İstanbul transport - minibuses

Minibuses waiting at Kadıköy

Inside a minibus - the driver places change on the fluffy rug so it doesn't slide off. He accepts money and makes change which is passed down the bus hand-to-hand, usually while driving (weaving in and out of traffic)

In all but a few places, minibuses have replaced the older dolmuşes*. They ply fixed routes, at minimal cost. Although the routes are a bit of a mystery to the uninitiated, if you've got a modicum of Turkish language skill you can generally find out which bus will get you to which destination.

The minibuses above are waiting at the terminus at Kadıkoy on the Asian side of the Bosporus, right near the ferry wharves, and extend out to the suburbs of the sprawling Asian side of the city. In future blogs we'll visit one of these Asian residential areas where we used to live.

The dolmuş - which literally means 'stuffed' - is a kind of shared taxi which takes a set route for a fixed fare, and leaves when full. Many Istanbul dolmuş are/ were magnificent old American cars like Chevvies. Here's a photo of one. And a collection. There are still such "shared taxis" but nowadays they are more likely to be a minivan.