Turkey series 1 - Istanbul

 ISTANBUL

Welcome back to my new blog. Recently, I travelled to Turkey or Tukiye as it is called now. It was one of my dream destinations and it stayed true to it. A question would arise as to why this country became one of my dream destinations. Firstly, this country is the gateway to Europe. A part of it lies in Europe although most of the country is in Asia. Secondly, there are a lot of historical and natural sites within the country. It is difficult to find all sites together and hence this attracted my attention. I would like to take you all through the journey to the country. This is a multi-part series comprising of many cities. Since there are many, it was imperative that I split it into many parts. A little note to add is that this is not a budget trip. However, I will add some tips at the end of this series to help plan a budget trip. So, stay tuned for that.

The first part of the Turkey series I would like to cover is Istanbul. So why wait, let us jump into it.

(Map of Turkey showing Istanbul)

Istanbul:

Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, is the biggest city in the country and the most populous city in Europe. Named after the Ottoman emperor Constantinopolis, the city was the capital of the multiple empires like the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman empires for almost 1600 years. It is the center for trade, commerce, culture and history. It lies on either side of the banks of Bosphorus strait, that divides Europe and Asia. The population of Istanbul is around 20 million making it the 15th most populous country in the world.

As I mentioned, Istanbul is a center of historical importance too. Let me take you through some historical and touristic places in the city.

Hagia Sophia:

Hagia Sophia or Ayasofia (as in Turkish) is one of the oldest monuments in the city. Built during the Roman rule by the Roman emperor Justinian 1 in 360AD, it initially served as a church. After the conquest of the Ottoman Turks, this place was converted to a mosque until the modern Turkish Republic got its independence in 1923. It was converted to museum until 2020 when the site was again converted to a mosque. It is one of the highest visited sites in Turkey. The attraction here is the imposing dome. The interiors have the paintings of both Christianity and Islam readings. One can see the apostles and Jesus Christ on one of the paintings and the names of prophets from Islam. The interiors are lit by huge chandeliers.

(Hagia Sophia from outside)

(The imposing dome from inside)

(The entrance to the site)

(Chandeliers lit up)

(Colorful mosaic decoration used as flooring)

(Paintings depicting Bible)

(Inscriptions about the Prophet)

Blue Mosque:

Blue mosque or the Sultan Ahmed Mosque was built in the 17th century by the Ottoman emperor Sultan Ahmed. The mosque is the principal mosque of Istanbul and also attracts a number of visitors. The name comes from the blue and turquoise-colored tiles used in the building of the mosque. This is located right in front of Hagia Sophia and was built as a competition to Hagia Sophia. This is the only mosque built with six minarets. Here too, one can see main dome and adjacent small domes. Unfortunately, the mosque was undergoing some restoration works and I couldn't get decent pictures.

(Blue mosque from outside)

(Interiors colored using blue and turquoise colors)

Hippodrome:

Hippodrome basically means a place for horse racing. Istanbul also holds a hippodrome in the Sultan Ahmed square, adjacent to the Blue Mosque. It is said that during the Roman rule, horse racing was held here. At the entrance, a German fountain is present which was presented by Germany during the visit of the German ruler Wilhelm 11. At the end, are two obelisks. One of them is the Obelisk of Thutmose. This was brought from Egypt and erected at hippodrome. The other is the Walled obelisk built during the Ottoman rule.

(Entrance to hippodrome - can see German fountain at the far end)

(Obelisk of Thutmose)

(The two obelisks)

(The pathway at hippodrome)

Topkapi Palace:

Topkapi palace meaning the cannon gate palace was formerly the administration center and the residence of the Sultans of Ottoman empire. Currently, this is a museum and holds a collection of articles used during the Ottoman rule. Only some spaces of the palace are allowed for public.

(Topkapi palace)

(Entrance to the palace)

Taksim Square:

Taksim square is located in the European side of the city. It is one of the major tourist sites. Known for its major shopping and food places, Taksim square is often referred as the heart of the city. It is also the location for the Republic monument and the Taksim mosque. It is also a major shopping center with all kinds of shops and brands available here.

(Taksim mosque)

(Taksim square)

Galata tower:

It is an old tower built during the Byzantine period. It was originally built as a watch tower but now it is only a museum. It is popular for the 360 Õview of the city.

(Galata tower)

Bosphorus cruise:

One of the major attractions in the city is the Bosphorus cruise. The Bosphorus is a strait that divides Europe and Asia. A number of operators take on a cruise along the strait. The Bosphorus, not only provides entertainment with the help of cruise, but also strategically important commercially, as it provides the only way to connect the Black sea and the Mediterranean Sea. There are multiple options for cruise. One can either choose a sunset cruise or a dinner cruise. Both are entertaining and worth undertaking them.

(Cruise on Bosphorus)

(View of Europe side of city)

(Bridge across the Bosphorus)

(View of Asian side of the city)

Shopping areas:

Being a big city, there is no dearth for shopping areas in Istanbul. The Grand Bazaar is one of the main shopping areas, located near the Beyizat Meydan. It is one of the oldest bazaars in the world. It is known for clothes, carpets, leather articles, jewelry among other items. Another shopping place would be Taksim square. More specifically Istiklal street, located to the west of Taksim square. Multiple brands and a mall are located on Istiklal street. The street also holds the oldest tram in the city which is still functional.

(Church on Istiklal street)

(Istiklal street)

(Grand Bazaar)

Accommodation, Transport and Food:

There are a lot of hotels to stay in Istanbul. A lot of luxury hotels are also available. There is not much price difference between a 3-star and a 4-star accommodation. Airbnb and homestays are available too, but hotels are a better option as they provide breakfast too.

The local transport is pretty good. Bus, trams and metro is available for local transport. The connectivity is pretty good throughout the city. However, buying a ticket for trams and metro can be confusing but that is the cheapest mode. Cabs are available but are expensive especially if the drive is towards the city center owing to the terrible traffic. There are two airports located on each side of the city. Buses and cabs ply to airport. Renting cars is also feasible. The roads are impressive and well maintained. However, finding the route might be slightly confusing as there are multiple turns. Lane discipline and speed discipline is a must if a car is rented.

As an Indian and in particular a vegetarian, it is very hard to get used to different foods. Turkish food mainly consists of meat, so it is tough for veg foodies. However, I was able to find some Indian restaurants and had a hearty meal. Apart from these, there are other well-known fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Starbucks, Burger King, Subway which offer limited veg options. I have listed a few Indian restaurants below.

• Musafir restaurant - Taksim square
• Delhi Darbar - Taksim square
• Dubb - Sultan Ahmed square (next to Hagia Sophia)

Another must try restaurant is the Viyana Kahvesi. It serves the best cheese cake called the St.Sebastian cheese cake. The restaurant is located near the Galata tower and it is a must try.

(Oreo cake)

(St. Sebastian cheese cake)

(Strawberry tart)

The most famous Turkish sweet is the baklava and once cannot leave the country without trying one. The best place to try Baklava is the Hafiz Mustafa. There are multiple branches of this shop. It is easily the best baklava I have ever tasted. It also sells Turkish delight too.

Well, right then that's the end of Istanbul tour. Of course, it is not the end of Turkey tour. More places and more blogs await. So do look out this blog for more on this series. Until then, sayonara!!