Semte ismini veren Osman Bey, 19. yüzyılda II. Abdülhamit Han tarafından Çemberlitaş’ta kurulan Matbaa-i Osmaniye’nin müdürü Hafız Osman’ın hat yazılı Kuran’ını basmasıyla büyük ilgi görüyor, zenginleşiyor, eline geçen servetle bugün Osmanbey olarak bilinen bölgedeki araziye yatırım; konak yaptırıyor. Belki de Osmanbey semtinde sokaklara burada yaşamış veya semt için önemli kişilerin isimlerinin verilmesinin öncüsü olmuş ilk gelenek.Halâskârgazi Caddesi: Cumhuriyet öncesinde Şehit Muhtar Bey olarak biliniyor. 31 Mart 1909’da, II. Meşrutiyetin ilânını takiben İstanbul'da yönetime karşı yapılmış büyük ayaklanmada Taksim civarında ölen Muhtar Bey'in anısına bu isim veriliyor. 1927’de, Atatürk’ün annesi ve kız kardeşiyle yaşamasını takip eden dönemde kurtarıcı’ 'halâskâr' ve 'gazi' kelimelerinin birleştirilmesiyle ona atfen değiştiriliyor.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2023/4/3/1684308137079.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Sadri Maksudi Arsal Sokak'a doğru<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">Şair Nigar Sokak: Adını aldığı 1862 doğumlu Şair Nigar Hanım Osman Paşa’nın kızı. Babası musikiye düşkün, annesiyse şiir meraklısı. Şair Nigar Hanım semtin sanatla iç içe olmasında önemli bir rol oynuyor. Konağında sanat buluşmaları, şiir okumaları yapıyor. Önemli bir kadın hakları savunucusu, feminizmin öncüsü.Nakiye Elgün Sokak: Türkiye'de Osmanlı döneminde ve Cumhuriyet’in ilk yıllarında kız çocuklarının eğitiminin yaygınlaştırılması için çalışmış eğitimci Nakiye Elgün. Bugün Fevziye Mektepleri Vakfı olarak da bilinen Yeni Mektep adlı özel okulu, 1923’te Beyazıt’tan Şişli'ye (Teşvikiye Karakolu karşısında bulunan Naciye Sultan Konağı'na) taşımış, 11 yıl müdürlüğünü yapmış.Teyyareci Fehmi Sokak: Adını sadece Osmanbey’deki bu sokağa değil aynı zamanda Ercan Havalimanı’na da bırakmış olan Fehmi Ercan 1960 yılında teğmen olarak başladığı görevinde 1972’de binbaşı rütbesine yükselmiş.&nbsp;Reha Yurdakul Sokak:&nbsp;Türk sinema oyuncusu, yapımcı ve senaryo yazarı Reha Yurdakul, Berkin Elvan, Keriman Halis Ece, Süleyman Seba gibi isimlerin de bulunduğu Feriköy Mezarlığında definli.Sadık Şendil Sokak:&nbsp;Ekseriya Kemâl Sunal filmleri ve Hababam Sınıfı serisinin senaristliğiyle tanınan, sokağa ismini veren Sadık Şendil, Müjdat Gezen ile birlikte Güldürü Üretim Merkezi’nde çalıştı. Senede Bir Gün şarkısının da yazarı.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2023/4/3/1684308324109.png" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Kiralık ofis mağaza<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">Sadri Maksudi Arsal Sokak: 1878-1957 yılları arasında yaşamış Türkiye ile Tatar’da kökleri bulunan devlet adamı, hukukçu, akademisyen, düşünür ve siyasetçi; Ankara Hukuk Fakültesi’nin kurucu hocalarından, aynı zamanda Türk Dil Kurumu ve Türk Tarih Kurumu’nun kurulmasında önemli katkıları var.Ergenekon Caddesi: 19 Ocak 2007, 15.00 sıralarında Halaskârgazi Caddesi üzerinde, Agos ofisinin yer aldığı Sebat Apartmanı önünde uğradığı silahlı saldırı sonucunda ölen gazeteci Hrant Dink ismiyle değiştirilmek isteniyor ancak bu talep 8 Şubat 2010’da İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi Meclis oturumunda reddediliyor.Editör’ün notu:&nbsp;Sokaklar, isimleri üzerine düşündürdü bu rota bizi. İki kitap aldık. Evrak Çantası - Murathan Mungan (Metis Yayınları), İstanbul Sokakları – 101 yazardan 100 sokak (Yapı Kredi Yayınları)

Seyahat ve kültür yayını SOLİ, şehirleri ve içindeki farklı kültürel toplulukları araştırmak üzere mahallelere ve mahallelilerin hikâyelerine odaklanıyor. 

Soli, mahallenin esnaflarının, binalarının, sokaklarının, insanlarının hikâyesini anlatıyor.

Soli

Halâskârgazi Caddesi'nden Ergenekon Caddesi'ne. 

Osmanbey sokaklarına ismini veren suretlerin peşinde

On any given night out, you will come across queues lengthening on the streets of Dalston. Some will take you home like the one for bus 149 or at Dalston Junction before the last overground. Some lead nowhere; the group of people lining up forward the Local Express is actually waiting for their friends inside. Some are only visible to the hungry crowds after 2:00 a.m. in front of kebap/döner/falafel shops; the others are a must: concert nights at EartH. But some lines can be avoided with a little help from local friends before they get insufferable.If you arrive at the <a fr-original-style="" href="https://brilliantcornerslondon.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Brilliant Corners&nbsp;</a>(Brillo to some regulars) around 7:00 p.m., the mood will be set for a pleasing cocktail bar. You find space at the counter, order a Natsumeku with gin, and chat with the strangers occupying the same space as you. Around 8:30 p.m. under the dimly lit lights, tofu korokke w/miso aioli is served to the tables. Someone asks for two more pickled daikons. Around 11:00 p.m., when the last checks are being paid, a magical force (actually talented staff of Brilliant Corners) cleans the floor; once a fancy Japanese restaurant becomes a dance hall. Hope, at that moment, you are inside, ready for the DJ sessions on an audiophile system.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/0/1670765100230.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.80" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><h4 fr-original-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Around 7:30 p.m., Brilliant Corners counter</h4><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">What to order? An old fashioned followed by king oyster mushrooms w/edamame puree &amp; shichimi as a starter, vegan maki w/roasted pepper, avocado &amp; cucumber for main.Heads Up: Brilliant Corners turns on disco, funk, and afro-beat after 11:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. But there is always a nice tune going on almost every night of the week.Bonus: Sibling to Brilliant Corners, a few doors down on the road you will come across <a fr-original-style="" href="https://mu-ldn.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Mu</a>. The menu is Japanese, the music is live between Wednesday- Sunday. Reserve a table for jazz nights featuring Conjunto Cubano w/Crispin Ade Egun, Kishon Khan &amp; friends or Yohan Kebede, Rio Kai &amp; Harry Ling.

A weekly, practical zine to London for those who want to make this city their neighborhood. Every Tuesday.

Aposto London

Cocktail bar turning into Japanese restaurant converting to dance floor.

Brilliant Corners

Take a walk: Japanese tapas, Tel Aviv breakfast places, Indian restaurants, and Italian pizzerias will catch your attention. Many of the cafes on this street are owned by Turkish people, and they sell spices, and vegan and organic products that you can't find in the big chains.&nbsp;Stokey is a place where you can find almost all world cultures. This gives the neighbourhood the feeling of togetherness. That's why shops like Know &amp; Love, selling artisanal products of local designers are opening; The Axe's owner buys almond croissants and bread from Spence Bakery; Magda and Lyla at Cafe Z do not go home after work without stopping by White Hart. Income and expenditure are balanced within the neighbourhood. Shall we start our stroll?Brekky at <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/spencebakery" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Spence Bakery</a>:&nbsp;You look at the queue in front of you. You count 28 people. Actually, it's a short one. You got here just in time. The only thought going through your mind at the moment: I hope no one wants the strawberry hazelnut muffins, and that the cinnamon buns don't have many takers today.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/10/2/1667290160535.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.75" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><h4 fr-original-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Clissold Park, Stoke Newington </h4><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;"><a fr-original-style="" href="http://rasarestaurants.com/" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Rasa</a>'s curry:&nbsp;If someone claims to know the best Indian restaurant in London, they are probably talking about Dishoom. But if you ask a London veteran for idiosyncratic Indian flavours, they will recommend Rasa, a local gem specific to the Karela region. Start your journey with lentil chips papadom, next order is curry. At Rasa, tolerance to spiciness is required.Shop local, wear global: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.hubshop.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Hub</a>, a shop that works with local and artisan designers, is the first store that comes to mind when you look for sweaters and trousers; at <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.nookshop.co.uk/" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Nook</a>, you will ask&nbsp;‘what is that smell?’ as soon as you open the door. Soaps, candles, baskets, rings, and children's toys are spread around the shelves. At <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.searchandrescuelondon.co.uk/" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Search &amp; Rescue</a>, throws are like paintings on sofas. Retro Hub NO16 is where you look for period furniture; a desk, a mirror, or a drawer. It is possible to bargain down the prices written on the furniture when you pay cash.<a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.thisisrude.com/" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Rude &amp; Everyday Sunshine</a>:&nbsp;Coffee, posters, illustrations. Rude &amp; Everyday Sunshine, is where this trio resides. The team behind the shop works for organisations such as London Transport System, The Guardian, and Amnesty. It is a stop for those who want to make a statement on their walls.Crack open a book and spend the whole day at <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/cafezbarstokey" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Cafe Z</a>:&nbsp;A place where the staff knows your habits after you have been there a few times, where you feel like you are in a common workspace because of the number of laptops opened. Since 2002, Cafe Z has managed to be a nucleus where the neighbourhood matters are discussed, where you stop by after jogging at 7:00 p.m., and where parents meet after school pick up.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/10/2/1667290201080.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.75" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">&nbsp;The Auld Shillelagh Irish Pub<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">For a Sunday roast, Londeborough Pub: When you think of roast, don't immediately think of animal parts. Delicious options such as chestnuts and legumes, grains and red fruits are served with potatoes. Londeborough Pub is the treasured place for Sunday gatherings in Stokey. Don't be surprised if you get involved in a backgammon tournament going on at the next table.It's pub o'clock!&nbsp;It's 3:00 p.m., you can notice Zoom meetings going on. We are at <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.theaxepub.com/" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">The Axe</a>. It's not because we want to drink an IPA but because pubs are placid at that time. Whether you are watching a film or writing, usually it's empty until 5:00 p.m. By then people appear sporadically on the bar stool. Bread from Spence Bakery, vegetables and fruits from Natures Choice, beers from the tap, and wines from small vineyards keep us company.&nbsp;Let's remember what a pub is: a public house. In other words, the meeting place of people. So we must keep maneuvering around in order to meet locals. According to a rumour and comments on the internet, the best Guinness beer in London is at <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/auldshillelagh/" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">The Auld Shillelagh Irish Pub</a>. We had a pint. The next stop is Doña for late-night live music, cabaret or spoken word accompanied by Mezcal.

An Arbitrary Guide to one of our favorite neighbourhoods in London, Stokey as it's called in vernacular. 

'STOKEY', STOKE NEWINGTON

Once a public house that used to receive all travelers in reasonable condition who were willing to pay the price for food, drink, and lodging, a pub’s duty is pretty much the same. To acquire backpackers with their laptops and tablets; to welcome laborers after a hard day's work; to be a shield for the ones escaping the rain; after all providing refuge for anyone who is willing to wait in the line to the bar, for the next available table, for a shared, curly triple-cooked chips before the kitchen closes at around 10 p.m.De Beauvoir Arms is that pub with a little twist. It opens at 12 p.m., which is the legal time for pubs to open their doors. It gives us Mediterranean-inspired food, so expect lots of green, tomatoes, olive oil and garlic. It hosts bookworms, screen slaves, air pod minions with no 'no lap top policy'. &nbsp;You just pick one of the wooden tables, settle in, have a look at the menu, order, and savour . The lunch follows work, writing, reading, concentrating; a drink before the shift ends at around 6 p.m. Once the notebook powers down, it’s time for the anticipated friends or acquaintances who are yet unknown, who would like to share your bench.What to order? The menu changes hourly, daily and seasonally. Just check out the chalkboard. White bean, roast garlic and rosemary hummus is one of the favourites when accompanied by courgette pancakes, and spiced lentil coriander salad.Where: 113 Southgate Rd, London N1 3JSHeads up: This is a food-centric pub with no music or TV. Great spot for face to face or zoom meetings during the day as well.Bonus: Laugh! Improv comedy theatre and school <a fr-original-style="" href="https://thefreeassociation.co.uk" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">The Free Association</a> is upstairs. Check out their program. This Saturday, 17 September at 9 p.m. FAQ is on the scene. This is an extra special show designed to celebrate, promote and champion the queer people at The Free Association.

Office hours by day, joyful chatter at night

De Beauvoir Arms, co-working shelter

When I first moved to London, as most out-of-towners would do, I wanted to live in the east. By then, once home to Redchurch Street underground parties, emerging artist hub Brick Lane (Bengali: ব্রিক লেন) was already populated by Instagrammers taking selfies in front of the murals. Luckily enough, I knew locals who told me to come to the north, where the pubs have quiz nights, and street vendors line up on Chatsworth Road every Sunday. “We even have a <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.londonboroughofjam.com/shop/gift-box-set" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">jam shop</a>”, they said, which, later on, would become a London success. Without further ado, I moved to Clapton. This was in 2017.Of course, as expected, we had The Place To Go, anytime we were questioning what to eat, where to eat. This family-run, delicious place was then called, and still is <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.myneighboursthedumplings.com" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">My Neighbours the Dumplings</a>. I liked the communal tables where you can have a glance before you order anything and ask “What is that?” They would inform you they are potato &amp; truffle su gok. I liked the walls covered with Chinese lanters, the hidden garden downstairs, and bar Mathilda where you can have a drink while waiting. I liked the murmur in the room, the sound of cheery people.Nowadays, like any veteran Londoner, I keep moving further east, all the way north, down to the south. Clapton is the hood where I once lived, but My Neighbours the Dumplings is still my reason to come back. Home is where you can cheers hot sake accompanied with smacked cucumber salad, I believe.What to order? Tofu. Marinated silken or MaPo with shiitake mushrooms.Where? In two locations: 165 Lower Clapton Road, E5 8EQ (original) 178-180 Victoria Park Road, E9 7HD (second one).Heads Up: Victora Park is closed on Mondays, and Clapton is closed on Tuesdays. The hours vary. Please have a look before you go, and even <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.myneighboursthedumplings.com" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">book a table</a> to make sure.Bonus: In their Clapton location, there is a hidden bar downstairs, Mathilda. Have a 'Madame Butterfly' before or after dinner.

This family-run, delicious place was then called, and still is My Neighbours the Dumplings.

Sake, dumpling, tofu for me!

Carpets or parquet, tiles or laminated? Neighbors from whom you pick up your parcels when they are not at home and you meet around big tables on Sunday afternoons? Or, detached houses with locks and security at the door? A relationship with a &nbsp;neighborhood is like a family without blood ties. You choose it. The first question on our minds, then, as we look down from the top of Eşref Efendi Street: What was it that attracted Utku to Kurtuluş?&nbsp;"I had spent so much time in Eşref Efendi's shared houses at Istanbul Bilgi University's Dolapdere campus, so I was used to and even a little in love with the neighborhood and its people." When Utku came to Kurtuluş in 2014, he had only two criteria in mind when looking for a house: a terrace and an opening to the sky.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/3/1661939028843.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Utku, the creator of Esmiyor Podcast<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">He did not find it immediately. After looking at many streets, buildings and rooms, he eventually comes across an enormous two-story house. The rent is high, but it's nice. He had to live in it. But to live here, you have to be determined…and also have a little luck. This is a word on the lips of many people who have made Kurtuluş their home."At that time one of our friends from Berlin moved back to Istanbul. Someone was moving out of their crumbling house, and the landlord was thinking of charging higher rent after renovating it. We decided to move into the house together. In the intervening years, many people have come, lived, and left. Some went abroad; some now live with children, dogs, and spouses. Sometimes they come back to visit as a guest and revisit their old life. I am still here, &nbsp;ready to welcome those who return and who miss the neighborhood. One day I may leave this place, but only if I left Istanbul or Turkey."<h2 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">We are together, that's it.</h2>History permeates Kurtuluş today. The neighborhood where non-Muslims and Muslims, Armenians, Greeks, Jews, and Roma people once lived together is a place where the communities that are seen as "minorities" in today's world are the voice of the majority; where they do not have to speak in whispers; where they can continue their lives on the street, not behind drawn curtains.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/3/1661938910699.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">The meeting point of religions, languages, and lives: Kurtuluş<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">A safe space for the Queer community and sex workers. A production center where those who are seen as "minorities" aren't squeezed into limited work areas; where Afghan and Syrian immigrants can carry their cultures from the kitchen onto plates and tables. "Kurtuluş is the most cosmopolitan neighborhood I see in Istanbul right now. For example, there are karaoke nights organized by the Mongolian community in the basement of the beer hall here. There is also the R&amp;B Club run by Africans on Ergenekon Street. On Saturdays, the streets of Kurtuluş are very colorful because of the African church in one of the apartment blocks. The founder of Ben U Sen is a Diyarbakır Armenian. He has handed it over now, but the food is the same. As Utku says while summarising why he is attracted to Kurtuluş: ‘You can discover the world from where you sit"&nbsp;It is a neighborhood that creates space for different cultures, vibrant and distinct but influencing one another. Yes - there are not many neighborhoods like it in Istanbul. Maybe that's why it attracts the attention of civil society organizations, people working in the entertainment sector, and recently not only artists but also art institutions.It is a transition point for those traveling from the past to the future, from west to east or vice versa, from uncertainties to dreams; it is always in motion because it accepts outsiders.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">There is a fluidity between the neighborhoods.</h2>Where does Kurtuluş begin and end? Does it ever end? Although it is physically defined by the islands, being from Kurtuluş is more of a feeling. The bagel seller who walks around saying "Puhçaaa!" in the mornings, annoying those who only put their heads on the pillow two hours ago is also from Kurtuluş, as is Mr. Aran, who is disturbed by the sound of high heels on the floor above him because of the never-ending party. Markiz Vintage, which displays choice items from grandmother's trunk in the window, is also from Kurtuluş, as are the tailors who sew up ripped linings and prepare them for winter, reworking jackets so they fit when the time comes. There are also bookstores displaying Little Black Fish and Pal Sokağı children's books in the crates out front, and people who spend six hours a day staring at their computer screens on the sidewalks. People eating noodles with chopsticks; people playing darts with beer glasses in their hands; people walking briskly to the metro with sandwiches bought from La Fiancée; ladies in scarves pulling their wheeled baskets to Feriköy market; gentlemen walking around with Madame Katia hats. These are usual sights in Kurtuluş.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/3/1661938812907.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">From Kurtuluş to Dolapdere<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">"The gentrification of Karaköy and Kurtuluş happened at the same time: after Gezi," Utku begins to explain. "They are both transition points. But this place is different. Karaköy's neighborhood is made up of outsiders. First, those who left Istiklal, Beyoğlu, and Pera, and then those who opened cafes, bars, and restaurants. But the locals did not abandon Kurtuluş. For this reason, big investors cannot come and dismantle the apartment fonts and doorways, each of which is the work of an artist, and erect skyscrapers in their place. There are no projects worth millions or trillions of dollars here. Yet. Only the temperament of the neighborhood is changing. The old greengrocer is now Fill Kahve, for example. The beer houses where only men can be seen through the smoke when you look through the door are closing down, and Kava is opening. Places are changing not simply because they will make a lot of money, but because they are in harmony with the demands of newcomers to the neighborhood."<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/3/1661938580133.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.75" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Kozmos Coffee<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">We want to talk about Bomontiada, which was established via enormous investments. Because it is also a part of this microcosm. Because many people come from the outside, those who stop by for a night out, those who take a look and leave, those who leave the cans and bags they throw out of car windows when they go, and those who make it dirty because it is not their own house. How does the neighborhood view these projects? People living in Kurtuluş go to Bomontiada to look and socialize. That area is a bit like an intersection with the outside world, Utku explains. "Those who come to Bomontiada do not go to Kurtuluş. It is not a place frequented by tourists wandering around with lists of places to visit and pose in front of for Instagram."<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/3/1661938471095.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">One of the apartments that open to the center of the world<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">It is the center of the world, this neighborhood</h2>"If it's nature, I like to be away from it all, in places where even 3G doesn't work; far from people, buzzing, cables - if it's the city, I like to be in the midst of the chaos, &nbsp;the uncertainty where you can bump into someone when you turn a corner, start a conversation that can lead to a night that changes your life. This neighborhood makes me feel like I am at the center of the world. We call it Kurtuluş, but the neighborhood where I live is called Tatavla. Its Greek name is Ταταύλα. It was originally a Greek neighborhood before the great fire in 1929. The Tatavla derives from the Greek word 'tavla' which means 'horse stable’. 'There is nothing you can't find. I don't need to go anywhere to experience something. I think of the Beyoğlu of the past. It was the place where everyone went even if they lived elsewhere, where those who lived in Kurtuluş stayed. And on the other hand, it also represents a never-ending story of migration."Greeks, Armenians, and Jews leave; Syrians, Africans, and Afghans arrive. People are fleeing war from east to west, thirst from south to north, natural disasters caused by the climate crisis, and hurricanes. Salvation, today, is like a stop. But it is not the end, it is just an intermediate stop. It is a respite, a breath of oxygen before moving on to the next point.

Istanbul based urban culture magazine documenting cities through their neighborhoods and communities. 

A collective and traveling culture magazine uncovering the cities in neighborhoods, with their people. 

Neighborhood: Kurtulus. Neighborhood: Utku Güven. Photos: Deniz Sabuncu.

Kurtuluş is an intermediate stop. It will give you a breath of fresh air and oxygen before moving on to the next point.

An average East Londoner weekend consists of two major events: Strolling around Broadway Market vendors trying to decide what to eat before rebounding to the usual Netil Market corner on Saturdays, and cruising amongst plants at Columbia Flower Market on Sundays. Veteran Londoners would know to visit the market after 3 p.m to get half-price or "what’s your final price?" offers. This action is followed by bumping into friends in front of the Royal Inn or Dove. Beer is the glue holding diverse groups together, Bloody Marry is the cure to the previous night’s headache.It’s pretty rare you can convince a hungry, hang-over Londoner to wait in queue for food for more than ten minutes. But that’s exactly what Pockets do on any given Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Starting cooking these delicacies at Oxford, followed by Chatsworth Road Market, they made (lucky for us) their way into Netil Market in November 2020. And since their debut, there is no single day or hour we can bypass the queue to attain the ultimate goal: falafel pita.It’s not just the falafel, it’s the union of fluffy pita bread, crunchy green falafels, the classified sauce we finally dared to ask and learned was mango-based, hummus, tahini, garnishing, and the final touch: boiled, roasted, fried potato slice we are dreaming of while counting how many people are in front of us. It takes about 2 minutes to layer impeccably one falafel pita. Yes, we timed it! So about 22 minutes to go.What to order? Falafel, obviously! Although you can choose hot or not. If you ask us, order always the hot!Where: Netil Market, 13-23 Westgate St, London E8 3RLHeads Up: Pockets is only open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Try to be there before 11:30 a.m. Have a friend, headphones, or book present because the waiting line would approximately be 30-40 minutes. Trust me, it’s worth it!Bonus: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://netilradio.com" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Netil Radio</a> is playing on the second-floor booth.

The most famous falafel in the city. Yes, it is. 

Pockets: The union of fluffy pita bread and crunchy green falafels

Mahalle: Bermondsey. Mahalleli: Emre Akay. Mahalle fotoğrafları: Hazal YılmazBugün, Londra’nın kuzey doğusunu, az sonra varacağım güneyine bağlayan London Bridge üzerinden, suyu göz hizamda tutarak yürüyorum. Sağımda beni hedefimden kolaylıkla şaşırtabilecek Tate Modern’in bir zamanlar Londra’ya elektrik sağlama santrali olarak kurulmuş binası. 29 Ağustos’ta biteceğini takvime işaretlemiş olduğum Surrealism Beyond Borders sergisi aklımdan geçiyor yine. "Haftaya" diyorum, haftaya geleceğim. Şehirde yaşayanlara özgü, elimizin altındaki şeyleri kolaylıkla kaçırabilme, başka ülkelerden gelip de görmüş arkadaşlardan dinlemeye verilen isim. Yok. Şehir sözlüklerine girmeli. Olması gereken yöne, sola dönüyorum köprü bitiminde. Renzo Piano yapıtı The Shard gölgesi altına alıyor sıcakta bunalmış bedenimi.Thames Kanalı’nın şehre taşıdığı Kuzey Denizi’nin hafif esintisi betondan yükselen ısıyı kesiyor. Yıllar öncesinden, Londra’da henüz yaşamıyor olduğum zamandan bir anımsama. Eldiveni çıkarınca parmakların hissizleştiği bir gün, Borough Market’teyim. Sıcak şarabı yudumlarken&nbsp;Brindisa sırasında bekliyorum. Patateslerin domates sosuna kavuştuğu anın kokusu sanırım sızıyor hafızama önünde geçerken. Brindisa eski anı, Padre’nin karnabaharlı&nbsp;taco’ları bugün radarımda. Kısa bir sıra. Bekleniyor. Küçük ısırıklar alarak atıyorum adımlarımı. Yürürken yemek yemeye verilen isim. Şehir sözlüğüne bu da girmeli. <a fr-original-style="" href="https://citymapper.com/?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Citymapper</a>&nbsp;varış süremi on iki dakika olarak belirliyor. Ben dokuzda yürürüm. Uzaktan görüyorum Emre’yi, buluşalım diye sözleştiğimiz köşede.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/5/1659724507251.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.60" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Emre, aynadanFotoğraf: Zeynep Özkanca<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Mahalle kriterleri: Bütçe, ulaşım, komşular, yürüme mesafesi&nbsp;</h2>Sol elimde afiyetle yediğim taco'dan arta kalan ambalajı, kullanılmış peçeteleri ve içinde yemeğin yağı kalmış kartonları geri dönüşüme mi atmalıyım, genel geçer çöpe mi? İkilemindeyim. İlerliyoruz bir yandan, kaldırımda. Hadi anlat diyorum mahalleni, tanışalım. Yürürken konuşmayı da sevenlerdenim.“Yaklaşık 1 yıldır burada, Bermondsey’de oturuyorum. Yaşadığım yeri seçerken çok fazla kriter var: bütçe, ulaşım, binanın kendisi, komşular, günlük gereksinimlerin yürünür mesafelerde olması. Pratiklik ve vakit kaybetmemek çok önemli benim için. Tembelim, her şeyin yakın olmasını istiyorum. Bir de ses. Seslere çok hassasım. Ve pazar, pazar çok önemli çünkü yemek yapmayı seviyorum. Borough Market’in dibinde olmak şahane.Merkeze yakın ama gürültülü değil, şehrin ortasında olsak da sakin, ekonomik, pratik ve renkli bir mahalle burası. Eski ve tarihî. Ama zaten genel olarak Londra her şeye rağmen tarihini çok iyi muhafaza eden bir şehir. Bizim oturduğumuz binadaki çatıyı taşıyan ahşap iskelet 200 yıllık mesela. Burası, gemilerin ilk uğrağıymış uzun yıllar boyunca. Bu sebeple binaların hemen hepsinin bir işlevi var. Bizimki buğday ambarı. Binanın merdivenlerini çıkarken evin içindeki kirişlerin altında otururken o tarihi, binanın hafızasını hissedebiliyorsun.“<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/5/1659720828603.png" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.75" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Borough Market'te curcuna, hafta sonuna bir kala<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">Tanner Street Park’ta tenis oynayanlar çekiyor dikkatimi. Biri turuncu ayakkabılarıyla parlıyor. Bakışlarımı gezdirince çimde uzanmış kitabını okumakta olan, yanına fötr şapkasını park etmiş kız; bankın kenarında birbirlerine sokulmuş ikili, ip atlayan çocuk görüş hizamda. Devam ediyor Emre: "Ev hissi mahalleden gelmedi benim için hiçbir zaman. Belki çok mahalle değiştirdiğim için hayatımda. Evde olma hissi insanlardan ve evdeki rahatı sağlayan nesnelerden geliyor olabilir belki. Evdeki espresso makinası olabilir ya da köşedeki bakkalla olan muhabbet. Bakkal muhabbeti dünyanın her yerinde paha biçilmezdir herhâlde."<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">"Burada da su veriyor belki de evde olma hissini."</h2>Suyla ilişkisini soracak oluyorum Emre'ye: kanal kenarında bir mahalle olan Bermondsey ve su ilişkisini. "Burada da su veriyor belki de evde olma hissini. Su, yakın, önümüzde. Şehirle ilişkini değiştiriyor bence. Sanırım bir huzur katıyor ister istemez akan su. Burada suyun kahverengi olması durumu biraz değiştiriyor tabii. Aslında temiz, nehir yatağındaki balçıktan dolayı rengi bu. Değişmiyor ama güneşin yansımasıyla. Pantonesine takılmayıp aksını takip edersen ufak sahiller çıkıyor karşına, inip taş toplayıp bir Roma akçesi bulmayı deniyorsun sen de. Bu ana nehir hattı haricinde de Londra kanallarla örülü bir şehir. Suyun kenarında koşan, bisiklete binen, gün batımı izleyen, piknik sandalyelerini atıp akşamüstü birasını içen, teknelerini yıkayıp çamaşırlarını asan çok insanla karşılaşıyorsun. Pek bilmediğim bir şeydi Londra’nın suyla sıkı fıkı ilişkisi burada yaşamaya başlamadan önce.”<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/5/1659720937168.png" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.80" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Suyun üzerinde, Thames River'dan gökyüzüne kadar<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">Eski bir polis karakolu olan, mezarlığın hemen yanındaki The Watch House’un önünden geçiyoruz o sırada. Ellerinde kahveleri, ev anahtarları boyunlarındaki ipe takılı mahallelileri görünce burayı "Müdavimiyim" listesine kaydediyorum. “Çok gezdim hayatımda. Bir şehirdeki ilk zamanlar hep büyüleci gelmiştir. Fakat o büyünün yavaşça alışkanlık ve ezbere dönüşmesi de büyülemiştir beni ya da ilgimi çekmiştir. Bazı yolları artık ezbere yürüyorum, daha az etrafıma bakarak. Ayaklarım götürüyor beni Southwark Park’a mesela."Dean Swift Pub'ına vardırıyor o sırada bizi Emre’nin içindeki ezber. Dışarıda sigara içenlere merhaba dedikten sonra giriyoruz içeri. Bira siparişi verecekken “Elinizdekini alayım mı?”&nbsp;diye soruyor barmen. Ambalaj. Atmamışım.

Merkeze yakın ama gürültülü değil, şehrin ortasında olsak da sakin, ekonomik, pratik ve renkli bir mahalle burası. Burası Bermondsey.

Bermondsey’nin gel-gitleri

Until three years ago I used to check every ingredient on a plate before ordering. Being vegan and asking “Is this vegan?” was in vain. My questions followed one after the other “Is there any milk on it? No. “How about cream, or butter?” No. Definitely not. “Egg white?” Hmm, let me check with the kitchen. Two minutes later: No, no egg. At that point, I knew the waiter was getting impatient with me and I hoped there was no honey in the sauce. I would order a salad bowl, finally. Seitan, coconut, oat or almond milk was unknown to the Istanbul restaurant scene.Since then a lot changed. Now I can occasionally devour a vegan toast at Tamamen Organik Tost, Moda; have a bite of lentil or soy based lahmacun at Çinili Taş Fırın, Kadıköy. Vegan Bakkal is one of the pioneers of this transformation. That was the place where we could buy&nbsp;"sigara böreği" (salty pastries filled with almond cheese and parsley), tofu, nutritional yeast and chocolate. This year, they opened a casual dining space next door, a safe space for plant-based foodies, and vegans, where one can eat without realizing there is a hint of beef bouillon in the soup.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/6/5/1659106893580.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.89" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Hünkar Beğendi<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">What to order? “Mantı” stuffed with soy and chickpeas. Also “Hünkar Beğendi”, which is a traditional Turkish eggplant dish. Don’t forget to save space for lavender New York-style Cheese Cake.Where: Soğancı Sokak, no 8/D, CihangirHeads Up: It’s closed on Mondays. Also, don’t be impatient, the orders can take up to 20-25 minutes. It’s a small kitchen, everything is lekker and made on spot.

A weekly, practical guide to Istanbul for those who want to make this city their neighborhood. Every Sunday. 