolphinarium
The area’s newest attraction is the Dolphinarium, recently opened by the Greater Istanbul Municipality with performing dolphins, whales, seals and walruses brought from Russia. Each performance lasts 45 minutes, and there is a restaurant and a cafe where visitors can get a bite to eat. As of this month, the dolphins will be available for rehabilitation therapy, although this must be scheduled in advance.
Then there is the charming Miniaturk amusement park, where people can wander around replicas of not only some of Istanbul’s most famous monuments, but those of a number of civilizations that settled in the area that is today called Turkey. More than 100 scale models, reproduced at 1/25 of the original size, depict buildings around the country, giving visitors a kind of whirlwind tour of Turkey. Children love the place, which attracted 1 million visitors in its first year alone.
The newest conference and cultural center on the Golden Horn has been created out of the old Istanbul slaughterhouse, where huge carcasses once hung on hooks from the ceilings of the buildings and stocky men with bloodied aprons walked around carrying sharp knives and hatchets. Today, after 10 years of construction, the new Sütlüce Cultural and Congress Center offers quite a different view. With a capacity of 23,000 visitors, it is the largest such center in Turkey. Its 175,000 square meters include concert and conference halls; screening, exhibition and meeting rooms; an open-air theater; a car park; and tour areas.
Another former industrial complex is the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, which is devoted to transport, industry and communications and contains all sorts of interesting collections of old cars, airplanes, ships and railroad cars. Its Barbaros Pub and Halat restaurant are great places to spend time after or while touring the museum. Thanks to the Koç connection with the Divan, Halat is one of the best restaurants in town.
Historically, the Golden Horn was continually fed by streams from the Belgrade Forest, and its western-most reaches, around the area now called Sütlüce, were favorite places for recreational boating. The land on the north side seems to have been left fairly unsettled until Sultan Ahmed III and Grand Vizier Nevşehirli İbrahim Paşa established the famous Saadabad entertainment venues there during the Tulip Period, or Lale Devri. Parties and merry-making prevailed, poetry was read and songs sung, games were played and plays were performed, while turtles with candles on their backs walked around the extensive gardens, illuminating the night.
Though the modern-day Saadabad is nothing like it was in the 17th century, the sultan had perhaps the right idea, with his efforts seemingly inspiring a variety of cultural and entertainment venues to set up shop on the Golden Horn’s north shore.
Dolphinarium
The area’s newest attraction is the Dolphinarium, recently opened by the Greater Istanbul Municipality with performing dolphins, whales, seals and walruses brought from Russia. Each performance lasts 45 minutes, and there is a restaurant and a cafe where visitors can get a bite to eat. As of this month, the dolphins will be available for rehabilitation therapy, although this must be scheduled in advance.
Then there is the charming Miniaturk amusement park, where people can wander around replicas of not only some of Istanbul’s most famous monuments, but those of a number of civilizations that settled in the area that is today called Turkey. More than 100 scale models, reproduced at 1/25 of the original size, depict buildings around the country, giving visitors a kind of whirlwind tour of Turkey. Children love the place, which attracted 1 million visitors in its first year alone.
The newest conference and cultural center on the Golden Horn has been created out of the old Istanbul slaughterhouse, where huge carcasses once hung on hooks from the ceilings of the buildings and stocky men with bloodied aprons walked around carrying sharp knives and hatchets. Today, after 10 years of construction, the new Sütlüce Cultural and Congress Center offers quite a different view. With a capacity of 23,000 visitors, it is the largest such center in Turkey. Its 175,000 square meters include concert and conference halls; screening, exhibition and meeting rooms; an open-air theater; a car park; and tour areas.
Another former industrial complex is the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, which is devoted to transport, industry and communications and contains all sorts of interesting collections of old cars, airplanes, ships and railroad cars. Its Barbaros Pub and Halat restaurant are great places to spend time after or while touring the museum. Thanks to the Koç connection with the Divan, Halat is one of the best restaurants in town.