Haachtsesteenweg

The Haachtsesteenweg was one of the oldest paved roads in Brussels. Today it is the artery of a Turkish-Brussels neighborhood, with shops, hair salons, and eateries. The restaurants serve pide, the Turkish version of pizza. On the right side at no. 88, the Fatih Camii mosque has a modest minaret, a rare example in Brussels.

On the corner with Olivierstraat stands a bronze statue of a man with a turban, who is sitting backward on a donkey. Donated by the Turkish embassy, it fits well here in the ‘donkey community’ of Schaarbeek. This Nasreddin Hodja was, according to tradition, a philosopher and Islamic scholar. He is a popular character in countless anecdotes and trickster tales from North Africa, across the Balkans to China.

Unfortunately, we associate the Haachtsesteenweg not only with cozy restaurants but also with road pirates and nighttime street races. A renovation will hopefully make the road safer.

• Continue along the Haachtsesteenweg, past Seutinstraat, until you reach no. 145 across the street. Carefully cross the road and take the passage under the building.

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