ISTANBUL
MUSIC SHOPS
There are 2 main areas where you will find
music shops - these are TUNEL ( specifically Galip Dede Caddesi ) and
UNKAPANI ( specifically Atturturk Boulevarde ).
TUNEL is where it says GALATA TOWER
on the map and UNKAPANI is around the Valen's Aqueduct.
ACCOMMODATION
SULTANAHMET has all the tourist sights
e.g. Blue Mosque, Aya Sofia, Topkapi Palace etc. and has budget to top end
accommodation. One nice place is MYSTIC HOTEL and APPARTMENTS
click here
for website. Or you may prefer BEYOGLU / TAKSIM - more
trendy, bars, restaurants, clubs and shops here - hostels to hotels
available. Either way you are close to to the areas where there are music
shops.
GETTING AROUND
There is a tram which runs over the Golden
Horn so you can go back and forth from SULTANAHMET to TAKSIM
no problem. You can buy an electronic tag called Akbil and top it up with
credit and use it on the tram, buses, ferries etc. which makes using
transport really easy and cheaply. So from either place you can get to
Galip Dede Caddesi by tram ( N.B. there is a mini tram running down from
Taksim along Istiklal Caddesi ). To get to Unkapani take the 61B Bus from
either Taksim or Beyazit ( which is 2 stops along the tramway from SULTANAHMET
) and get off when you see the Valens Aqueduct - which the road runs right
through and is enormous.
Galip
Dede Caddesi
-This is the road where almost all of
the music shops are found in TUNEL From SULTANAHMET get off at
Karakoy and walk up towards the Galata Tower which is next to Galip Dede.
- From Taksim come down Istiklal
Caddesi - on the mini tram
if you like, until you reach the bottom and Galip Dede starts to the right.
Here you will find many music stores selling
musical instruments - only one store in Istanbul is dedicated to percussion
and that is the legendary
Emin
Percussion - almost opposite is Lale Plak a really good CD shop with
knowledgeable staff who will help you track down most CD's. Then on down the
street you will find many shops - Istanbul Muzik Centre often has a
wide selection but all can have a good range of stock depending on when you
go.
Atturturk Boulevarde
- This area is between the Valens Aqueduct and the
Atterturk Bridge in the UNKAPANI region. Music Shops can be found on
either side of the road right down to shopping centre Block 6 ( on one side
) There is generally a larger number of instruments than Galip Dede as the
units are larger but the quality is usually the same, Galip Dede may have
more models. Here you will find Mega Music Centre with several shops in it's
complex, Zeynel Abdin Cümbüs ( Original Darbuka designs ) and
Çankaya Müziekevi ( Internally tuned frame drums and Riqs ) and many
others.
STUDYING
Istanbul is quite expensive and
this reflected in the rates given for tuition - you can sign up for week /
month / year long group options or try to find to find a teacher to teach
one-one on an hourly rate ( expect anything between £25-£50 per hour ! )
One to One - I would highly
recommend HAKAN KAYA from
Sound Fabrika Studios
- I found him very knowledgeable, very giving of his time, patient and most
importantly a very good teacher who can speak good English. Do check him out
and the Studios for all their workshop options.
HAKAN KAYA
and
SOUND FABRIKA STUDIOS
Group - Due to the high cost and time constraints I
did not attend any group - I hear the
ATAKAY Brothers offer classes - but
probably the one school a lot of drummers will be interested in is the
MISIRLI AHMET RHYTHM
ACADAMY. There is also the famous
OKAY TEMIZ and
his school too.
Chas and Maren in a Turkish documentary about Butterfly
Valley -
http://kelebekvadisi.azbuz.com/viewVideo.jsp?videoId=41000000001001933
See more on this really wonderful place to visit -
BUTTERFLY VALLEY
BUYING / STUDYING IN CAIRO, EGYPT
Come with us to Cairo as part of our MIDDLE EASTERN DRUM,
MUSIC AND DANCE HOLIDAY - we will show you all the best places to buy
instruments. Then we will show you all the best music venues where we may
see Classical, Upper Nile, Saiddi, Baladi, Sudanese,Tannoura, Belly Dance
etc. shows with top musicians. If you want to meet/study with musicians we
can arrange for you to make contact with top musicians in Cairo. see -
HOLIDAYS. |
