Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge at IST Remodeled

When I visited Istanbul the first time, I was really impressed with their lounge. Overall, it was the most impressive and airy lounge I've been to yet, but apparently Turkish Airlines didn't think it was enough. They hired the design firm Autoban to completly renovate the lounge and just seeing this makes me want to go back for another round of baklava and everything else that is Istanbul.

From Autoban:

Turkey's national flag carrier airline, Turkish Airlines' new CIP lounge has been opened in Istanbul Ataturk Airport International Departures. Designed by Autoban's architectural standpoint, the lounge is spread over 3000m2, with a daily capacity of 2000 people.

Taking into account the primary purpose of the space - to transmit "contemporary Turkey experience" to Turkish Airlines passengers - the design concept is based on the idea of a second shell within the existing shell of the airport hall. Main structure, established by making use of a combination of global forms. These plain spheres create interior combinations by dividing the place into sections that allow transitions between them.

CIP Lounge's each module undertakes a different function. Services like resting rooms, restaurant, tea garden, library, Movie Theater and so on provide passengers a chance to experience each and every different interior. Spatial organization, that gives the sense of discovering while advancing in the lounges; is the natural outcome of the desired architectural layer that place "experience" forward.

Black channels, located in the merging points of modules, are designed to allow mechanical and electrical systems. These channels are among the vital details that bring visual balance to modules which are produced in accordance with the understanding of industrial design.

 More after the break!

[via Contemporist]

Transit Pass Collection: Istanbul (Updated)

A little while ago, I posted about the the Akbil, which was the mass transit pass for public transit in Istanbul. Recently, I went back to Istanbul and found out that they've updated their systems! As a result, I got a chance to get the new card and take a few pictures of it.

 The card is basically what we see in most areas that have made the jump to RFID. It's no SUICA (then again, that's Tokyo. Nothing is quite like Tokyo, where you can buy donuts in the train station with your card). This one uses an ePurse which is drawn from to pay for rides, but I didn't notice any major discounts over using the tokens of Akbil.

 A transit nut too? There are close ups of the token after the break...

Food Fridays: Fish Sandwiches in Istanbul

What do you get when you put a grill on a boat in a place with lots of fresh local fish? You get the Tarihi Eminönü Balik Ekmek and the other floating grills by the Galata Bridge...

It's not exactly high cuisine, but it is a popular and fresh bite to get with a kitchen that is usually actively seesawing in the water!

Back to Turkey: 15 shots from Topkapi Palace, Chora Church, and Istanbul

I'm back from Istanbul and Greece, but getting ready for yet another trip next week. Unfortunately, that means that I can't write up a good true report at the moment, but I will post some pictures as a preview of what I will be writing about when I get back.

Topkapi Palace: 

Transit Pass Collection: Istanbul

When I touch down in a place, nine times out of ten I'm going to be getting on some form of public transit to get where I need to go. I rarely rent cars and love taking the train or bus perhaps more than most, which also means that I end up with a lot of transit passes over my travels. Today I want to share with you one of the most unique I've seen thus far: The Istanbul AKBIL.

The AKBIL, which is a shortening of "Intelligent Ticket" in Turkish is a keychain pass which functions as either an e-purse (stored value) or time limited pass. It's pretty comfortable to hold, and gives you a substantial discount on transit trips in the Istanbul network. Most notably, when you use this you can transfer between services, while normally you pay every time you step onto a vehicle. It also works on rail, bus, and boat.

10/31: Taksim Square Suicide Blast*

I just caught wind of the incident at Taksim Square today, where 31 people injured in a suicide bomb explosion. Fortunately, no one died in the attack, but as I was looking at the footage, I realized that I had been right there:

Directly to the right of this neat picturesque scene is the police station where the bombing occurred. This image was taken within 25 feet, but two weeks prior, to where the bomb went off! While in my previous post I was excited to share the fun stuff that occurred in Istanbul, on the first day I was there at Taksim while there were several protests from different groups and even some police out in riot gear down by the university.

I had snapped a few pics, but nothing happened while I was there and the scene was peaceful, albeit tense between the police and the protesters. Mainly, it was a scene of curious onlookers with the protesters encircled by the police and a lot of people ignoring it completely. I didn't linger, but I did stop to figure out what the protest was about.

Less than lethal weapons and tanks of pepper spray were at hand

I was told that BDR is a Kurdish party

And finally, I found a (shaky) movie that actually has the police station that was attacked in view. I recorded it during the midday call to prayer for the audio, but caught another protest from a different group. In the the right corner, you can even see the riot control vehicles they have parked there at this busy and popular square.

 

I am glad that the victims are recovering, and the incident will not keep me from going back to Istanbul or Taksim square. Even though it's unusual for me to have such a link to an attack like this, I still feel that we're all more likely to get hit by a car than become a victim of this, or any other incident. 

5 Pieces of Advice on Istanbul

1. The grand bazaar is fun but the odds of you getting a good price are virtually nil. In fact, the duty free shop in the airport has many of the same lamps and tea sets for, in my experience, a third less than the haggled price at the bazaar. In the US, you can purchase some of the same exact lamps at Cost Plus World Market if you'd prefer to skip the worry of getting it home. 
2. The boats that go from the mouth of the Golden Horn are very inexpensive and will take you away from your fellow tourists. Kadaköy offers a more authentic market area without aggressive sales people asking you, “Where are you from?” every 5 steps. The boats from here are part of the transit system and the cheapest way to get form Europe to Asia on the other side.
3. Be sure to check which days and when things are closed! Ayasofia stops admissions at 4pm, and is closed by 5pm. The Basilica Cistern is open later than Ayasofia and is right next to it. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. The Blue Mosque is an active house of worship, which means that it closes for prayer three times a day. Also, with Ayasofia, it is possible to skip the line if you pay one of the many tour guides that will approach you, but whatever they quote you is in addition to your ticket (the usual fee seems to be 5 to 10TL). Alternatively, there are always large guided tours going on and it would not be hard to simply shadow them to get the same information
4. Taksim square, north of the Golden Horn, is a center for the hip nightlife and packed full of places to eat, live music, get a drink, and more. The most interesting street starts in the southwest of the square. There's a historic streetcar that runs along this street and any of the side streets from here will be good bets for finding restaurants and clubs. 
5. Eating can be fairly inexpensive and a real treat. A baklava break at Karaköy güllüoğlu will cost under 10TL for an assortment of baklava and a tea. It is still the best baklava I've ever had. Döner is also very tasty and ranges between 3 and 7TL. Fresh fish is grilled up by the shore in some parts and can be had as a sandwich as an alternative to the usual chicken or meat döner. Pide is also a treat and a sort of Turkish pizza/taco, usually with a handmade flat bread and then meat and cilantro. Sesame bagels can be had at virtually any square for less than 1TL.

5 Tastes of Istanbul

I am craving some kebab, so I'm going to Istanbul...

...plus I need the 3,000 elite qualifying miles.

Tomorrow afternoon, I head to Istanbul for the weekend for a quick tour of the city and a lot of hunting for the best food I can find. On the list of things to get are kebab, baklava, ayran, "wet burgers", turkish "tacos", and breakfast in Taksim. I'll be flying on Turkish Airways for the first time (although not by choice: I was supposed to fly with them to Shanghai via Istanbul earlier this year but a certain small northern country got in the way), and this will be my first time to Turkey. I'm sure they'll welcome me with open arms after I part with $20 for the visa sticker.

I'm very much looking forward to experiencing the culture and seeing some sights that have fascinated me for a long time, such as Hagia Sophia and the Bazaars. On here, I will be posting a sneak peek into the lounges at the airports, some foodie images (including in flight meals), and a few select shots from my time there.