Finding Green in Istanbul

I am a nature junkie. I crave green areas and Istanbul is a challenge to me as a result. I love the chaos, beauty, history and atmosphere of the city. And I loathe the traffic (some of the worst in the world) and concrete sprawl. Environmentalism has yet to establish itself in this city. There is little awareness or focus on caring for the environment and lots of litter lying around as a result. So finding green spaces that are clean and offer some nature has been an adventure for me. Beyond my green need I have a daughter who loves being outdoors and in nature. In general Istanbul has a lot of playgrounds. They all have the same layout, structures and design. And they tend to be surrounded by busy roads or concrete. So visiting a playground is more about the setting than the structure. Our exploration of parks have been about finding both nature and the kind of area that facilitates Ruya’s play.

So here are some of our finds and my thoughts on them.

Beykoz Korusu:

Beykoz is on the outskirts of Istanbul between the second and the third bridge (currently being built). The grove is old and large, one of the largest in Istanbul. I have yet to explore all of it but in general we enjoyed it. There is a children’s playground that is clean and opens onto a large lawn. One issue I had was the higher Ruya and I climbed up the paths the less populated it is, which is better for me except that there were a couple of men wandering around who put me on guard. Istanbul is very safe and I am naturally street wise - courtesy of a South African upbringing.

Hidiv Kasri:

This is one of my favourite parks. Mostly because it is so peaceful and the entrance has tons of flower beds which Ruya loves to explore. There is a cafe which it is best to visit on a Saturday when they serve an excellent buffet breakfast. It is a park of brides. Couples come here to have pictures taken before or after their marriage. I avoid this park on weekends because it is ‘brided’ out and way too busy. But during the week it is quiet. Beyond the flower beds and cafe is a road that winds up and around back to the parking lot. It is a fairly ease walk of about 45 minutes where you are surrounded by trees and birds. The children’s playground is small but busy. The other nice aspect of this park is there is always a toilet open that is clean. Ruya and I always enjoy our time at this park. We watch snails, pick flowers, find acorns and try to catch birds.

Emirgan Korusu:

This is perhaps my favourite park. Its is old, large and bountiful. The park’s renown centres on the tulip season when it erupts into flower perfection. But that also means more people. Ruya and I have plenty to explore here for hours. The expanse of the park means it offers a decent walk, especially as it is located on a hill. During the walk up the hill we find chestnuts (in season), birds, cats, squirrels and plenty of grassy flat spaces to run around. Towards the top the flowers start with endless beds of different hues. Along the way is a large pond with a man made waterfall. The ducks and swan that reside there are always visited by us. At the top of the hill are a few fountain areas which entertain Ruya no end. She can’t touch them but she runs around the cobble stone paving that has a perimeter of mini fountains, collecting lose rocks and relocating them. The playground onto of the hill is large and like the park it is kept very clean. There are also toilets in various areas - you have to pay one lira to get in so be prepared. This a manicured park, not wild and unruly which I prefer. But I do appreciate the lack of litter which I find in most other parks. Emirgan itself is a nice area on the European side, so making the trip is worth it beyond the park.

Bebek Park:

This is a green grass park in the center of Bebek. It is known as an expensive, trendy and expat area. The park is a favourite of mine because it is large and has a variety of experiences for Ruya. The playground is also big and has a sand box, unusual for Istanbul play grounds. There are fountains that spring our of the ground in a little square, which all the children, including mine, love to run around and through. You can walk along the ocean front close by, watch birds and there are plenty of cafe's around for tea and toilet stops. Also this being an expat area means there is an international flavour and interesting conversations emerge about raising children outside of one's birth place.

Gülhane Park:

Located in the centre of the old Eminönü area means it is loaded with history and tourists. One of the central sights of Istanbul is Topkapı Palace and this park is next to it. The park stretches along a lion road, so named because of the sculptures of lions that frequent every few meters. The lions are a central attraction for children and a perfect place to perch and spot another lion. Going from lion to lion became a big game for Ruya, as she explored the experience of what desire does to humans - this one, but then also this one, and this one and this one.
There are fountains and lots of interesting human traffic to look at. Some birds and flowers and generally clean. Finding a toilet is easy and the cafe’s are good. This is a great park to know about if you are in the area and need to let your child run free. But it is not generally a park I go to for its own sake. There are better ones around for children and they are easier to get to. If you are going to this park take public transport rather than a taxi.

Göztepe Park:

Situated on the Asian side, near the trendy and cafe full Baghdad Street, Göztepe park is lengthy and well cared for. Manicured like most posh Istanbul parks, it is also dotted with some sculptures and winding paths. The sense of green is due mostly to the spaciousness of the park and beautiful flowers. The area is upper middle class with lots of families so the playground gets busy. This playground has a unique ship like structure which makes it a welcome difference from the generic play stuff you usually find. The boat itself has steps and climbing ropes and ladders. All of which pose a delicious challenge for my toddler. But she was most taken with the strange hedge like caterpillar that runs near the ship. All along the hedge are brightly coloured shoes, some with laces, at the end of which is a head and face. Ruya relished walking along the shoes, partly due to her love for shoes in general. She spends a lot of time scoping out other toddlers boots. There are plenty of restaurants around which are child friendly and that is the best spot to find a toilet and changing station. There is no metro to this park and it can be a bit of a drive to get to, so best to make it a day event and explore Baghdad Street too.

Side notes:

Istanbul is huge and stretches along each side of the Bosphorus. That means its beautiful, gazing over the water, and the traffic is horrendous. Getting anywhere can be a long journey, and with a young child that means where I go depends a lot on how long it will take to get there. I don’t usually have a car so I use public transport. The best options are metro and ferries/motor boats. These are fast and cheap. I use taxi’s to get to and from the metro or boat. The large ferries run on a schedule. But don’t forget the motor’s (small boats). They go back and forth directly across the channel and are fun to ride.

Many of the toilets require one Lira to enter. You can only use a one Lira coin, so make sure you carry some of those.

Carry a bottle of your own water. Although it is easy to buy bottled water in most places, sometimes within the parks it is tricky or you can only buy a small plastic cup of water.

Keep an eye on the weather. If you need to use a motor they can’t run when the sea is stormy. And when the weather gets rainy or there is snow the traffic gets heavy. In general avoid the famed Çuma (Friday) traffic.