Istanbul Local Custom Tips by maykal

As visitors to my other pages on the Middle East may already know, I am rather partial to a nargile from time to time! For those not in the know, what is nargile? Well, maybe you know it as chicha, ma'ada or hubble-bubble, or maybe just plain old water pipe, nargile is one of those unusual-looking things you see men (and in many places, women) puffing huge clouds of smoke from.

A few myths...Nargile uses cannabis: It does NOT! Nargile, in proper hands, is prepared using either plain tobacco (known as sade in Turkish) or tobacco which has been soaked in fruit flavoured water.

Nargile is not addictive: Umm, have to disagree. If there is nicotine, there will be addiction. Some say that because the water acts as a filter, the smoke is purer and less harmful. I've also heard that the fruit-flavoured tobaccos are less harmful and less addictive than the plain tobacco, which may well be true. However, if you indulge in an occasional apple or mint nargile during your holiday, you won't suddenly become a chain smoker.

You should always inhale the smoke: Again, no...you can inhale it if you like, but non-smokers can just breathe the smoke into their mouth and blow it straight out again without letting the smoke enter the lungs...you'll still be able to taste the flavour and enjoy the smell.

Nargile is for old men: Yes, it is for old men, but also for old women, young men, young women and anyone else in between! It has become quite trendy in recent years, and you'll find cafes all over Istanbul where locals and tourists of all shapes and sizes puff happily away on a nargile, pleasant smelling smoke filling the air to the sound of bubbling water.

How does a nargile work? I'm no scientist, but I'll attempt an explanation. The clay top contains the tobacco, which is covered with tinfoil. Charcoal is burned on top, sending smoke down into the glass container at the bottom. When you suck on the pipe, the smoke bubbles through the water before reaching your mouth.

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Elma = apple
Nane = mint
Sheftali = peach
These are the most common, although some trendier cafes offer all manner of flavours, including vishne (sour cherry), bal (honey), manga (mango), and various concoctions using milk instead of water (coconut is the usual suspect). Take my advice, and stick to the common ones...mint is my favourite, with apple a close second.

Every so often, waiters come round with a metal container full of hot coals, and will replace your old ones. This means you can smoke nargile for over an hour quite easily. If your coals finish and nobody comes to the rescue, a handy phrase is "atesh, lutfen" (literally "fire, please").

Where to try nargile? Well, almost anywhere in Istanbul nowadays. Many places in sultanahmet have nargile, although prices may be high in the touristy places. Near to Suleymaniye Camii, look for a doorway leading to an open-air cafe in a courtyard below, which is a very pleasant place to spend an hour or so with a pipe. Taksim's backstreets are full of cafes which offer nargile. Try Kafeka on the street running behind the Istiklal branch of McDonalds, or the cafe of the Atlas Sinema, roughly about halfay down Istiklal Caddesi. The Galata bridge also has some great nargile places, although prices are a little higher here.

The best place in all Istanbul for atmosphere is Tophane. From Taksim square, take Siraselviler Caddesi to the end, cross over the busy main road to the impressive mosque. Between that mosque and another equally impressive one, there is a road full of nargile places, ranging from ultra trendy with cushions on which to lounge, to more traditional ones with tables, chairs and backgammon. Any time of day is busy in Tophane, but evening is the time to go. It is also on the tramline from Eminonu and Sultanahmet, so an easy and relaxing night out for anyone staying over there.

In Taksim and other central areas, a nargile costs around 4 or 5YTL. The trendier the cafe, the higher the prices.

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I'd always thought of backgammon as a bit of an old man's game, and indeed it is...but just like nargilke has found favour with the younger set, backgammon, or tavla as it is called in Turkey, is played by just about everyone. Many cafes have sets for you to play with, either for free or for a small charge, the sound of pieces being slapped down vehemently accompanied by bums in the air as players scour the floor for runaway dice. It is surprisingly addictive, and it is easy to master the art of throwing the dice and smashing the tiles down in such a flamboyant way as to make sure heads turn, although beating a local takes a little more practice. Anyone will be happy to explain the rules and show you the starting position used by the Turks (different to games of backgammon I've played elsewhere), but don't expect them to leave you to play by yourself. "What did you move that for? You should have moved that piece there, and that one there!" "No, five and six means you should move this piece!" It was amazing how many games I managed to win by not physically making a move of my own choosing! It can get a it irritating after a while, with so many people all telling you how to play, so if you want to earn a bit of respect on the tavla scene, try to find a patient friend to explain the secrets somewhere quieter before your public debut...

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Balik Ekmek (Fish and Bread) is one thing you must eat in Istanbul, even if you are not that fond of fish (I'm not...if I can stomach it and recommend it, then I'm sure you can too!). Many restaurants and cafes along the Galata Bridge offer fried or grilled fish sandwiches with salad for about 3YTL, which is fine....but for some reason it tastes a lot better when you buy your sandwich directly from one of the boats bobbing up and down in the water just close to the bridge in Eminonu. Sometimes these boats are allowed to trade, other times it is forbidden, depending on the day, the weather and whether the police are hungry or not. Sit at one of the makeshift tables, smother your fish in lemon and salt, and wash it down with a "drink" of turshi (pickled vegetables in bright pink vinegar) if you dare!

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Turkish ice cream is very different to its european counterpart...for a start, it is a lot thicker and can be eaten with a knife and fork if you wish. The reason for this is that it is made with crushed orchid root, which explains how the ice-cream sellers can throw whole lumps of the stuff into the air and pound it with a huge stick. Its sticky quality also helps them play tricks with their customers and some of them are real showmen attracting quite a crowd.

Kahramanmaras is the city most famous for this ice cream, and dondurma means ice cream. The dondurma comes in three or four different flavours, and you'll generally be given a selection of all without being asked :)

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All over Istanbul, you'll see small carts with circles of bread covered in sesame seeds for sale...this is simit. Although it doesn't really taste of much, just bread that's almost stale, it is surprisingly addictive...and if you don't like it, you can always throw it to the pigeons in Taksim Square, or to the seagulls as they follow the ferries. The man who seels simit is called a simitci, and simitciler are found on practically every street corner, especially around breakfast time.

Recently, a number of cafes have taken simit on a step further, removing the hole and adding fillings such as cheese, olives and spicy sausage. Look out for Simit Sarayi, which has branches all over the city, and its copycats Simithane and Istanbul Simit. They are always popular with students, as you can get a cheap and filling breakfast here at any time of the day. The one next to Burger King at the top of Istiklal Caddesi has a particularly nice rooftop terrace overlooking Taksim Square, and many a heated discussion went on there over a simit and a steaming glass of cay.

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A lot of people ask me why on earth I chose to study Turkish. I mean it is only spoken in Turkey, isn't it? Wrong! Turkish is spoken in Turkey and Northern Cyprus, as well as in parts of Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Macedonia, Kosovo, Syria and Iran. I found Turkish incredibly useful in parts of Georgia, and Turkish is related to languages spoken in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Western China and even parts of Siberia. Turkish words crop up in unexpected places as far apart as Sudan and Bosnia, and of course there are large Turkish communities in Germany, Britain, the US, Australia and elsewhere. With Turkey negotiating to join the EU, Turkish is certainly not the waste of time many friends have called it!

Although in Istanbul, the big cities and most tourist resorts, you'll find people who speak English, French, German, Russian etc..., knowing just a little Turkish will make your trip to Turkey that little bit more interesting. Survival Turkish is fairly easy to pick up...just buy yourself a phrasebook and maybe a cassette or CD to help with pronunciation, and you'll be able to introduce yourself, order things in restaurants and cafes, and read basic signs. But to go any further, you really need to enrol on a course. (continued in tip below...)

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Turkish is not an Indo-european language like French, Russian, Farsi or Hindi; neither is it Semitic like Arabic and Hebrew...it is a Turkic language, with a grammar system completely different to anything else (although I'm reliably informed that Japanese and Korean are similar). 2 things stand out in Turkish. The first is the way suffixes can be added and added, so you can have a whole sentence consisting of one very long word (a good example is bilgisizliklerindenmis which translates as I gather that it is from their lack of knowledge). The second unusual thing about Turkish is the word order...for a native English speaker, it is like having to think backwards! Instead of I am going to the market to buy bread, you have to start thinking I bread to buy for market to going am I, which doesn't always come naturally!

Turkish is a comical sounding language to my ears. The intonation is almost Scandinavian the way it goes up and down, it is nowhere near as guttural and harsh as Arabic can sound, and is full of ch and sh sounds. The grammar is quite logical and regular, but difficult for foreigners to get used to because it is so different from other languages. Speaking is a nightmare at first!

Anyone who is considering spending a bit of time in Turkey, or who fancies learning a very different language just for the fun of it, then the following tip is for you...

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There are two schools for foreigners to learn Turkish in Istanbul. The one I studied at was called Dilmer, which takes you right from beginners' level to advanced where you sit for the Turkish Universities' Language Certificate. Each course lasts one month, with four hours of lessons five days a week (20 hours a week). You can choose to study mornings or afternoons, or spread one course over two months by only studying three days a week. They also have weekend and evening classes. A one month intensive course costs 280 Euro.

Some of the teachers are excellent, others less so. I was just lucky. Most of them know at least one other language (usually English German or Greek) This is obviously useful in the beginning, but foreign languages are discouraged in class, everything explained in Turkish. Classes are never huge, but are rarely as small as they are advertised, usually around 10-12. The best thing about Dilmer is its localtion, just off Inonu Caddesi, the road which runs from Taksim Square through Gumussuyu to the Besiktas Stadium and Dolmabahce Palace. Taksim Square is just 5 minutes walk away, making Dilmer easily accessible from all parts of the city.

An alternative school is Tomer, which is run by Ankara University. There are branches all over the country (Trabzon, Kayseri, Bursa, etc.) but don't get too excited, as the Turkish courses are really only available in Ankara, Istanbul and possibly Izmir. The school in Istanbul is in an area called Sisli (s is like sh both times...shishli), not the most attractive part of istanbul, but fairly central (half hour walk from Taksim Square, 2 stops by metro). The courses there are similar in price, but students who had 'defected' to Dilmer complained about the very strict exam system.

While searching for the websites above, i came across this school, which I haven't heard of before; Concept Languages in Etiler Maybe worth investigating...

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