Let’s explore Tevkifhane Street, then move on to Kapiagzi and Ishakpapa Street from Utangap Street. As we walk downhill, we’ll reach Cankurtaran Square. We can pause for a cup of tea or coffee at the late Erol Tap’s café on Cankurtaran Square, surrounded by the sounds of passing trains. The front part of the café where we sit is a typical Roman Square. Let’s venture into the old alleys for a while and transport ourselves back to the Byzantine era. Ponder about the sailors calling at the port. Try to listen to the languages of those coming from Egypt, Phoenicia, the Black Sea coasts, and Venice. If you make an effort, maybe you can hear their footsteps.
Ahıirkapi
Now, turn into the narrow street next to the café. Continue walking, greeting the old women sitting in front of doors, passing by charming guesthouses, some resembling a theatrical set, and others restored and offered for tourism. Observe the front parts of windows adorned with rose geraniums and geraniums. Proceed to Ahirkapi by walking under the bridge that crosses the train tracks. Perhaps, you’ll encounter the conductor of the Ahirkapi Gypsies Orchestra on his way to the café, his felt hat leaning to one side Time in Sultanahmet. Greet him too. After passing the bridge, you’ll arrive at the heart of the quarter. Ahirkapi is a tourist area on one side and a traditional quarter of Istanbul on the other, featuring a grocery, barber, pickle maker, and children playing on the street. Notice a house with red ochre.
Be curious and read the brass sign; you’ll discover that this place is “the house of the great Turkish composer Dede Efendi.” The quarter, named after the stables of Topkapi in the old days, is eager to shape its future inspired by its past after a long period of sleep. The largest tourist facility in the quarter, Hotel Armada, hasn’t overlooked the surrounding culture. It has engaged the gypsy musicians of Ahirkapi in tourism, pioneering a connection between hotel managers and quarter residents in the tourism sector Private Balkan Tours.
But hold on for a moment. Listen to the call to prayer from the mosque in the quarter, and recall Dede Efendi, the most renowned musician of the quarter. If you have time, head to the terrace of Armada. If it’s afternoon and the weather is good, savor the breathtaking view of the Marmara.
