Things to Do With Kids in Istanbul: Hang Out by the Kadiköy Atatürk Statue!

I am not going to write anything at all about my feelings about Atatürk here except that if I HAD to pick a favourite statue of him out of the thousands available for me to pick from, the one near the jetties in Kadiköy would be an easy winner. It's just so fantastically interactive. If you need an hours free entertainment (we were there for more than two hours on Monday!) sit yourself on the steps and just watch. People come in a steady flow to pose next to Atatürk, holding his hand which has been rubbed to golden as a result. Some stand so that he has his arm around them or encourage their kids to stand with his hand on their heads. I loved the two cheeky boys who thought it was hilarious to touch his bum and ran off giggling when they saw me and my camera. The other great thing about this statue is that it is surrounded by slides. I am not sure what the envisaged purpose of these black chutes was, maybe channels for water, but they are perfect slides for the local kids and anyone who wants to join in the fun. Anton loves these slides so much more than any built for the purpose and on this visit quickly gathered a gang of a dozen kids to play with. Which meant that I was sat around with four other mothers who were quite happy to indulge me in a bit of Turkish practice. Good free entertainment!


At breakfast

Atatürk the Teacher statue in Kadiköy

Atatürk the Teacher statue in Kadiköy

Atatürk the Teacher statue in Kadiköy

Atatürk the Teacher statue in Kadiköy

Happy sliding Anton

Help me Mum!

Up again..

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3 thoughts on “Things to Do With Kids in Istanbul: Hang Out by the Kadiköy Atatürk Statue!

  1. Oh cool!! I am hopeful that we will make it to Istanbul on our trip this year, and will have to visit this place!

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  2. I love the sliding picture! I can't believe how many adventures you go on each day!

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  3. We've just got a new Atatürk statue here in Fethiye and he's standing with two children on a plinth that has steps leading up to it. The steps have significant meaning in Turkish history (as explained on a plaque, nearby)but the local kids here don't bother about that. They race up and down the steps and have their photo taken with the Atatürk kids. Like you said, you can while away a lot of time with a statue. :)

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