I found a place in Istanbul that perfectly resembles the allegedly-wilting generation of white, secular Turk, whose gaze is affixed on the West and whose heart is set on finding a new, luminiscent country out of the ashes of the Ottoman empire: Moda.
The teahouse
The name of this waterside town on Istanbul’s Asian side translates directly as 'fashion' – perhaps a cheeky reference to the days when Moda was unquestionably fashionable. Between mid-fifties and late seventies, come summertime, the Istanbullus would move to their summer houses in Moda, to join the Armenian and Greek residents of the town, and fill up the beach cafes. The night scene would enliven and young men and women would frolick around the waterbend, mimicking Farrow and Redford in The Great Gatsby.
Today, only a few of the beautiful houses by the water remain but the small, gridlined streets covered almost entirely by oak, pine and chestnut trees and the magnificient Moda pier, now converted into a piquant teahouse, are still intact.
Moda Deniz Kulübü
In the belly of the crescent that Moda is lies a private tennis club. Its middle-aged regulars with their matching tennis clothes have remained loyal to their oldies role models. Past the tennis club comes Moda Deniz Kulübü, another members-only venue with a terrific view of the sea, traditionally hosting Rotary Club charity nights or Lions Club high teas.
Wardrobe in restaurant Moda Park Lokantasi
A modest walk up from the Moda Deniz Klubu takes me over to a street filled with Greek taverns and ’gazinos’, restaurants that feature live music. Some of them look decent while others seem slightly more run down.
Nostalgic tram in Moda
To its residents, Moda must be a diamond in the rough – a safe haven from the impending city that Istanbul has become. Based on a romantic ideal of Turkey modeled on ’the West’, they shaped their surroundings to accommodate what in their view constitutes a ’Western lifestyle’: Tennis on Sundays, a walk in the park with children and a stop at Ali Usta’s famous ice-cream parlour, followed by dinner and a few drinks at a Greek tavern. And to a ’Westerner’, Moda is a nice break from the hussle of the old Istanbul.