Walking down Ihlamurdere Street, in one of Istanbul’s most vibrant districts, I’m surrounded by a flock of people covered in black and white. These are noisy people. Their loud chants merge with the cacophony of the streets: car honks, cries of street sellers pitching their latest products, pedestrians yelling at each other to get over the noise.
Then the song starts. A song I know well. I feel at one with them as I sing at the top of my voice:
”…Beşiktaş I promise you / my love for you will never end / even when I’m in my grave!”
No place like home, I think to myself.
I was born here: Beşiktaş. A vibrant neighbourhood of Istanbul’s European coastal line that overlooks Asia, it’s here where cultures merge. Open-till-late cafes, fish markets, bookshop passages, and cool clothing stores all meet each other in an area that has always been a crucial trade district. Its alleyways will take you to captivating places that show there has always been so much life here. Almost every day after work, my mum walked with me to the centre to visit old churches, silver shops famously owned by Armenian artisans, and that busy fish market. I would be holding her hand tight through the chaotic streets.
Those walks through these streets continued as I got older. Becoming a teenager in such a diverse environment was as exciting as anything. I had friends from all backgrounds: Kurdish, Jewish, Rum people, which is a term that refers to the Orthodox citizens of the Ottoman Empire and Turkey. We’d take after-school courses, go for secret first beers, explore the endless bars and have lots of chats about love, politics, and life. As we passed by the big eagle statue in the centre, we’d make fun of the couples who were fighting right after they’d met up in the most public space one can imagine. It’s funny how I broke up with my first boyfriend in the same spot when I was 19.
And, taking its name from the district and matching its atmosphere perfectly, is a football team that welcomes everyone.
