Laleli is an area of Istanbul in Turkey with original architecture and ancient history. Translated from the Turkic word "Laleli" means "tulips", and another quarter is often called "Russian Istanbul" because of the large number of our compatriots, shoppers .
Laleli Market in Istanbul
The world's largest market of Kapala Charshi was founded in the 15th century and now its square houses about 5 thousand shops and trade outlets. The influx of "shuttle traders" from Eastern Europe, which began in the 80s, led to the fact that local traders willingly master the basics of the Russian language, and the signs on the Turkish shops are written in Cyrillic. But this, of course, does not mean that only the visiting Slavs use market services. The Laleli market is the place where the Turkish "middle" class is also being cooked.
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The goods that are sold in Kapaly Charshi are amazingly diverse. There is everything from national souvenirs to cashmere coats, leather jackets, sheepskins and antique goods. Many items of clothing, footwear and accessories are a fake of world famous brands, but at the same time they are of good quality and sold at very democratic prices. In addition, it is accepted to bargain, which allows you to buy a fairly cheap good goods. But still, with the purchase of travelers with experience recommend to give preference to factory products, on the labels of which there is an honest inscription "Made in Turkey", believing that they are the best quality of the implemented in Kapala Charshi.
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In addition to retail outlets in the Laleli district of Istanbul, there are many inexpensive hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, ateliers, exchange offices and discotheques at hotels. In restaurants and cafes you can taste traditional national dishes - fried lamb, kebab, shish kebabs, and the usual Slavic food: borsch, pelmeni, pancakes. Experienced tourists in choosing a place where you can eat lunch or dinner, advised to choose restaurants where there is no alcohol, and eat local residents with families. This is a guarantee of good cuisine.
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The Laleli Mosque
At the corner of Laleli Street in Istanbul is a large imperial mosque, built in the middle of the XVIII century. A huge structure, representing a mixture of Western and Eastern architectural traditions, is located on an unusually high basement. Inside the building there are countless corridors and small rooms. The main room of the mosque is a vaulted hall with columns, faced with colored marble. The prayer hall is covered with a huge dome with windows. The courtyard is surrounded by a gallery, and in the center is a fountain for ritual ablutions. Burials of Ottoman sultans Mustafa III and his son Selim II are arranged in the Laleli mosque.
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Church of the Monastery of Mireleion
The world-famous Byzantine temple (the Turkish name Bodrum-Jami - "mosque over the cellar") is on the vaults of the Rotunda, a structure created in Byzantine Constantinople. The Rotunda is now a commercial center, and the upper part of the building serves as a prayer hall.
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How to get to Laleli?
The Laleli quarter is located almost in the center of Istanbul, so you can reach it without any problems from any part of the city, including Ataturk Airport, Haydarpasa Train Station, Bayrampasha Intercity Bus Stations and Harem. Through Laleli there passes a branch of a high-speed tram T1.
Despite the fact that the Laleli district is often called unfavorable, it is fair to note that the criminal situation in the quarter is not much different from the one in Istanbul. Even at night it is quite safe here. The only inconvenience can be inconvenience - morning delivery and unloading of goods, since the Turks, like true Eastern people, make it noisy.