The Colourful Revolution of Istanbul’s Rainbow Steps
There’s a beautiful story behind Istanbul’s Rainbow Steps, guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Some pre-trip research on Istanbul in Turkey, brought up some very colourful photos on Instagram. They were of the so-called ‘Rainbow Steps’ linking the arty districts of Findikli and Cihangir.
They reminded me of the Lapa Steps in Rio… another magical set of stairs that brought tourists to an otherwise overlooked area.
So, what’s the story? Are they highlighting LGBT issues? Something political? Or are they just a bit of fun?
In 2013, retired forestry engineer Huseyin Cetinel spent four days and around £500 transforming the huge staircase, from concrete grey, to beautiful rainbow colours. It was a kind of guerrilla street art project. No one expected it, but everyone fell in love with it.
GALLERY: Miras Hotel, Cappadocia, Turkey
While visiting Cappadocia I visited Miras Hotel in Göreme… and what an incredible place it was! Check out the gallery now.
REVIEW: Osmanli Manor Hotel, Cappadocia, Turkey
Time to check out Osmanli Manor Hotel in Cappadocia, Turkey.
Cappadocia is a land of boutique hotels. Tourism is booming in the towns of Göreme, Ürgüp and Uçhisar, but the region hasn’t been spoiled by giant chain hotels… yet. Instead, small hotels designed, built and run by locals, complement the landscape of caves and rocks.
After two nights enjoying the seclusion of Kale Konak Cave Hotel in Uçhisar, I moved to Osmanli Manor Hotel located in Cappadocia’s main town of Göreme. I chose the manor not only because Göreme offers more in the way of dining and shopping, but it is also one of a handful of new build boutique hotels that had opened in recent years.
The hotel is run by Australian/Turkish couple Fiona and Mustafa. She recounted the tale: “15 years ago I was backpacking through the area, fell in love, and the rest is history.” They lived in Australia for a few years, and then decided to return to Cappadocia to open the hotel.
There was a feeling of grandeur as I entered, but any stiffness quickly disappeared once I spotted two young children by reception. Their ‘help’ with check-in provided much entertainment! Also adding to the family-run hotel vibe was an affectionate dog called Penny.
During my visit in April, the area was suffering from some unusually
REVIEW: Kale Konak – Cappadocia’s Best Cave Hotel
Time to check out Kale Konak Cave Hotel in Cappadocia.
“Let me show you to your room via the tunnel.”
I’m used to taking the stairs or lift, but this was the first time a hotel manager had instructed me to take a tunnel. But then again, this was the first time I’d stayed in a cave hotel.
I flew from Istanbul to Kayseri, Cappadocia with Pegasus Airlines. It’s a simple budget route (singles around £14) and takes one hour and twenty minutes. The transfer to Kale Konak Cave Hotel took around an hour, and went past many of the region’s most famous landmarks. Mount Erciyes shrouded in cloud on one side, then the Fairy Chimneys on the other. It was spectacular introduction to Cappadocia’s weird and wonderful landscape!
However, once into the small town of Uçhisar, the roads become steeper and narrower to reach the heights of Uçhisar Castle. Kale Konak’s position means it benefits from an incredible close-up view of the castle next door, as well as across Cappadocia’s rocky landscape.
