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Yet another sight in Istanbul, but one which is often not overseen but not visited. Assumingly because it is a little bit of the beaten track and located in Kadiköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. Nevertheless the Haydarpasa Railway Station is for sure one of most grand and important symbols of the city. It is situated next to the wharf in Kadiköy and has a unique architecture, representing German renaissance.  Neoclassical Haydarpasa Railway Station Haydarpasa Railway Station, Kadiköy, Istanbul © Nevit Dilmen The neoclassical Haydarpasa  building, basically a gift to the Sultan  Abdul Hamid II   from German Kaiser Wilhelm II, was built by the Anatolia-Baghdad Corporation, according to plans carried out by the German architects  Otto Ritter von Kühlmann and Hellmuth Cuno,  between 1906 and 1908. Its foundation is 1100 wooden piles, each 21 meters long, driven into the mushy shore by steam hammer. It outer appearance resembles to a certain distinct a small european castle, t

Raki, typical turkish drink The Turkish cuisine goes well beyond Kebap and Raki, providing a high variety of dishes and drinks for every time of the day and every occasion. But for those not familiar with the names of Turkish food and drinks it might not be easy to experience all of it, if one does not want to go for trial & error. Therefore here a list of typical Turkish drinks and translations of common drinks, and don´t worry, a list of Turkish Foods will follow soon! Turkish Drinks Raki - THE national spirit of Turkey, anise-flavoured, high level of alcohol, not sweet at all, either consumed straight - called sek - or combined with some chilled water and/or ice cubes as a 4cl shot, a tek. Cay - Tea, which one can find literally on every corner, black, and relatively strong Ayran - Yet another famous turkish drink, salted yogurt, supposedly the national drink of Turkey at all. Kahve - The turkish version of Coffee, one should sip carefully at the end as the coffee

In Istanbul art can literally be found at every corner, nevertheless there are some hotspots for art in the city, one of them is the Istiklal Caddesi, the main shopping street on the European side of Istanbul. And one of the major contributors is SALT. SALT Beyoglu - Art & Culture for free SALT Beyoglu - Art & Culture in Istanbul SALT Beyoglu is situated in an outstanding six-story 19th century building almost in the very heart of Istiklal. Due to SALT this building is nowadays more like a cultural complex rather than just an art gallery, especially due its multi functionality which allows SALT to host a very diverse and rich cultural program covering basically everything from displays of contemporary art, over audiovisual screenings to talks. The exhibition and displays of modern and contemporary art are spread over three floors, providing variety and also the option for huger exhibitions. Here one can find the current program of SALT Beyoglu . More than just a