Turkey Guide Extraordinaire

Welcome to Bulent Aslan's Home Page. I highly appreciate your visit. It will be my pleasure to guide you in this beautiful city of Istanbul where I lost myself. The life of one citizen is not enough to explore this city. I hope it can inspire you at least.

I was born on January 20th 1975 in Istanbul and grew up in Izmir. Since my early childhood I always enjoyed travelling and exploring ancient civilisations. I learned English at the American College Institiute and studied tourism and hotel management at Bilkent University Ankara. My Professional Guiding Licence was issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of the Republic of Turkey, after graduation. I work as a freelance tour guide all around Turkey. I also guide for Turkish people all around the world and have been to more than 40 countries.

As you see I can understand the needs and wants of international travellers. I am at your service for day tours or a round trip of Turkey. I will make sure to make your stay UNFORGETABLE…

Istanbul Tours

The Imperial Tour

Santa Sophia, Blue Mosque, Turkish and Islamıc Art Museum, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar

Ottoman Wonders

Topkapi Palace, Suleymaniye Mosque, Golden Horn

Bosphorus Cruise

Egyptian Bazaar, Bosphorus Cruise

Asia Tour

Bosphorus Bridge, Camlica Hill, Beylerbeyi Palace

Full Day Istanbul Tour

visiting Blue Mosque, St Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace and the Hippodrome.

Istanbul By Night

Full a la carte dinner with oriental show, folk dance groups and Turkish singers.

Princes' Islands

Cruise on the sea of Marmara, Buyukada, a nice ride in buggies, a sea food lunch.

Turkey Tours

Bursa

From Istanbul take a ferry to Yalova, Green Mosque, Green Tomb, Grand Mosque, Silk Bazaar, Mount Olympos

Troy

From Istanbul daily drive to Canakkale, cross the Dardanelles by ferry, Troy, Gallipoli Anzac memorials

Ephesus

From Istanbul daily flight to Izmir, Virgin Mary's house, St.Paul's basilica, City of Ephesus, Temple of Artemis

Cappadocia

From Istanbul a two day tour to Cappadocia

Food glorious food

Fish Sandwich

There are few things you have to experience before you use your limited meal breaks in a global fastfood chain. When you happen to browse around the Egyptian Market you can run into people having a yummy sandwich at the Golden Horn side of the Galata Bridge. You can just grab one from one of the the boats there and optional additions like salt, onion and lemon are just hanging there in a plastic bag. Since it is the cheapest bread size fish of the season you will not expect a big thing of taste, so you will always get more than you expect :) The view of historical buildings and daily life will contribute to the appetite of the open air. But as the psychiatrists say you must first believe in.

Lokanta

Turkish People have their lunch at restaurants called "Lokanta". If you ever thought kebap is the typical turkish food, you where wrong. In a lokanta you might occasionally get kebap too but the reason people prefer lokanta's is rather the "home made" food cooked in a pot where vegetables are dominant to the meat. If you ever ask the waiter for the menu you will not get anything written. Instead he will tell you all the menu in a few seconds and you would have to ask him to repeat even if you are a fluent turkish speaker. So you would rather stand up and point your to choice since all the different dishes are always on display. Stuffed peppers or vineleaves, fresh beans, aubergine... Rice is always the complimentary dish.

If you are a vegetarian you obviously have less choice but there are still plenty of options. Beans, mixed vegetables, dry beans.

Meyhane

A "Meyhane" is a vegetarians heaven as long as you like your meal cold. "Mey" is a persian word for wine and "Hane" means house. So Meyhane is not a restaurant where you drink with the food, instead you eat with your drink. But Turkish (and Greek) People prefer Raki (similar to Ouzo) to explode the taste of food and nice company. Before the main dish (mostly fish) is ready, there is a phase of cold appetizers. You decidee which appetisers you want from a selection displayed by the waiter., These appetisers stay at your tabel for the duration of you meal. Either a few dishes and some fetta cheese or all sorts of cold "meze". For some experts there is nothing to compete to the combination of fetta cheese, honey, melon and raki.

Bulent Aslan

Istanbul Tours

Turkey Tours

Food glorious food

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