Çukur is not in İstanbul But İstanbul is in Çukur

Çukur, pronounced chukur, is a Turkish work which can mean a cavity, a pothole, a fosse or a burrow, or just something low. It is a quarter in İstanbul. In this text, we will refer to Çukur in the meaning ‘a Low Quarter’. The quarter is also the scene of a famous serial currently broadcast on TV in Turkey. 

So, we are hitting the path like Koçovalı, the main character in the serial, saying “Çukur is more than a quarter!’’ and ‘’Çukur is our home, and Idris is our father!’’, the famous cues we always hear in the series … In this route, we call ''Çukur Tourism’’, we will guide you through Balat and the surrounding area, one of the oldest districts in İstanbul, which now has a new face owing to this TV serial.  

Welcome to Çukur, one of the quarters in Istanbul, where one can easily get into hot waters… As many people, particularly the fans of the series, know that essential standards of judgment make the theme of the serial presented based on the life of the Koçovalı family, a family that has been maintaining, so the script of the serial, peace and harmony in the quarter for years. The actresses and actors in the leading roles in the Çukur Republic as presented in the serial are, among others,  Aras Bulut İynemli in the role of Yamaç Koçovalı, Erkan Kolçak Köstendil in the role of Vartolu, Ercan Kesal embodying the character of İdris Koçovalı, Perihan Savaş as Sultan Koçovalı, Öner Erkan as Selim Koçovalı and Rıza Kocaoğlu personifying Aliço. 

Parallel to the fame the serial has gained, Balat, one of the oldest districts in İstanbul, is now being called Çukur, but we should say that the quarter of Çukur is not located here, but in Beyoğlu, another district in İstanbul. The whole district of Balat is used as the scene of the serial. Visiting the area, you usually feel yourself here as if you were in the serial set. You can also have your photo taken in front of the walls full of graffiti used in the serial. As luck would have it, you can again come across the film team shooting a scene. The children living in the quarter have also become so engaged with the serial that they can now give detailed information to the visitors. 

With colourful houses, warm-hearted people, historical edifices at every corner, Balat reflects the ambiance of old İstanbul. The places shown in the serial continue to attract people, but there are other important places of historical value we would like to tell you about. 

Before hitting the road, I would like to say a few words about the route: our route along the places serving as locations in the serial will take half a day on average. If you are ready, we can start our tour to discover all the sights on foot. Our first station is certainly Balat Park!