Istanbul has been under partial lockdown for over two months. Weekly two to four day curfews followed by a few days of relatively busy streets, with people hurrying to stock up on groceries before the next curfew. Citizens aged over 65 years and under 20 years old, were not allowed to leave their homes at all initially, but recently the restrictions were eased to allow these age groups to go out for a few hours on specified days. With June 1 being the official date for reopening the economy, businesses are preparing to begin the new normal. We took a short walk in Istanbul’s historic Tesvikiye neighbourhood, which is part of the Nisantasi quarter. It has always been famous for people watching, with trendy cafes and cocktails bars but lockdown hasn’t changed its character, although it is slightly more sedate right now. Things will definitely be a little different for awhile still, but it was good to see everyone out and following the guidelines. Istanbul has yet to see what the future holds but it is encouraging to know that we have taken the next step, with a renewed awareness of looking out for each other. It was even good to see this Sisli seagull ,back outside his favourite butchery, looking slightly indignant if not a little pleased with himself.
Istanbul’s Lockdown is almost over
