Cesme Hamam
Yeni Çesme Sokak 9, off Persembe Pazari Caddesi, Karakoy. (0212) 252 3441
Open 8am-8pm daily. Admission $5. No credit cards.
Recent renovation has done little to brighten up this dingy hamam. Formerly relaxed, but staff have recently issued warnings that open sexual activity, the only real draw here, will no longer be tolerated.
Cukurcuma Hamam
Çukurcuma Caddesi 57, Beyoglu. (0212) 243 2401
Open 9am-8pm daily. Admission $6. No credit cards.
Join the owner and his son for poetic flattery, a drink, and an account of their efforts to keep alive a centuries-old tradition of male sex. So gay that the main room is often not even heated and the sauna functions as a back room. Lounge, bar and exercise equipment are all part of the package. On the flip side, the hamam's reputation has spread well beyond its front doors, resulting in the sporadic harassment of departing clientele on the street outside.
Park Hamam
Dr Emin Pasa Sokak 10, off Divan Yolu,Sultanahmet. (0212) 513 7204
Open 7am-9.30pm daily. Admission $6; with scrub and massage $12.
No credit cards.
The occasional uninformed tourist and unusually vigilant and rude staff keep the mainly gay clientele slightly inhibited. A pleasant place in terms of cleanliness and architectural details. Package deal a plus for those prone to being badgered into over tipping.
Yesildirek Hamam
Tersane Caddesi 74, Azapkapi.
Open 11am-9pm daily. Admission $4. No credit cards.
Run-down but friendly neighbourhood hamam across from the Azapkapi Mosque at the Taksim base of the Ataturk Bridge. Moss-covered ivy-draped toilet and drab cabins detract from the recent addition of a large, new sauna. The management seems willing to overlook a lot in exchange for a little custom.
Cihangir Sauna
9-21h Cukurcuma, Altipatlar Sokak. 14,Taksim.
Not your traditional Turkish bath but a renowned and popular place for a relaxing steam and sauna. Some clients have been coming here for years, man and boy providing a very varied mix of visitors. This was a favored venue for Turkey's answer to Liberace, Zeki Muren. Clean and discreet, massage is available, a friendly café and cubicles for chatting, drinking tea or getting to know your fellow patrons. Open everyday Noon to 9pm.
BARS & CLUBS
Considering that it's been only about 14 years since Istanbul's first gay bar opened its doors,
today's gay scene is surprisingly diverse. Over the past year, the number of gay clubs has
increased in number from just a handful to a dozen. More significantly, several have
opened just off bustling Istiklal Caddesi, perhaps reflecting a more relaxed attitude
to gays. It has not evolved to the point where venues cater to niche crowds, such as bikers,
blacks, the aged, twinks and so on, but that's part of the charm, meaning people of all ages, sexes and persuasions end up partying together. The line dividing bars and clubs is slightly blurred, with the former closing an hour or two earlier and the latter charging admission on the weekends. There is one way to roughly divide venues into two categories: Western and a la Turca.
Western-style bars do not feature chaps and cowboy hats; they are where the moneyed,
liberated Turks tend to congregate. While still distinctively Turkish, tourists and
ex-pats can easily feel at home at these sorts of venues.
A la Turca bars are generally dingy and can be dangerous for those not clued in to
the social dynamics. Keep in mind that many of the clientele may be relatively
unenlightened about their sexuality, pulling off the mind-boggling feat of having an
extremely straight mind set while simultaneously cruising gay men. Role-play is the rule, so either be prepared to play along or head elsewhere. You'd be well advised to go with a Turkish friend and not take anyone back to your hotel, but it would be a pity not to visit one of these clubs at least once, for anthropological purposes if nothing else.
The more up market clubs charge admission on Wednesdays and weekends, anywhere
from $2 to $7 including a drink ticket. Routine police sweeps are extremely rare at
gay venues. In the event of one, keep in mind that they occur at straight venues
as well and be prepared to hand over your passport for inspection and remember
that you've done nothing illegal.
Bar Bahce
Bilsak Building, 1st Floor, Soganci Sokak 7
Siraselviler Caddesi, Cihangir. (0212) 243 2879
Open 21.00 - 02.00 Mon- Sat
Admission free. No credit cards.
Pulsating club music with a young upscale energetic and mixed crowd.
Bergere
Abdulhahakhamit Caddesi 58/ 1 Talimhane, Taksim. (0212) 361 1557
Open 22.00 - 04.00 except Mon.
Admission Free
Large new air-conditioned venue playing underground pop. Subtle modern decor with up-market
mixed crowd.
Neo
Lamartin Caddesi 40, Taksim. (0212) 254 4526
Open 22.00-02.00 Tue-Sun; closed Mon.
Admission varies on different nights. No credit cards
Istanbul's hottest gay bar where a mixed stream of the upwardly mobile and moneyed pass through.
Club 14
Abdulhak Hamit Cad. 63, Taksim. (0212) 256 2121
Open 23.00-04.00 Tue-Sun; closed Mon.
Istanbul's oldest gay venue, established in 1988, is still going strong, drawing a
mixed after-hours crowd and the occasional Turkish celebrity.
Prive
Tarlabasi Boulevard, 28/A, Taksim. (0212) 235 7999
Open midnight-04.00 daily.
Prive peaks late, when half-hearted dancing to Latin and Western pop gives way to
thumping Turkish tunes, uplifted arms and quivering bellies. Popular with upscale revellers.
Cafe Cute
2nd Floor, Yeni Carsi Caddesi 26, Galatasaray.
Open daily 11.00-midnight.
Cafe Cute is an alternative venue for gay men (or that rarest of phenomenon, gay women)
turned off by the thumping music and late hours.
Love Club
Cumhuriyet Caddesi 349, Harbiye.
Open 23.00-04.00 Tues-Sun.
Admission free. Beer: TL4m. No credit cards.
The longest bar of any gay venue dominates one side of the room, complete with
barstools on which to perch and pose. Farther along, towards the bathroom, is a
"chat room" area boasting comfortable armchairs. The décor is relatively restrained and upscale.
Club 99
Mesrutiyet Caddesi 81A,
below Dunya Hotel, Galatasaray.
Open 23.00-04.00 daily.
The dreary decor of this basement nightclub does nothing to dispel the initial
feeling of descent into a dungeon, Blaring Turkish pop and a decidedly down-at-heel
gathering of bedraggled transgenders, rough rent boys and assorted hoodlums.
Sahra
Sadri Alisik Sokak 42, Beyoglu.
Open daily 21.00-04.00.
A three-storey fun house. The top floor is a take on a 'lounge bar', except that
folk music is played and the TV monitors display NTV, a 24-hour Turkish news channel.
The ground floor is dark, packed and plays Western pop. The clientele consists
mainly of youngish working-class lads seeking to satisfy their twin needs for
a warm source of friction and a nearby flat to spend the night. Transvestites
and trans-sexuals are treated like royalty, not just queens.
Hans Bar
Tarlabasi Boulevard 248/1, Taksim.
Admission Free. No credit cards.
Working class folk, neighbourhood toughs and a sprinkling of transgenders rub
shoulders with middle-class gays out slumming. Very Bear friendly.
Queen
Zambak Sokak 23, Beyoglu.
Open 22:00-05:00 Tues-Sun.
Admission free. TL3m. Fri., Sat. Beer TL3m. No credit cards.
Bouncy Turkish music and slightly cramped surroundings, but Queen can unexpectedly
brighten up around 2 am with the arrival of scenesters from Bar Bahce and Neo.
The a la Turca bar you're most likely to feel comfortable in.
Hengame
Sahne Sokak 6, Balik Pazari, Beyoglu. (0212) 249 1178
Open midnight-4am daily.
Admission free Mon-Thur, Sun; $6 Fri, Sat. No credit cards.
A slick marble stairway leads up to three rooms filled with transvestite glamour.
Champagne and sofas create a vaguely decadent air, hung heavy with mixing perfumes.
The entry fee includes one drink.
Tekyon
Mesrutiyet Caddesi,
opposite The Dunya Hotel
Just around the corner from the stately British Embassy, Tekyon is a basement
bar-come-club increasingly popular with Istanbul's Bears. The bar staff are
friendly and the clientele mixed, giving a nice relaxed atmosphere with the tinge
of excitement of unexpected dark corners.
Introduction to Gay Istanbul. Turkish gay travel experts
Absolute Sultans provided
the information and their website is a mine of
even more information for the gay traveller.
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