Nimet Abla Istanbul – The Lucky Lottery
Nimet Abla (aka Melek Nimet Ozden) was born in 1899 in İstanbul and passed away 1978. She was a national lottery (milli piyango) seller. In 1928 she started selling lottery tickets in her shop in Eminonu. In 1931 one of the tickets won and since then she has become a public figure of luck.
She was very clever and used her earned money for advertising, and informed the locals about people who won lottery with tickets bought from her shop. Since then and still any local person in hopes of winning the big lottery definitely wants tickets bought from Nimet abla. It's almost like an urban legend; if you get the ticket from her you surely will get something in return (obviously this is not the case most of the time).
The photo documents show a person buying a ticket from the original shop of Nimet Abla, the lady on the back ground is the famous person by the way. I know buying a lottery ticket would be the last in your to do list in Istanbul but just for one you can have a stop at this stop to see how the locals are still persuing the legend in hopes of dreams of wealth.
There’s so much more to discover
Discover more in Istanbul
Ethem Tezçakar Coffee – Best Turkish coffee in town
"Ethem Tezçakar" Coffee makes much better coffee than other places in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, so it's important to visit this one small shop!
By
Zekeriya
S. Sen
Yeldeğirmeni Neighborhood – Street art tour
"Yeldeğirmeni Neighborhood" in Istanbul is an up-and-coming neighborhood on the Asian side. It has a very old history and nowadays it's an alt hotspot!
By
Yucel
Babadag
Archaeology Museum – Stop for all history lovers
The Istanbul "Archaeology Museum" is just huge. As someone who always visits these museums, these ones (there's actually three!) are a must.
By
Zekeriya
S. Sen
Kalenderhane Mosque – The church of Akaleptos
The "Kalenderhane Mosque" is another off-the-beaten-path gem in Istanbul. Culture buffs like me can feed our souls with the authenticity of this structure.
By
Zekeriya
S. Sen
İnciraltı Meyhane – Classic
"İnciraltı Meyhane" in Istanbul's Beylerbeyi is a classic for typical Turkish nights out. I go there with friends for long chat sessions and story-sharing!
By
Yucel
Babadag
Explore Çukurcuma – Art nouveau at Faik Paşa St.
As you walk from Galatasaray to Karaköy, prepare for a nostalgic journey with a contemporary vibe with cobblestone streets and art nouveau-style buildings.
By
Zeynep
Ozortac
Cuma Cafe – See you at brunch!
"Cuma Cafe" is my favorite spot for a long brunch or coffee & dessert in Istanbul. Their scrambled eggs w/ goat cheese on sourdough toast is a must-taste.
By
Arzu
Damli
Van Kahvaltı Evi – For an authentic breakfast
"Van Kahvaltı Evi" in Istanbul makes all-day breakfast from Eastern Turkey. I always bring visitors to my city here. It's cheap and good!
By
Vildan
Ay
FilBooks – A sofa, a book and a cup of coffee?
"FilBooks": one of the cutest coffee & bookstores in Istanbul's Karakoy. Just sit on one of the chairs hanging from the ceiling & try the red velvet cakes!
By
Seyda
Vardar
Chandeliers in Hagia Sophia Mosque – Enlightenment
The "Chandeliers in Istanbul's Hagia Sophia" have their own little recent story which is good to remember whenever you pay a visit... Lighting is key!
By
Zekeriya
S. Sen
Sadaka taşı – Politeness and lack of greed
The "Sadaka taşı" in Istanbul were used as open charity boxes in the time of the Empire. Now they're a reminder to the elaborateness of the public back then.
By
Zekeriya
S. Sen
Şekerci Cafer Erol – Turkish coffee ritual
"Şekerci Cafer Erol" in Istanbul serves Turkish coffee with Turkish delights, marzipan & small glasses of water. Not many places do it like that anymore...
By
Cemre
Sandal
Download our app now and know your way!
Our Spotters' Local Favorites Only. Skip the Tourist Traps.
Find Nearby Spots and Navigate with Ease
Save Your Favorites and See Them on the Map
Know your way in Art & culture and navigate with ease!
✓ Full access to 0 local favorites. Zero tourist highlights.
✓ Get to know our 0 Spotters and ♥ their recommendations.
✓ Save favorites and show them on the map.
