Istanbul is the city where Europe meets Asia through the Bosphorus strait. Although, I wasn’t sure how I felt when the opportunity to visit Istanbul presented itself. I was initially scared of embarking on this trip because of the civil unrest and heightened risk of terrorist attack but I’m glad I took the time to research the city. I found out it possesses lots of history that reflects cultural influences from different parts of the world. Also, some of the buildings are UNESCO world heritage sites. I like an educational tour, I like to visit historical sites and see different architectures. I’m not the one to spend a lot of time at the hotel except it’s a relaxing vacation on a beautiful island. Every time I visit a new place, I’m keen to learn about the culture and local experiences. If learning a new language wasn’t time consuming and requires commitment, I would have picked up a few by now.
Istanbul is a trip I’m glad I went on with my favourite person, having someone that enjoys the same thing as you make it even easier and we get to fill one another in on any details we may have missed.
Here are the things I did and recommend you do if you ever visit Istanbul
Hagia Sophia
This used to be a cathedral and later became an ottomans imperial mosque but now has now become a museum. Although the Turkish prime minster recently said he will change it back to a mosque, that he thinks it was a mistake having it as a museum. Regardless of what he decides, it is still a monumental byzantine architecture and was the world’s largest building of it’s time and a UNESCO world heritage site.
It is important that this tour is done properly, I recommend you get the audio guide so you learn about the art and sculptures in the museum. I don’t think just admiring the sculpture is enough. I used the audio guide which made the tour more interesting and really informative.
Blue Mosque
This is a proper touristic site few minutes away from Hagia Sophia, I couldn’t even get a picture alone without someone standing like 5 meters close to me. We were asked to use a headscarf and remove our shoes, I visited on a Friday so it was a lot busier as most people were observing their Friday prayers. Nonetheless, it was still a good tour, the architecture, lovely carpets and antique beautifully painted blue tiles in the mosque interior were stunning.
Domablache palace
This was just a walk from my hotel at Beskitas, I enjoyed this tour the most. I bought the full pass ticket which availed me the opportunity of viewing the entire palace. Domablanche is the largest palace in Turkey with 285 rooms and 46 halls. We saw designs, paintings, stones, artifact, chandeliers etc from different part of the world blended seamlessly with traditional Ottomans architecture. Most of the decorations were with pure gold and crystals with the world largest crystal chandeliers in the ceremonial hall. The entire tour lasted about two hours. I used the audio guide to navigate my way around this historical beauty, unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures.
Bosphorus Strait tour and Maiden’s tower
This is a tour around the sea where we viewed all the architectural landmarks I had already mentioned. However, I did see the Maiden’s tower which was built on the water by an Emperor trying to protect his daughter from a snake bite on land that was believed will kill her on her 18th birthday. Despite all the effort, she still got bitten by the snake hiding in the fruit basket brought to her by her father. The princess died in her father’s arms just as the oracle predicted. Also, there were a lot of houses along the sea which is reported one of the most expensive real estate in the world.
Galata tower
I was really looking forward to going to the top of this tower but a sad incident occurred the day I visited. On arriving we saw people gathered outside, an ambulance and paramedics, I initially thought it was a regular emergency but to my surprise someone had committed suicide from the top of the iconic building. The body was still laying at the scene as they investigated the incident. It was such a sad day, I pray her soul rest in peace. Therefore, the building was closed and I couldn’t go in but managed to view it from the bridge. I doubt I would go back there as I can’t seem to part with the memory of the unfortunate incident.
Taxim square
This square house the best streets and food in Istanbul. I also tried the nuts that were being sold on the street and some Turkish delight. It is quite touristic with people endlessly roaming on the streets.
Turkish Hammam
Please make sure you have a Turkish Hammam on your trip. It’s basically a spa treatment that removes all the dead skin form your body (head to toe). I felt so clean and fresh afterwards, I highly recommend it.
I would also like to give an insight on what I thought of the hotel, people, food and transportation:
The hotel
I stayed at a 5-star hotel in a room overlooking the lovely views of the Bosphorus. It’s such a stunning view to wake up to everyday. It was in the middle of the city and just a couple of minute walk to some nice parks and streets. The service was great and there were a lot of restaurants to dine and wine too.
Food and beverage
I’m not a big fan of Turkish food because most contain yogurt and milk which I don’t eat because my skin react badly to dairy products. However, I did eat a lot of Doneer Kebab and lamb chops. The quality of the meat was lovely. I also ate at other restaurants at cicek pasaji, kichennete and aqua
The people
I wouldn’t recommend going solo to Istanbul except it’s a business trip, the people are not very friendly and it can be hard to get a conversation going. I’m so glad I didn’t go alone as it would have been extremely boring.
Ease of travel and transportation
Taxis are easily accessible and the tram is fast as well. The tram is my go-to as you avoid spending time in traffic. Although, some taxi drivers are very greedy and always want to do the trip off the meter so they can charge you more once they discover you are a tourist. I just decline and get another taxi. I used the tram a lot and the stop closest to my hotel was Kabatas so we just walk to the hotel which is about 15 minutes walk, I didn’t mind it at all as I get to go through the parks and enjoy beautiful scenery. In fact, I did discover a park that has the sculptures of the martyrs that gave their life for the country.
Overall experience
Finally, Istanbul is a lovely city with rich history. I’m actually surprised that there is minimal crime given the city’s high population. It is a heavily policed city too which gives tourist a sense of security. I had a good time exploring the city and it’s monuments. I wouldn’t mind going back for the same purpose.
I’m going to Istanbul next week and i am so happy i found your blog. Now i have a to do list.
Thank you !