Just a few miles north of downtown Istanbul is the neighborhood of Ortaköy. Quieter, less touristed, beautifully set along the Bosphorus. You take the city tram to its furthest northern stop, then hop on a bus for 15 minutes and here you are. The waterside Grand Mecidiye Mosque is somber and architecturally important. The flying banners of Ataturk and the Turkish flag announce the area’s gentle nationalist pride. The Bosphorus bridge (connecting this European part of the city to its Asian side) just seen in the distance speaks to the country’s technological and sociological advancement. Ortaköy has slowly become one of the city’s chicest and coolest (street artists set up a market on Sundays) areas, and it was a great stop for us on our day trip up and across the Bosphorus.
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