Summary

The article describes the authors' experience discovering a vibrant market in Istanbul on a Wednesday, their appreciation for the city's fresh produce and artful food displays, and their serendipitous rediscovery of the same market they visited in 2020.

Abstract

The authors, Jill and Chris, share their excitement about stumbling upon a local market in Istanbul, which they find particularly enchanting due to the city's division between Europe and Asia. They recount their journey across the Bosphorus Strait via ferry, using the local transit card, to explore the Asian side of the city. Their intention to visit a recommended library led them to this market, which they had previously encountered during their last visit in 2020. They marvel at the coincidence and the beauty of the market's offerings, especially the fresh figs and the meticulous arrangements of fruits, vegetables, and other goods. Despite their initial plan to find the library, they end up spending time in a coffee shop with good Wi-Fi, making the most of their day. The article is a celebration of Istanbul's markets, the joy of discovering them, and the simple pleasures of fresh food.

Opinions

The authors express a strong affection for markets, considering them a highlight of their travels.
They are impressed by the attention to detail in the presentation of food at the Istanbul market.
The authors note a contrast between the food display practices in Istanbul and those they have observed in Canada.
They find the affordability of the fresh figs particularly appealing.
The authors are intrigued by the variety of foods available, including an unidentified bright fruit they encountered.
They appreciate the serendipity of finding the same market twice, suggesting it feels like a "magnetic north" on their internal compass.
The authors are adaptable, changing their plans to enjoy the market and work from a coffee shop when the library they sought was not found.
They value the connection with their readers, inviting them to share knowledge about the unknown fruit and to engage with their content across various platforms.

MARKET | FOOD | ISTANBUL | TURKEY

Wednesday Is Market Day In Istanbul

Markets are amongst our favorite things!

A lot of thought is put into their beautiful displays. Photo Credit: Author

Not many things get us as excited as coming across a random market in the street does. Wednesday is market day in Istanbul, and one can find these displays of fresh fruits and vegetables in many neighborhoods around the city.

Beautiful green produce in a stunning display. Photo Credit: Author

Today we decided to take a boat across to the Asian side of Istanbul.

Did you know that Istanbul sits both in Europe and Asia?

Yes, the Bosphorous Strait separates the 2 continents, and the city sprawls on both sides of it. To cross on the boat costs just 50 cents if you use your Istanbulkart which is the local transit card.

We came over here to search out a library, actually. It was recommended by another Medium writer as a nice place to relax with a good view of the Bosphorous Strait. I punched it into Google Maps, figured out what boat we needed to take to get close, and we were on our way.

Once off the ferry we started walking in the general direction that Google Maps told us to.

We were thrilled when we came across this stunning market.

The most surprising part about it is that we have been to this market before! It was during our last visit to Istanbul in 2020. It was our first time over to the Asian side and we rode the ferry across and just started walking.

That time we took a totally different boat to a different area, but as fate would have it, we found this market then as we were walking from one district to another.

Bright dragonfruit, canteloupe, and avocados. Photo Credit: Author

As we came across the market this time, I said, “Oh wow! Is this the same market that we found last time?”

“It sure is,” Chris said.

We were amazed.

Somehow we always manage to find the markets. They are our magnetic north on our built in compasses, I swear.

First up we spotted the fig vendor. Well, actually, there were many, but this guy was the first. We had purchased just three figs last week and we were craving more. With a price like this, we couldn’t resist. One of the baskets cost 35 Turkish Lira which equals less than $ 2 USD.

We will be eating delicious fresh figs for a while!

Garlic and delicious fresh fruit! Photo Credits: Author

One thing we have noticed in many parts of the world is the attention to detail that the food vendors put into displaying their items. This isn’t something that we ever noticed in Canada, or maybe we just weren’t looking.

We will never tire of some of the creative ways that people come up with to display the food.

Nicely stacked tomatoes. Photo Credit: Author

But others are not so nicely stacked. Just look at this mountain of tomatoes! Photo Credit: Author

We didn’t purchase any other items, unfortunately, as we are unsure of our plans in the city at this point. We are staying at a friend's hostel right now, and we do have a kitchen, though, so we may stop back there to pick up a few things on our way back across later today.

Even if it’s only enough to cook just one meal tonight.

The green bunches are hazelnuts. Look at that beautiful corn! Photo Credits: Author

I mean who can resist all of this delicious goodness?

As we moved on from there, we continued on our way trying to find the library. Unfortunately, Google Maps led us somewhere different. The place had a similar name, but it was not a library, and it certainly did not have a nice view. So we ended up at a very quaint coffee shop instead.

More figs and so many beans! Photo Credit: Author

It has good wifi and a nice atmosphere, so we are able to get some work done either way, which was our main goal for the day.

Plus, it’s a hot day in Istanbul today with highs of 37C predicted, so it’s a good day to spend inside.

We tried to ask what the above fruit is called but we didn’t understand his Turkish response and he didn’t speak English. But it was so bright and vibrant! We may have to purchase a few later just to see what they are like.

If you know what they are, please let me know in the comments!

Thanks for joining us on our explorations of one of many Istanbul markets on this day. And thank you to JoAnn Ryan for publishing this article in her new publication In Living Color.

xo Jill

PS. I have just started a new publication! Click below to learn all of the details!

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