History, craft, and a city read layer by layer.
Our February guide brings us to Istanbul through the perspective of Serdar Gülgün — collector, restorer, and lifelong observer of the city’s layered past.
His Istanbul unfolds between the Grand Bazaar and quiet restoration ateliers, imperial palaces and Byzantine mosaics, ferry crossings under winter skies and long shoreline walks along the Bosphorus. Gülgün’s city moves fluidly between dynastic history and everyday ritual — esnaf lunches in the old city, porcelain from Central Asia, pleasure pavilions poised on the water.
It is an Istanbul of depth rather than spectacle, where architecture, memory, and daily life remain inseparable.
THE GRAND BAZAAR
The oldest shopping mall in history, and still fully alive. I always begin with the Inner Bedesten, browsing all of the stalls there. Then I always pay a visit to my restoration ateliers. Lately, I enjoy looking for textiles and porcelain arriving from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
THE HAREM AT TOPKAPI PALACE
While I’m in the old city, I never tire of visiting Topkapı Palace. I especially like to see the harem. Once the Sultan’s private apartments—an inner world of dynastic life, strict hierarchy, and 16th–19th century Ottoman architecture.
THE ISTANBUL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUMS
I never get enough of this place. I could visit every day, just like Topkapı. Three museums in one garden: the Archaeology Museum, the Museum of the Ancient Orient, and the Tiled Kiosk.
SEMİHA BERKSOY: ARIA OF ALL COLORS AT ISTANBUL MODERN
On view throughout the winter. An extraordinary life, utterly captivating. Berksoy moved through opera, painting, cinema, and literature with boundless energy, building a world entirely her own. This exhibition reveals her as both muse and mythmaker, living art in full color.
BEYLERBEYİ PALACE
Always a delight to see. Built in 1865 as the Ottoman sultans’ summer residence, this neo-Baroque palace rests gracefully on the Bosphorus shore. With 24 rooms, 6 halls, and a marble hammam, it feels like a quieter echo of Dolmabahçe; French clocks, Bohemian chandeliers, and porcelain vases glinting in the light.
KÜÇÜKSU KASRI
If there’s a lesser-known gem, it’s Küçüksu Pavilion. Built for a sultan, but never for sleeping, there’s no bedroom here, only a place to pause. Baroque in style, its façade looks like an iced cake: creamy, ornate, and irresistibly photogenic. Small in scale, charming in spirit—a true pleasure pavilion.
A BOSPHORUS FERRY RIDE
I love taking the ferry in winter. No crowds, just rain in the air and the grey-blue sky blending into the sea. If I can have a salep onboard, I’m happy. The slow rhythm of the waves, the feeling of going somewhere gently, it gives the soul time to prepare.
A BOSPHORUS WALK FROM ÇENGELKÖY TO KANDİLLİ
Every day, I walk from Çengelköy to Kandilli with my dog. I love passing the Kuleli Military Academy and watching the fishermen along the shore. It’s an ordinary walk, yet it reminds me that this vast city can still feel human in scale.
KARİYE
A former Byzantine church, now a mosque, home to some of the most beautiful mosaics and frescoes of its time. In my eyes, the finest of the Byzantine period. Their depth, light, and quiet grace still feel alive after centuries.
PANDELİ
If I’m around the old city at lunchtime, I go to Pandeli. Upstairs in the Spice Bazaar, it’s where time stands still, blue tiles, charcoal-grilled döner, and the feeling of old Istanbul that never fades.
HAVUZLU RESTAURANT
Inside the Grand Bazaar, Havuzlu Lokanta is a classic. Thick walls, high domes, the sound of forks and tea glasses echoing under centuries of stone. Perfect for lunch while shopping, simple, traditional, always delicious.
KANDİLLİ BALIKÇISI SUNA’NIN YERİ
While on a stroll around my neighborhood, I’ll continue to Kandilli Pier and have fish at Suna’s. Tables right by the water, boats passing close enough to touch. Simple food, fresh air, and the feeling of Istanbul at its most effortless.
ARKESTRA
I’ve yet to find the cocktail bar of my dreams. But for a chic dinner, I enjoy Arkestra. Set in a 1960s villa, it’s refined but relaxed, elegant food with a hint of travel and jazz in the air.
HÜNKAR
While shopping in Nişantaşı, I may stop by Hünkar for lunch. I love Istanbul’s esnaf restaurants, humble, home‑style places serving seasonal vegetables, fish, and comforting classics. Hünkar is one of the finest, a timeless spot for a proper midday meal.
SEVAL PATISSERIE
Since the 1970s, an iconic, deeply local pastry shop in Çengelköy. The best keşkül in Istanbul. True plain ice cream made with real salep, summer sorbets from fruit picked in their own garden. Be warned that there is zero ambiance, but the pastries are of extraordinary taste. Wrapped boxes, ribbons—sweetness from another time.
BEGUM KHAN
I often stop by Begüm Khan, where Ottoman and Asian influences meet in bold, intricate form. Iconic jewelry inspired by nature and Eastern mysticism, each piece feels sculptural and full of character.
MİSELA
When in search of something more contemporary, I enjoy Misela. Beautiful boutiques, elegant bags, and modern craftsmanship rooted in tradition. They have a beautiful boutique.
#74CityGuides takes us across the globe with voices from our cultural community, tracing cities through lived experience, personal rituals, and the places that continue to shape them.
