Istanbul Part 3

My 8-day Istanbul trip is covered over 5 posts:

Part 1: Day 1/2

Part 2: Day 3/4 + Misfits

Intermission: Catstanbul

Part 3: Day 5/6

Part 4: Day 7/8

Day 5

After finally catching up on sleep, I felt surprisingly good on Wednesday morning and I was ready for some cat hunting. A large percentage of the cats from the Catstanbul post were shot on this day, but before we got into that, we walked by this little hole-in-the-wall kitchen that looked like it could be anybody’s home kitchen. Run by two old friends, this duo had their life dream of just making mantı (which is sorta like a Turkish ravioli or dumping) so they just opened up their own home kitchen, put a in few tables, and voila, fresh mantı is served. Despite the fact that a street runs immediately behind me in the photo on the right, this establishment felt more like a friend’s home than an actual restaurant.

The history of mantı is actually really interesting. The origin of mantı is not quite known, but it has been suggested that the word mantı stemmed from the Chinese steamed bun mantou (饅頭). Most Chinese people are familiar with the modern incarnation of mantou, which is just a plain steamed bun; however, in as early as the early Jin dynasty (early 100s CE) mantou was originally filled with a variety of things (meat, onions, pumpkin, mung bean, radish, etc.) and it is likely that that version is what spread over to the Middle East and into Turkey. Similarly, the Korean mandu and Japanese manjū both share similar Chinese origins, but the modern incarnations of each have evolved to be quite different now.

History aside, what mattered here was the pure joy and pride put into the freshly prepared mantı. After a bit of conversation, we ordered two plates of mantı and the Teyze (I think this is the respectful way to address older women in Turkish…apologies if I’m wrong) immediately got to work, rolling out the dough, generously filling out the circularly cut dough, and expertly folding them shut.

This was insanely tasty.

I can’t recall the exact fillings, but both were served with yogurt, melted butter flavored with Aleppo peppers, and topped with dry mint. Throughout all of my travels, it’s hard to think of an experience that tops this: eating the most delicious plate of mantı in a cozy, home kitchen made by very kind and passionate people.

The rest of the day was spent chasing cats in the Cihangir district and mostly having a chill day. Below was my favorite cat from the day, and you can check out the rest on my catstanbul post.

Day 6

f/5.6 | 1/750 | 25mm | iso160 | ***Yeni Cami (New Mosque)***

f/5.6 | 1/750 | 56mm | iso160 | **Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque)**

We finally went into the historic parts of Istanbul and saw a bunch of famous mosques up close. Mosques aren’t really quite my thing, but nearby there was the Spice Bazaar. Located in the Eminönü quarter of the Fatih district, the bazaar is one of the most famous covered shopping complexes in Turkey. However, I had a hard time accurately portraying how colorful and vibrant everything was because there were so many different light sources at all different color temperatures. It was driving me insane!!! This is definitely one of those cases where real life looks way better than the photos.

You know what lighting wasn’t subpar???

As we wandered alleyway after alleyway, this particular entrance caught my eye. How was it possible there was so much natural light emanating from inside the building? So, we went in to explore…

f/2.8 | 1/2000 | 58mm | iso800 | 2 stacked photos

As we were shooting, a couple locals approached us, offered us tea and coffee, and struck up a conversation! The hospitality here was through the roof!

Through my friends’ translation layer, I learned about the history of the building and a bit about the shipping business they’ve been working their whole life. They asked me a bunch of fun questions about what it’s like living in Los Angeles before we got the inevitable question: can you take a good photo of me so I can add it to my dating profile?

Overall, it was a hilarious and fun experience. My friend and I were doing our best teaching this really stiff dude how to model and look natural. He was anxious at first, but we eventually got him to ease up right before I snapped this moment.

To close out the day, we played some backgammon on the street and ate some resoundingly mediocre Lebansese food. However, before that, there are just 3 more photos to share.

First, this green motorbike has a very pleasant hue.

Second, this singular red curtain was quite eye-catching.

And finally, these cuties are definitely eye-catching as well :3

PhotographyEthan TsaiJuly 28, 2022travel, photography, city, landscape, street, turkey, istanbul, asia, europe, bosphorusComment