Kuzguncuk, Istanbul, Türkiye

Kuzguncuk (pronounced Kuz-gun-juk), is part of the Uskadar section of town, on the Asian side of Istanbul. It is a very small neighborhood filled with ancient homes and fabulous views, if you’re high enough. And strong enough to walk up.

Most people visit Istanbul and only see the European side (see the Galata Kulesi (tower) below, and the tourist areas just below that). This small neighborhood, while having increased significantly as a tourist area, is still somewhere you should see. Just take your heavy running shoes or other sturdy shoes. It is a significant uphill climb if you want to cover it all.

Only a few blocks into the neighborhood, you will see steps. This is only one section, and there are multiple, one for each block. At the top of this section, in front of the orange building in the photo below, turn left, then take a hairpin turn back to the right, and then climb again. Did you take your water bottle? I hope so.

Here are the views you will see along the way when you stop to catch your breath.

And here’s what awaits you at the top. (I was standing on a steep hill, and didn’t notice until now that the photo reflects that!)

I walked across the top of the rise, then started back down to find lunch. Some of the houses are very old, and at the bottom, there was a notice on one door for tourists to refrain from taking photos of the neighborhood. I understand not making loud noise or otherwise disturbing the residents, yet I had no idea until I was at the bottom. Maybe most people don’t climb up and only take photos of the nicer houses at the bottom.

Stairs everywhere. And I understood why my husband took this neighborhood off the list when we were looking to move. Yes, we have one car, but most of my days I walk. I don’t drive to get groceries, go to the pharmacy, the market, or to shop in general. If we lived here, every day would be great for exercise, but I have to admit, it would get very old. The hills are ridiculously steep.

At the bottom of the hill on the main street, you’ll find a lot (a tremendous amount) of dessert restaurants. There are a few normal patesseries thrown in, and only two or three sit-down restaurants for meals. Instead of food, I opted for coffee, deciding to eat later. It’s a cute little downtown area.

I sat on the terrace at the back of the coffee shop. I was its only customer, even though the sidewalks and cafes were full. Then I saw the sign below. It’s a standard no-smoking sign in Turkish. Except in this culture, outside terraces and patios are the designated smoking areas.

Passing the coffee shop owner, I almost asked if her sign was affecting her business, but I had a feeling, given her attitude, that it might be more than just a no-smoking sign, and I kept walking.

At the very end of this little neighborhood, there is a pocket park right on the Bosphorus. Every day when I wander, I think about the yali that line the water’s edge and wonder what it would be like to live directly on the Bosphorus.

Maybe in another lifetime. I don’t have that much money.