STORIES FROM THE BEACHES

HERE YOU MAY FIND SOME TRANSCRIBED STORIES ABOUT THE PLAJ CULTURE -BOTH FICTION AND NONFICTION- COLLECTED FROM BLOGS, BOOKS, NEWS ARTICLES, PODCASTS, AND MAIL-LISTS.

FOR MORE VISUALIZED NARRATIVES PLEASE REFER TO THE MOVIES ON THE MAIN BEACH MENU AND THE LINKS TO THE PODCASTS FOR THE AUDIO.

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STORY #1

“An Hour at the Salacak Shores: What is Going on at the Maiden Tower Gazino?” 

Mehmet Selahattin, Milliyet, 8 Ağustos 1931. 


“…One can sit on a rowboat safer than the way he sits on the Salacak ferry. It swings so badly that it’s a matter of seconds to fall on the floor. […]

Ah, thank god we are stepping on the land now. We are reaching the gazino from the pier in three minutes. I am not going to talk about Maiden Tower’s location here. It had been written many times. The weather is nice, the scenery is beautiful, the orchard with dense trees, the marble pool with the fountain; all very beautiful. There is only one thing that is not beautiful: making the customer wait for minutes on the table for a glass of cold water. Their service could have been more caring. Tea shouldnot be brought to the customer waiting for a gazoz [fizzy drink]. Moreover, prices of some drinks are extremely high. Is it right to make a person constantly sweat in this hot weather?

I have paid attention to the youngman sitting next to me. He ordered a glass of beer at first. Then, as he sipped his beer, he complimented it with a drink from the small flask he took out of his pocket.

I want to point out that the mezes here are also very expensive. Due to this, many people are bringing their mezes with them. If the prices were a little better, noone would bother. But to be honest, there is nothing bad to say about the saz [live music]. In the name of God, all the rightously famous names of Alaturca music are gathered in this place. They know how to make one to lovingly listen to the music they make. In the end, people come here for the sake of this music.

At the sunset, the gazino reminds one of the hanging gardens of Babylon. As the sun disappears behind the cypress groves of Sarayburnu like a crimson aigret; gazino’s red, green, purple, yellow bulbs go on and make the stars jealous. These jars of fire reflecting on the sea remind us of the Çırağan festivals across the Maiden Tower.

One must come here alone and listen to himself. One cannot find a more peaceful place than this pergola against the sea. But I see that the number of people who come here to think and rest is very low, if there is any. The laughters whipping the silence and the untuned voices disturbing the harmonious saz [live music] are heard. All these are reasons to be disturbed if you are there for resting your head a bit. I wonder if there will be a chance to have fun without loud noises...”

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STORY #2 

“Bir fotoöykü: İstanbul’un İlk Plajları - Gökhan Akçura”

Gökhan Akçura, istdergi.com, 4 June 2021.

“Refik Halit Karay tells the story of Caddebostanı: ‘In the era of Aziz this place was called ‘Cadıbostanı’ [Witch’s Orchard]. The orchard extended towards the sea with elaeagni, jujube and fig trees where Ragıp Paşa Mansion and the beach stands today. In the Hamit era, the name was already “Caddebostanı”.

The section of the orchard that lead to the sea had long been a made-up beach. Now, handsome youngmen stroll on the land where once tomatoes and artichokes grew and in the place of blossoming squashes and peas that swirl into the bushes, young ladies lie on the ground and hug each other.”

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STORY #3

“Bir Nostaljinin Öyküsü: Deniz Hamamından Plaja” [The Story of a Nostalgia: From Sea Bath to Beach]

Zafer Toprak
“At the two ends of Salacak Beach two concrete extensions stood. The one on the right was 1.5 meters high than the sea level, whereas the left one stood 50 cm above. Young people either piked or did a reverse sommersault to get into the sea from the right one. There was a border made of white-died corks standing 30 meters away from the shore, connecting two ends of the mentioned extensions to warn the ones who didnot know how to swim that beyond that line was dangerous.”

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PODCAST #1

İstanbul’un Sayfiyeleri ve Plajları [İstanbul’s Vacation Places and Beaches]

Cem Erciyes and Kansu Şarman hosting Feza Kürkçüoğlu, İstanbul Ansiklopedisi, 7 July 2022.

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STORY #4

“İstanbul Cuma Günleri Nasıl Eğleniyor? - Artık Plaj Mevsimine Girdik! - Florya sahillerinde deniz, güneş banyosu yapanlar”
[How does İstanbul have fun on Fridays? - We Have Entered the Beach Season! - People have sea, sun bath on Florya beaches]

Mehmet Selahattin, Milliyet, 27 June 1931.


“…On the land surrounding the sandy beach, how beautifully the homes for families are built. Gather all the children and get into one of them. Once in a while a sea bath, a sand pleasure… Then when you get tired lie on the sand!

The year before, I came to Florya once again. But then, none of the infrastructure work on the beach had existed. Now, there is a fully equipped medical cabin running to help at any kind of problem during the season. There also are motors to take action at any kind of injury or accident.

An issue drawing attention at the beach this year is the swimwear’s modesty. Getting into the sea with a night shirt has been banned. The time passes so fast at Solaryum Palas that each hour is like a minute. Although the sun is going down, we do not want to leave. If there wasnot the problem of missing the train I would love to stay until the midnight.

I remember as I say train. ‘The East Railway Company’ has an intention against public health! Because of the high ticket prices, people who can visit these beautiful beaches and make use of the abundant sun are restricted to a small group. Think about this: you are giving 85 Kuruş for a first class ticket to g oto somewhere like Florya that is 45-50 minutes away. For thhe same distance you would pay 30-35 Kuruş at most on an Anatolian line suburbs train. […]”

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STORY #5

“Bir Nostaljinin Öyküsü: Deniz Hamamından Plaja” [The Story of a Nostalgia: From Sea Bath to Beach]

Zafer Toprak

“These sea baths were not allowed to operate everywhere. Tarabya was the only place that the law was broken. The ones who didn’t obey the ban were the seamen who anchored their boats and yachts around the embassies’ summer waterfront-mansions. Especially the American seamen swam in the mornings and made a loud racket, their joyous voices resounded throughout the bay.” 

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STORY #6

“Bir fotoöykü: İstanbul’un İlk Plajları - Gökhan Akçura”

Gökhan Akçura, istdergi.com, 4 Haziran 2021.

On Fenerbahçe Beach: “The youth of the time called this beach “harem”. Similar to all harems, mingling turns up to be common around it, says an observer. On the other hand, Fikret Adil tells that ‘an exceptionally decent community’ preferred the beach and describes the place’s scene as follows: ‘Private automobiles, cars that waited for customers and many women and men bikes are lined up in front of thhe beach’s entrance. This place stands exactly as a family beach.” 

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STORY #7

“Bir fotoöykü: İstanbul’un İlk Plajları - Gökhan Akçura”

Gökhan Akçura, istdergi.com, 4 Haziran 2021.
“1934’s ‘Hafta’ magazine wrote about the costs of spending a day at the Florya Beach and additional information: ‘If you would prefer a return trip by train, it will cost 166 Kuruş. This expense will save you from paying an additional cost for the entrance to the baths. […] If you choose Solaryum or Haylayf resorts, large cabins will cost you 5 liras and medium sized ones 3 liras’. ”

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PODCAST #2

İstanbul’un İlk Vapurları ve İskeleleri [İstanbul’s First Ferries and Piers]

Cem Erciyes and Kansu Şarman hosting Prof. Dr. Murat Koraltürk, İstanbul Ansiklopedisi, July 2021.

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STORY #8

Once Upon a Time – Solaryum Palas

Oğul Doğa Gökşin and Göktuğ İpek, Karpuz kabuğu çoktaaan denize düştü! [The watermelon shell had already fell onto the sea!], ISTANBUL’DA NASIL EĞLENİYORDUK? #35 [HOW WERE WE HAVING FUN IN ISTAN

BUL? #35],
21 June 2022.
In 1920s, Florya beach is like a vacation spot for the İstanbulites already. Here beach gazinos named Solaryum and Haylayf are set in a wooden shelter manner. The managers are non-muslims. […] Based on an ad published in the newspapers of 1927’s July 21st, Florya beach is a luxurious facility with its gazino, restaurant, coffee house, and night life.

The most interesting arguement on Solaryum beach is the price disagreements that Cumhuriyet Newspaper was involved. The newspaper first publishes an article called “Sea Bathing is Forbidden fort he Istanbul Public”. This article men

tions the rise in beach prices and criticizes the managers. The Solaryum Beach administrators must have been mad after this as they send a letter with swearwords and open threats. The newspaper anounces the letter with a title saying: “The Doors to the Court is Open, Gentlemen!”.

While the main topic is the expensive beach prices and that the poorer parts of the public being unable to mae use of the see and the sand, the discussion turns into something else. While the newspaper claims that Turkish is not spoken on the beach, Solaryum Beach says: ‘There had been times that French was spoken in order to please some customers.’ and explains that muslim Russian immigrants had been using thhe beach for many years.”

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STORY #9

“The Beach with The Best View on the World”

Göktuğ İpek, Deniz olmayan yerde yaşayamam! [I can’t live in a place without the sea], İSTANBUL’DA NASIL EĞLENİYORDUK? #39 [HOW WERE WE HAVING FUN IN ISTANBUL? #39], 19 July 2022. 


“Truely, Salacak Beach was famous for its view and its gazino covered with trees as it was for its sea. The beach was reached by descending 80 steps after passing the gazino. As for the beach, the family park gazino stood on it. ‘Here a band, mandoline, incesaz [group of people playing Turkish music], zurna, polka, zeybek, çiftetelli [traditional dances] were played.’ ‘The best of the weather, the best of the view, the most splendid entertainment and the best tasting water was here.’ In the following years the most famous artists of the era such as Münir Nurettin Selçuk, Zehra Bilir, ‘the renowned jazz star Gregor’ was going the take on theh stage. At the weekends, a jazz band of eight ‘Hot Swing’ played.

[…]

Another distinguishing attribute of Salacak was being in the city centre. Due to this, the transportation was much cheaper. Moreover, beach and gazino administrators made an agreement with Şirket-i Hayriye for the summer seasons to sell a package that includes travel expenses, and the beach and the cabins for 35 Kuruş (for first-class) and 30 Kuruş (for the second clas). However, the scarcity of ferry rounds and the irregularity of them were the topics of complains. Because of these, people first came to Üsküdar then continued to Salacak.”

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STORY #10

“Bir fotoöykü: İstanbul’un İlk Plajları - Gökhan Akçura”

Gökhan Akçura, istdergi.com, 4 June 2021.

“In 1938’s ‘Foto Magazin’ journal, Vedat Birson reports on Altınkum Beach as follows: ‘Fresh air, clean sea make you forget about the tiny sandy beach and the inadequecy of the infrastructure. Here we have found the place we have been searching for. Also, its gazino is at a far distance, up on the hill; there is no audience scoping one out.”

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STORY #11

“İstanbul Cuma Günleri Nasıl Eğleniyor? - Altınkum’da Yüzenler ve Eğlenenler - Yukarı Boğazın bu kısmında cuma günleri çok eğlenceli geçiyor” [How does İstanbul have fun on Fridays? - In this part of the upper Bosphorus the fridays pass very fun]

Mehmet Selahattin, Milliyet, Mehmet Selahattin, 27 Temmuz 1929


“‘We understand Altınum but what is this Altıntaş?’

My dear sirs, it is a gazino just a little further. The plate on the pier is put there to show its direction to the public. As I walked a little, venders surrounded me.

“The best of the macun [a candy]!”

“It changes the weather sir, it’s minty!”

“The smallest is blood-red watermelon, watermelon!”

“These are from Değirmendere! These are from Değirmendere!”

The gazino up on the hill gives a feeling of peace like a traveller has on seeing a light at a distance while walking on the mountains. I climb thhe stairs slowly. The band plays a crazy dance tune and a couple of families drin their beer calmly with their elbows on the table. Just two years ago this place was fully bare. No trees offering their shade, no roof to take a breath under. At the time I haven’t visited, a couple of places with coverings, a pavillion fort he band and two line of ash trees are placed, knitted straw tables are located against the sea; overall, there are many upgrades made.

It gets better down at the beach, too. Laying on the ground there is a must. After resting a bit, I go back down to the beach. Here is not as rich in terms of sand as Filurya but the water is definetely much cleaner. The sun is not so intense either. A boy working at the beach tells: ‘My sir, this place is interesting. A lightning falls and drags all the sand into the sea. Then a west wind blows and brings it all back cleaned and new.’

Similar to Filurya, at Altınkum, there are straw umbrellas and sunshades protecting from the sun. Nevertheless, there are not many interested in them. Almost everyone lie on the sand, giving their back to the sun; taking all three baths at the same time, the sun, the sand, and the sea. We can add another bath to these by acknowledging the ‘eye-wash’ some people have by looking at the women on the beach…”

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PODCAST #3

İstanbul’da Beyaz Ruslar [White Russians in Istanbul]

Cem Erciyes and Kansu Şarman hosting Oya Dağlar Macar and Elçin Macar, İstanbul Ansiklopedisi, January 2021.