As soon as I could see the line of Istanbul's buildings along the Sea of Marmara, I knew I was about to disembark in an incredible city. I'd like to think it was love at first sight when I saw the domes and minarets surrounding the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofya and the blueness of the water.
Elysia and I went to Istanbul by ferry, leaving from Mudanya just outside of Bursa. It only takes about 80 minutes, so it was an improvement over the four hours it takes by bus. We arrived at noon on Saturday, and our adventure in a city of 12 million began. We found our hotel in Sultanahmet on the Golden Horn and immediately set out with no real direction or plan in order to roam freely. We were located five minutes from the Aya Sofya and Topkapi Palace, but we headed in the opposite direction, toward the Bosporous. We made our way to Eminonu Point, passing incredible streets that combined old with new. We passed the beautiful Eminonu Yeni Cami (Eminonu New Mosque) and moved toward the Galata Bridge. The Galata Bridge spans the Golden Horn between Eminonu and Karakoy. We walked over the bridge, admiring our surroundings and taking in the sights and smells of fishermen casting lines from the sides of the bridge. On the bottom level of the bridge are plenty of of restaurants offering seafood, so the fishy smell is overwhelming. We made our way to the other side and immediately sought out the Galata Tower by looking upwards for its pinnacle. We took the elevator to the top of the nine-story structure built in 1348. The 360 degree view from the top is incredible and I was able to take some incredible pictures of Istanbul, especially the Golden Horn.
After the Galata Tower and lunch, Elysia and I made the decision to try and make the push to reach Taksim, the heart of modern Istanbul, that afternoon. We found the beginning of Istiklal Street and began our mile-long walk to Taksim Square. Istiklal Caddesi is a pedestrian street lined with cafes, stores, embassies, schools, churches, pubs and mosques. 3 million people visit it daily during weekends. The street was so alive with music and conversation that we strolled and took our time in reaching Taksim Square. We found Taksim Square and Taksim park and rested for a little while in the shade. Taksim is also the center of business, so we noted the highrises that housed major companies. We stopped and had some dessert on Istiklal street on our way back. We stopped at the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, an establishment at Eminonu Point completed 1660 and currently used as a covered area for small shops. Back at our hotel, we napped and then went a few streets over to enjoy smoking nargile (waterpipe) at an outdoor cafe, watching as tourists passed by.
Sunday morning we got up early to meet Aydan, a contact through P&G, and a group of girls that she was hosting from the East of Turkey. We met at the German fountain and proceeded to the Sultan Ahmed, or the Blue Mosque. It is a historical mosque, built in the early 1600's. Its interior is very beautiful with its 20,000 tiles made in Iznik (Nicaea). The lights hang low on chained fixtures as the electric bulbs were once candles that needed to be lit. Over 200 windows let light into the vast interior. Look to my pictures to get a better idea of the intricacy of design found in the Blue Mosque.
Our next stop was the Yerebatan Sarayi, the Basilica Cistern, found under the city streets. The Yerebatan Sarayi was built during the 6th century and contains over 300 marble columns and two carved Medusa heads in its dark expanse, taken from pre-Christian sites. It held reserve water for the royals in case of a shortage. It was eerily lit and still holds a shallow pool of water. We left the Yerebatan Sarayi for lunch where we had Sultanahmet Kofte. Apparently, it is famous among tourists but it was really good regardless.
We were off to the landmark Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia), the epitome of Byzantine architecture and famous for its immense dome. The current church dates to 537, so the Aya Sofya contains 1,500 years of history including a transition from Eastern Orthodox church to mosque to its present-day role as a museum. I have always wanted to visit the Hagia Sophia, so standing in the shade of its domes and stepping inside its cool, vast interior was a dream come true. I wish I could describe how it felt to stand in a structure with such a deep and significant history, but I want to let the pictures I took do most of the talking. From the incredible mosaics of the Virgin Mary, Justinian, and Constantine from the 9th and 10th centuries to its impossibly large central dome to the large Islamic imagery and glowing mihrab, the Hagia Sophia has been a graceful place of worship for several religious traditions through its history. The tiles on the ceiling cast a golden glimmer on the worn marble floors. I have never been in such awe of a place in my entire life.
We left the Hagia Sophia to spend some time at Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman Emperors for 400 years beginning in 1465. We got to see the treasury in which the 5th largest diamond in the world can be found (sparkles...a lot) and the rooms that house Islamic treasures like relics of the Prophet Muhammad. The view from Topkapi is wonderful; you can see the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara shining sapphire blue in every direction. After Topkapi, we went with Aydan and her two daughters to Ortakoy, a neighborhood right on the water, for dinner. I enjoyed every minute of sitting and chatting and looking out at boats passing on the Bosporus.
Elysia and I were so tired from our long day that we took at taxi to the Galata bridge, watched the sunset, had some Turkish coffee and tea, and then went to bed.
Monday we woke up exhausted from two days of intensive walking. After breakfast, we strolled out to take one more look at the Hagia Sophia in the daylight before making our way to the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world. There are 58 streets and 6,000 shops, so needless to day, Elysia and I could barely scratch the surface of what the Grand Bazaar had to offer. I really hate the pushiness of shopkeepers looking to "give you a deal", so we kept our time in the Grand Bazaar to a minimum. We instead enjoyed a long lunch (pasta!) in a cafe along another pedestrian street near the Grand Bazaar. With rainclouds looming, we picked up our luggage from the hotel and headed to catch our ferry, only to find out that we were 4 hours early. I was so upset to leave Istanbul, and I hope to be able to go back and see it again one day! A special thanks goes to Aydan and her daughters for making our visit to Istanbul so memorable!
Elysia and I went to Istanbul by ferry, leaving from Mudanya just outside of Bursa. It only takes about 80 minutes, so it was an improvement over the four hours it takes by bus. We arrived at noon on Saturday, and our adventure in a city of 12 million began. We found our hotel in Sultanahmet on the Golden Horn and immediately set out with no real direction or plan in order to roam freely. We were located five minutes from the Aya Sofya and Topkapi Palace, but we headed in the opposite direction, toward the Bosporous. We made our way to Eminonu Point, passing incredible streets that combined old with new. We passed the beautiful Eminonu Yeni Cami (Eminonu New Mosque) and moved toward the Galata Bridge. The Galata Bridge spans the Golden Horn between Eminonu and Karakoy. We walked over the bridge, admiring our surroundings and taking in the sights and smells of fishermen casting lines from the sides of the bridge. On the bottom level of the bridge are plenty of of restaurants offering seafood, so the fishy smell is overwhelming. We made our way to the other side and immediately sought out the Galata Tower by looking upwards for its pinnacle. We took the elevator to the top of the nine-story structure built in 1348. The 360 degree view from the top is incredible and I was able to take some incredible pictures of Istanbul, especially the Golden Horn.
After the Galata Tower and lunch, Elysia and I made the decision to try and make the push to reach Taksim, the heart of modern Istanbul, that afternoon. We found the beginning of Istiklal Street and began our mile-long walk to Taksim Square. Istiklal Caddesi is a pedestrian street lined with cafes, stores, embassies, schools, churches, pubs and mosques. 3 million people visit it daily during weekends. The street was so alive with music and conversation that we strolled and took our time in reaching Taksim Square. We found Taksim Square and Taksim park and rested for a little while in the shade. Taksim is also the center of business, so we noted the highrises that housed major companies. We stopped and had some dessert on Istiklal street on our way back. We stopped at the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, an establishment at Eminonu Point completed 1660 and currently used as a covered area for small shops. Back at our hotel, we napped and then went a few streets over to enjoy smoking nargile (waterpipe) at an outdoor cafe, watching as tourists passed by.
Sunday morning we got up early to meet Aydan, a contact through P&G, and a group of girls that she was hosting from the East of Turkey. We met at the German fountain and proceeded to the Sultan Ahmed, or the Blue Mosque. It is a historical mosque, built in the early 1600's. Its interior is very beautiful with its 20,000 tiles made in Iznik (Nicaea). The lights hang low on chained fixtures as the electric bulbs were once candles that needed to be lit. Over 200 windows let light into the vast interior. Look to my pictures to get a better idea of the intricacy of design found in the Blue Mosque.
Our next stop was the Yerebatan Sarayi, the Basilica Cistern, found under the city streets. The Yerebatan Sarayi was built during the 6th century and contains over 300 marble columns and two carved Medusa heads in its dark expanse, taken from pre-Christian sites. It held reserve water for the royals in case of a shortage. It was eerily lit and still holds a shallow pool of water. We left the Yerebatan Sarayi for lunch where we had Sultanahmet Kofte. Apparently, it is famous among tourists but it was really good regardless.
We were off to the landmark Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia), the epitome of Byzantine architecture and famous for its immense dome. The current church dates to 537, so the Aya Sofya contains 1,500 years of history including a transition from Eastern Orthodox church to mosque to its present-day role as a museum. I have always wanted to visit the Hagia Sophia, so standing in the shade of its domes and stepping inside its cool, vast interior was a dream come true. I wish I could describe how it felt to stand in a structure with such a deep and significant history, but I want to let the pictures I took do most of the talking. From the incredible mosaics of the Virgin Mary, Justinian, and Constantine from the 9th and 10th centuries to its impossibly large central dome to the large Islamic imagery and glowing mihrab, the Hagia Sophia has been a graceful place of worship for several religious traditions through its history. The tiles on the ceiling cast a golden glimmer on the worn marble floors. I have never been in such awe of a place in my entire life.
We left the Hagia Sophia to spend some time at Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman Emperors for 400 years beginning in 1465. We got to see the treasury in which the 5th largest diamond in the world can be found (sparkles...a lot) and the rooms that house Islamic treasures like relics of the Prophet Muhammad. The view from Topkapi is wonderful; you can see the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara shining sapphire blue in every direction. After Topkapi, we went with Aydan and her two daughters to Ortakoy, a neighborhood right on the water, for dinner. I enjoyed every minute of sitting and chatting and looking out at boats passing on the Bosporus.
Elysia and I were so tired from our long day that we took at taxi to the Galata bridge, watched the sunset, had some Turkish coffee and tea, and then went to bed.
Monday we woke up exhausted from two days of intensive walking. After breakfast, we strolled out to take one more look at the Hagia Sophia in the daylight before making our way to the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world. There are 58 streets and 6,000 shops, so needless to day, Elysia and I could barely scratch the surface of what the Grand Bazaar had to offer. I really hate the pushiness of shopkeepers looking to "give you a deal", so we kept our time in the Grand Bazaar to a minimum. We instead enjoyed a long lunch (pasta!) in a cafe along another pedestrian street near the Grand Bazaar. With rainclouds looming, we picked up our luggage from the hotel and headed to catch our ferry, only to find out that we were 4 hours early. I was so upset to leave Istanbul, and I hope to be able to go back and see it again one day! A special thanks goes to Aydan and her daughters for making our visit to Istanbul so memorable!
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