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Çukurcuma - A hidden treasure for antique enthusiasts
June 21st, 2007 | Category: Cool Finds, Memoir/Meme/Misc.
When people visit Ä°stanbul, they usually prefer to go to Grand Bazaar for antique and kilim shopping. They are missing a lot.
Grand Bazaar surely is a place worth visiting over and over, but there is another spot. One that is a hidden treasure.
One that is not as touristy, but full of shops filled with extraordinary items you can not find anywhere in the world. Where else in the world can you find a candelabra with the official signature of an Ottoman sultan engraved on it?
Çukurcuma district, located in the back streets of Beyoğlu in İstanbul, hosts over 150 antique shops, owned generally by minorities and Levantines, who have been living there for many years. This historic neighborhood is actually a well-known center by antique devotees and mentioned in European antique catalogues frequently. It is a gem especially if you are into vintage toys, Ottoman-style jewelery and accessories.
We toured around Çukurcuma this weekend and I thought I’d share some photos. The Miele washing machine above caught my eye instantly. And the funny thing is, it is still working.
We also stopped by a friend’s shop and he welcomed us with home made cookies, fruit and ordered Turkish tea from a small corner tea buffet that caters to neighborhood stores. It was by far the best tea I have tasted in my life.
If you ever visit Ä°stanbul, make sure to include this wonderful district in your itinerary.
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Hey, Cenk, what a great suggestion. I’m planning to be in Istanbul in the fall, and have now added the district to my already full itinerary…oh…and the tea sounds wonderful. Cheers, Peter
Hi Cenk - The Istanbul district of BeyoÄŸlu features strongly in Orhan Pamuk’s “Istanbul: Memories and the City”, which I have almost finished reading. Thank you for providing another side to it. I hope one day to see not only Istanbul but also the rest of Turkey, a country that has been of interest to me since I was a kid.
Great photographs and an informative posting about one of Istanbul’s unknown places.
I will add your weblog to my blogroll.
is it open on sunday?
Hi Sharon - Only some of the shops are open on Sunday. The best day would be Saturday.