Eminonu: Bazaars, Spices and Traditions

Eminonu is a neighbourhood of Fatih. It is on the East of the Golden Horn. It is inside the walls of the old city. Its neighbours are Sirkeci, Karakoy and Suleymaniye. Istanbul Ticaret University has a campus here and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce is also here.

History

Byzantium is thought to cover the area where today surroundings of Topkapi Palace, Sarayburnu and Sirkeci. At Ottoman times, it continued to be a port of trade. Due to the new ships and Sirkeci Station that started to operate, and Ottoman porte was carried to Cagaloglu. The center of Istanbul was still here. (Some old people still say "I am going to Istanbul" out of habit, referring to this area. It sounds strange to new generations.) After the republic was founded, roads were built and new transportation means were put into service. Today it is one of the most crowded areas of Istanbul.

New Mosque closer

Sights

New Mosque (Yeni Cami): It was laid in 1587 and was opened to worship in 1665. The mosque is very famous, because it is a part of Istanbul silhouette. Yeni Cami is very large with its building and yard that is flocked with pigeons.


Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Carsisi): This historical bazaar is behind Yeni Cami. It is mainly famous for its herbalists and souvenirs. My father used to work there and I've been there many time since childhood. Unfortunately modern malls that provide diversity in products and prices have negative effects on tradespeople.


Great Post Office (Büyük Postane): This is the biggest and the most historical post office of Turkey. The construction began in 1905 and the building was ready in 1909. Between 1927 and 1936, it was used as Istanbul Broadcasting House (but today it is at Harbiye). It is very close to the Egyptian Bazar and Yeni Cami.


Rustem Pasha Mosque (Rüstem Paşa Camii): This mosque is at Tahtakale, which I'll tell you about below. The architect of this mosque is Mimar Sinan! The completion date is written as 1562, but it may be between 1562 and 1564.


Hidayet Mosque: This mosque was built in 1814. It was wooden at first, but architect Alexandre Vallaury rebuilt it in 1887. The mosque is on Yalikosku Street, which is close to the coast.



Ahi Celebi Mosque: This mosque is behind Istanbul Ticaret University and close to Galata Bridge. Rumour has it that famous traveller Evliya Celebi had seen his dream that revealed him to travel at the rest of his life.

Galata Bridge: It connect Eminonu with Galata. It has two floors and you can walk on either of them. The view of the Golden Horn is spectacular. There are cosy sea food restaurants at the bottom floor.


Tahtakale and Mahmutpasa: These are actually two separate streets, but they serve similar purposes. You can find cheap stuff like fabrics, clothes, shoes, kitchen utensils, toys, and so on. Some of those are local, and some others are "made in China".

Food and drink

If you are into traditional food and drinks, Eminonu is the right place among some others (Sultanahmet, Beyazit, etc.). Beware of "too cheap" places due to hygienic concerns, but if you have a strong stomach like me, you don't have to worry much. You won't probably find alcoholic drinks at most places. You can try the fish of the restaurants of Galata Bridge, where you can also find alcoholic drinks.

How to get to Eminonu

It is very easy to get to Eminonu. You won't probably deal with the traffic, unless you travel with car. One of the stops of Kabatas-Bagcilar tram line is Eminonu. Sirkeci port is just a few minutes away, so you can easily come from Uskudar or Kadikoy, if you are staying at Anatolian coast.

Where to stay at Eminonu

It is hard to find many Eminonu hotels, some of which are luxurious. There are some hostels around. Sultanahmet has more hotels with different prices. You can look for the hotels, according to the stops of the tram line. Kadıkoy also has many budget hotels.