Spring is the time for long, meandering walks before the scorch of summer sets in, preferably with a beautiful view and treat in hand. With Istanbul’s range of street food and established eateries, a tasty snack is always nearby. Although it’s true that Istanbul could use more greenery, the existing parks, as small as they are, provide a welcome respite from the city’s bustle. Here are some of my favorite parks and treats to go along with them.
Gülhane Park
A snack favored by visitors to this park is corn on the cob (süt mısır). But now that they are in season, you may find an erik vendor at the gate, selling bags of the light green, sour plums. See how you fare on the Turk-o-meter, since these snacks — much loved by locals — seem to be an acquired taste amongst foreigners.
Adjacent to the Topkapı Palace, Gülhane (literally “rose house”) Park is one of the city’s oldest public parks and a common destination for a Sunday stroll. The park still houses a rose house, where the Tanzimat reforms that modernized the Ottoman Empire were launched. It also holds the oldest piece of Roman architecture in Istanbul — the Column of the Goths — thought to commemorate Constantine’s defeat of the Goth clans in 331.
In the spring, flowers arranged in fanciful designs carpet its small hills. A quick hike to the top on its walking paths gives a glimpse of the sparkling Sea of Marmara. The lawns are extensive, so plop down near a swirl of tulips or bring a frisbee to toss. Take in the scent of the sea, while the chirping of birds overpowers the distant rumble and churn of the city below. Watch the ships go about their daily routes while you sit, lips puckered, enjoying your bag of eriks.
Moda Park and Sahil
With the Princes’ Islands to the left, the prehistoric-like figures of Haydarpaşa Port to the right , and the Hagia Sophia and Sultanahmet front and center, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better view. Before finding your choice boulder on the waterfront to lounge on for a few hours or strolling down the waterfront path, pop into Ali Usta for a cone of your favorite flavor. At this beloved dondurma parlor, the ice cream, once scooped, can be dipped in chocolate and topped with peanuts upon request, which gives it that extra eyes-rolling-in-the-back-of-your-head deliciousness factor. With a cone in hand and the sound of the waves gently lapping the rocks on the shore, any last traces of the day’s stress will be wiped out, like two firm shakes of an etch-a-sketch.
Fındıklı Park
Flanked by the sculpture studios of Mimar Sinan University, where marble projects in various stages of completion lie dormant, and the Kabataş ferry terminal, Fındıklı Park is a small sliver of a park where you can gape at the beauty that is the skyline of Istanbul, while getting as close to the water as you dare, since its waves occasionally spray up like a geyser to the surprise of drenched onlookers.
Elifli, an established bakery across the street, offers a variety of snacks to satisfy any sweet tooth. From cookies to macaroons, to multistory pastries as ornate as miniature architectural structures, you can’t go wrong. My personal favorite is the tahinli çörek, which is swirled like a cinnamon roll and packing the nutty flavor of sesame. Take your choice of snack to one of the small stretches of grass in the park or pair it with a warm glass of rabbit’s blood (Turkish black tea) at one of the çay houses on the water. There, the crowds sitting back and enjoying the view or animatedly debating the issue of the day over their steaming brews make for excellent people watching.
Balat Park
The aroma of baking bread in Balat makes one weak in the knees. Its central streets — Leblebiciler Sokak and Vodina Caddesi — teem with bakeries displaying their golden, crusty loaves like trophies in glass cases. What could be better than to pair this crunchy piece of heaven with olives and cheese from a neighboring bakal? Add a few tomatoes and cucumbers, and you’ve got the making of a breakfast picnic in the park. In the spring, the park’s mulberry trees are heavy with the sweet white clusters and can be picked, or, as I saw a young boy do on one occasion, forced down in a sugary shower by climbing in a tree and giving its branches a vigorous shake.
The view from this park is industrial and the stark shadows of the warehouses bring to mind an Edward Hopper painting. The Özel Fener Rum Lisesi, a gleaming coral red, looms behind and the park is a lively, packed with families and young couples making pyramids as they lean against each other, watching the water.
Sanatkarlar Park (Overlooking Tophane):
When it comes to Sanatkarlar Park, you might as well do it like the locals and come armed with a bag of sunflower seeds and a pack of cold beverages. The sunflower seed shells pile up in scattered mounds as the day passes, marking the elapsed time spent chatting with friends, like rough hourglasses. What the park lacks in lushness, it makes up in views — the Asian side, Princes’ Islands, and Sultanahmet spread out before you and provide a great setting to while away the time and chew the fat. When you’ve gathered a sizable hill of shells before you, you’ll know it’s been an afternoon well spent.
Gezi Park
In this small park at the heart of the city — the flint stone that sparked the Gezi protests in 2013 — it seems only appropriate to grab a simple simit, that most quintessential of Turkish snacks and food of the people, from a vendor in the square before parking yourself to enjoy its multicolored tulips. Plop yourself down at a çay bahçesi and try to imagine the way it was two years ago, when a small utopian village was created on its grounds complete with a lending library and infirmaries for animals and people, and raise a tulip-shaped glass to the peaceful protesters who came out in its defense and in defense of their right to freedom of expression, amongst other things.
Yıldız Park
Once a forest (though it’s hard to believe now) and the sultans’ hunting ground, this hilly and walled-in park provides a slightly less chaotic shelter from the surrounding streets. In springtime, the park has a regalia of stunning flowers on display, a backdrop for many a wedding photo, and a diverse array of trees in its groves. The Bosphorus can be spotted from the highest parts of the park, and the grounds also house the Yıldız Porcelain Factory, which is still functioning and offers tours. The Çadır and Malta Pavilions are great for a çay pit stop or a more extended brunch.
Do you have any favorite pairings of parks and treats? Share in the comments!
Emilie Varlet is a contributor to Yabangee and also blogs at figs and peaches.
