Turkey's favorite Tourist Destination: The Asian Side of Istanbul

The Asian part of Istanbul is an amazing and colorful place that makes you falls in love at first sight. Here you find yourself in a completely different atmosphere, you feel calm and feel some local vibe. This part of the city is called Asian not because people of these nationalities live here. This area is the beginning of ancient Anatolia, which was conquered by the Ottomans for a long time. There was a belief among the locals throughout the ages that one could give away any part of the country except this Asian part. However, it was never given away.

You can get here by water streetcar, which leaves from the pier in the European and Byzantine part every 20 minutes.

We recommend to start the tour through this part of town with the public space organized by the municipality - a library, an art gallery, and a cafe inside. For me it was an amazing discovery that the cafe is right among the books, which you can borrow and read, and with a subscription, even take away with you. In Russia there are coffee shops in libraries, too, but they are always outside the literary halls.

Behind the public space is the Museum of Sultan's Wives, admission is free, there is a collection of dolls with the faces of the wives and the sultans themselves, as well as a family tree of the dynasty. The history of the Ottoman state is incredibly vast and its governance was quite rigid, but that's what helped the country achieve power in its time.

The Asian part was built up by the wives of the sultans in the course of public works and as charity, and the mosques were built primarily as educational and enlightenment centers.

After visiting the museum, it is a good idea to stroll through the city streets, look at the fountains and stop by Kadim Kahve, where a whole page of the menu is devoted to coffee. Be sure to try the Ottoman coffee and milk pudding, which is a sure bet.

The funny thing is that almost every establishment offers both classic coffee drinks and drinks made with an alternative brewing method. Every coffee shop and many bookstores have roasters (roasting machines), and the smell of freshly roasted beans hangs in the air.

Next we walk along the quiet streets and see the wooden facades of the buildings and the vegetable gardens of the locals. The municipality keeps a good eye on this neighborhood, and it's just beautiful: locals fill the coffee houses, cafes and restaurants, bright expressive speech can be heard everywhere, people chat and drink tea or coffee.

After the walk, it is definitely worth taking a cab to the highest point of the Uskudar district, where the Çamlıca mosque is located. Behind it there is a beautiful park and an observation deck with an incredible view of the city and the Bosphorus.

After admiring the beautiful views, catch a cab again and go to Kadıköy. Here you will find artists' street, antique shops, and prices lower than in the tourist part. Take a walk, have a coffee, eat a piece of baklava or apple pie at Kahve Dunyasi and head back to the part of town where you live.