Backgammon, hookah pipes, and popular local singers performing the traditional yearning nomadic melodies fill these "Turkish Houses." I confess that this listing does not refer to just one spot but instead covers the numerous cozy bars populating Hasnun Galip Street in Beyoglu that feature live performers singing traditional Anatolian folk songs. This is really the experience you've come all this way for. Generally, basic dinner items are served. The small space fills up with locals, who, having eaten, get up and dance in the narrow aisle between the musicians and the kilim-covered tables and banquettes.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Istanbul, 1st Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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