Bohemian Rhapsody

Cihangir in Istanbul: One of my favorite destinations in the world: A little Vintage Bohemian enclave, which is truly one of the hidden gems of Istanbul.

The last time I was there I met this amazing photographer, Umur Dilek. It was one of those completely random meetings; I think at first on Instagram. I went to his office for a coffee and immediately loved him. It’s so funny how unknown people can feel like old friends from the very first day. So Umur agreed to photograph me in the backstreets of Istanbul, with my ideas for clothes and setting. Needless to say he is an awesome photographer.

One thing I love about Cihangir is the high volume of artistic people and open mindedness towards fashion, food and lifestyle. The Cihangir residents seem to really be into exploration of all art forms, as well as super organic home cooked food and a Bohemian, non-conventional sense of style. Great musicians, painters and other artists call Cihangir their home and walking down the hidden alleyways, generous amount of vintage poster shops, 80’s Fashion, fresh fruit stalls and traditional Turkish barbers pop up left and right. It is a true paradise for vintage fashion lovers and organic foodies like myself.

So what do we do when we’re in Cihangir? We sit at a cafe, with a laptop or book, and watch people. My favorite Cafe is Journey, honestly one of the cutest and most inspiring places to be, plus the food is amazing. They even have flour-less cakes and raw chocolate stuff etc. For coffee you must go to Swedish Coffee Point, which is just around the corner from Journey. If you want to stay in Cihangir, check out the Cihangir Hotel, but I recommend renting an apartment on Airbnb so you can have more of a homely experience. It really calls for that. Lastly, made sure to visit the Balya Organic Shop and cook yourself a nice meal 🙂