Location: Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul was at the top of my travel list for 2010. Having spent a lot of my travels in the European Union I wanted a little more adventure, something to stimulate the senses. The call to daily prayer echoing from the minarets through the city on our first morning was the sign that I was definitely in the right place.
We stayed around the Sultanahemt area, within walking distance of numerous sites to check off this list:
We stayed around the Sultanahemt area, within walking distance of numerous sites to check off this list:
1. Blue Mosque. One of the most famous sites of the city. With free entry we visited this first, taking our shoes off and donning the pashmina I'd packed to cover the shoulders so I wouldn't have to 'borrow' one of the spares on offer in the 30 degree heat.
2. Hagia Sofia. This was the next stop to uncover further history of the city in the former cathedral turned mosque. Now a museum, the tour groups crowd the corners where the preserved Christian mosaics still remain.
3. Topkapi Palace. Ottoman opulence was contained within the grounds and buildings of the palace. Entry to the Harem was an extra 15 TKL but well worth it if you eves dropped on the tours around
4. Grand Bazaar, this is where my travel instincts from visiting the markets of Bangkok kicked in. "Let me help me you spend your money" was the pickup line of choice from the shop keepers. It was slightly tiresome to walk around the same tat at each store, but an interesting antiques section and some people watching from a cafe within calmed us down allowed us to plan the rest of the itinerary for the city.
With the headline attractions off the list, we spent another day at Eminonu around the Spice Market, and located the fish sandwiches served off the boats along the port. We were almost duped as the restaurants under the Galata Bridge also sold the sandwiches, but crossing to the other side of the bridge we found a hawker-style setup with temporary chairs offering freshly cooked fish encased in giant bread rolls. Finishing these off for lunch, we hoped on a Cruise down the Bosphorus for a bit of serenity, landscapes of mansions along the river and views of Istanbul away from the hustle of a city that has so much to offer.
2. Hagia Sofia. This was the next stop to uncover further history of the city in the former cathedral turned mosque. Now a museum, the tour groups crowd the corners where the preserved Christian mosaics still remain.
3. Topkapi Palace. Ottoman opulence was contained within the grounds and buildings of the palace. Entry to the Harem was an extra 15 TKL but well worth it if you eves dropped on the tours around
4. Grand Bazaar, this is where my travel instincts from visiting the markets of Bangkok kicked in. "Let me help me you spend your money" was the pickup line of choice from the shop keepers. It was slightly tiresome to walk around the same tat at each store, but an interesting antiques section and some people watching from a cafe within calmed us down allowed us to plan the rest of the itinerary for the city.
With the headline attractions off the list, we spent another day at Eminonu around the Spice Market, and located the fish sandwiches served off the boats along the port. We were almost duped as the restaurants under the Galata Bridge also sold the sandwiches, but crossing to the other side of the bridge we found a hawker-style setup with temporary chairs offering freshly cooked fish encased in giant bread rolls. Finishing these off for lunch, we hoped on a Cruise down the Bosphorus for a bit of serenity, landscapes of mansions along the river and views of Istanbul away from the hustle of a city that has so much to offer.
Item 70: Istanbul? CHECK!
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