Simply put, Istanbul exceeded all of our expectations. It’s a city of contrast – old and new, east and west, traditional and cosmopolitan – melded harmoniously into a bustling, pulsating metropolis in a beautiful setting. The Bosphorus splits the city, and the European and Asian continents, making Istanbul the only city in the world to straddle two continents and creating stunning waterfronts and skylines everywhere you turn. Add to this 13 million residents (or 17 million, depending on your source) who exude a contagious zest for life, packing every street corner, tram, teahouse, café and bar and you have a vibrancy unrivaled by any other city we have visited. We fell in love with this city almost as soon as we arrived and relished every moment of our sixteen days here.
Our stay in Istanbul began with a bang. We spent two jam-packed days and nights exploring the sights, eateries, and nightlife with Patrick’s friend Alan, who managed to schedule a quick visit to Istanbul to coincide with ours. During the day we walked through the gardens of the beautiful Topkapi Palace, where Ottoman rulers lived from the 15th to 19th centuries, admired the architecture and intricate Iznik tiles of the 17th century Blue Mosque, stood in awe of the spectacular Aya Sofia (completed in 537 by Roman Emperor Justinian), and wandered through the maze-like Grand Bazaar (which we thought was relatively tame after the chaotic medinas of Morocco). In the evenings we puffed apple flavored shisha, tried Turkish coffee, and watched a Whirling Dervish show in the shadow of the Blue Mosque; we sampled meze (small plates of Turkish dishes) in meyhanes (taverns) and doner kebaps at late-night eateries; but mostly, we drank rounds of “buyuk Efes” (big Efes beers) while surrounded by locals who were enjoying the pleasures of an evening on the town as much as we were.
After Alan left we slowed our pace down a bit, eating in a bit more and drinking a little less Efes, as we explored the city by foot, tram, and boat. We visited many of the city’s wonderful Ottoman-era mosques including the Suleymaniye, Rustem Pasa, Beyazit, and New Mosques and also the Chora Church, a beautiful 11th century Byzantine church covered in splendid mosaics. We spent an afternoon and an evening with Casey and Kami (friends of our friend Jayme), who graciously gave us a tour of Kadikoy, a vibrant neighborhood on the Asian side of the city, and Yesilkoy, their enjoyable (and tourist-free) neighborhood in the western part of the city. They showed us around markets, took us to local eateries, and taught us a little Turkish too. We also explored the waterways, taking a ferry part way up the Golden Horn and another up the Bosphorus, admiring Istanbul’s skyline, with close-up views of Dolmabahce Palace, Rumeli Hisari (The “Fortress of Europe,” built in 1452 by Mehmet the Conqueror to cut Constantinople off from resupply, making it vulnerable to his siege), and the modern bridges that connect the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. We haggled for souvenirs at the Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar, though we mostly wandered aimlessly, getting lost among the stalls of antiques, rugs, tiles and lamps, and we visited the Istanbul Modern Art Museum with an impressive collection of Turkish artists.
We capped our trip here with a visit from Nora’s uncle and aunt, Brian and Elsie, whose cruise ship stopped here for 24 hours at the end of our stay. Again, it was a whirlwind visit. We wandered the backstreets while catching up and visited the 6th century Basilica Cistern before heading to a rooftop bar for a beer and sunset view of the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia. On day two we rushed around trying to find a pleasant lunch before their cruise ship departed, settling on a nice little lokanta directly opposite their ship. Though their visit was short, we loved seeing them and meeting up with them in this unexpected location (and are grateful for the hiking socks and crossword puzzles they brought from home)!
We also ate, a lot, while we were in Istanbul. We could devote an entire post to the meals we had here. It goes without saying that we sampled our fair share of kebaps (in many forms – doner, shaved, and skewered; some with fries and ketchup, others with grilled vegetables and yogurt sauce, but almost always served with Ayran, a salty yogurt drink). But we also had quick meals of borek (filled pastry), gozleme (filled crepes), and pide (Turkish pizza); we tested all the best baklava and lokum (Turkish delight) shops; we found a small and busy shop near the bizarre that sold only a chicken-and-rice dish and honey-soaked cakes (we went here twice); we had manti (Turkish ravioli in yogurt sauce) and kofte (meatballs); and grabbed balik ekmek (fish sandwiches) grilled directly on tumultuously swaying boats and passed to you on shore. Everything was fresh, and quick, and with few exceptions, excellent.
Istanbul was a mesmerizing place – unlike anywhere else we visited in Europe or in the rest of Turkey. The sights, the food, the people were all extraordinary, and we were lucky to be able to share it all with friends and family. After travelling around the country for another three weeks, we happily returned to Istanbul for a final three days of wandering the streets and soaking it all in one last time before catching a flight to Dubai and beginning our Asian adventure.
Click on the photo below for our Istanbul photo album.
Our stay in Istanbul began with a bang. We spent two jam-packed days and nights exploring the sights, eateries, and nightlife with Patrick’s friend Alan, who managed to schedule a quick visit to Istanbul to coincide with ours. During the day we walked through the gardens of the beautiful Topkapi Palace, where Ottoman rulers lived from the 15th to 19th centuries, admired the architecture and intricate Iznik tiles of the 17th century Blue Mosque, stood in awe of the spectacular Aya Sofia (completed in 537 by Roman Emperor Justinian), and wandered through the maze-like Grand Bazaar (which we thought was relatively tame after the chaotic medinas of Morocco). In the evenings we puffed apple flavored shisha, tried Turkish coffee, and watched a Whirling Dervish show in the shadow of the Blue Mosque; we sampled meze (small plates of Turkish dishes) in meyhanes (taverns) and doner kebaps at late-night eateries; but mostly, we drank rounds of “buyuk Efes” (big Efes beers) while surrounded by locals who were enjoying the pleasures of an evening on the town as much as we were.
After Alan left we slowed our pace down a bit, eating in a bit more and drinking a little less Efes, as we explored the city by foot, tram, and boat. We visited many of the city’s wonderful Ottoman-era mosques including the Suleymaniye, Rustem Pasa, Beyazit, and New Mosques and also the Chora Church, a beautiful 11th century Byzantine church covered in splendid mosaics. We spent an afternoon and an evening with Casey and Kami (friends of our friend Jayme), who graciously gave us a tour of Kadikoy, a vibrant neighborhood on the Asian side of the city, and Yesilkoy, their enjoyable (and tourist-free) neighborhood in the western part of the city. They showed us around markets, took us to local eateries, and taught us a little Turkish too. We also explored the waterways, taking a ferry part way up the Golden Horn and another up the Bosphorus, admiring Istanbul’s skyline, with close-up views of Dolmabahce Palace, Rumeli Hisari (The “Fortress of Europe,” built in 1452 by Mehmet the Conqueror to cut Constantinople off from resupply, making it vulnerable to his siege), and the modern bridges that connect the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. We haggled for souvenirs at the Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar, though we mostly wandered aimlessly, getting lost among the stalls of antiques, rugs, tiles and lamps, and we visited the Istanbul Modern Art Museum with an impressive collection of Turkish artists.
We capped our trip here with a visit from Nora’s uncle and aunt, Brian and Elsie, whose cruise ship stopped here for 24 hours at the end of our stay. Again, it was a whirlwind visit. We wandered the backstreets while catching up and visited the 6th century Basilica Cistern before heading to a rooftop bar for a beer and sunset view of the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia. On day two we rushed around trying to find a pleasant lunch before their cruise ship departed, settling on a nice little lokanta directly opposite their ship. Though their visit was short, we loved seeing them and meeting up with them in this unexpected location (and are grateful for the hiking socks and crossword puzzles they brought from home)!
We also ate, a lot, while we were in Istanbul. We could devote an entire post to the meals we had here. It goes without saying that we sampled our fair share of kebaps (in many forms – doner, shaved, and skewered; some with fries and ketchup, others with grilled vegetables and yogurt sauce, but almost always served with Ayran, a salty yogurt drink). But we also had quick meals of borek (filled pastry), gozleme (filled crepes), and pide (Turkish pizza); we tested all the best baklava and lokum (Turkish delight) shops; we found a small and busy shop near the bizarre that sold only a chicken-and-rice dish and honey-soaked cakes (we went here twice); we had manti (Turkish ravioli in yogurt sauce) and kofte (meatballs); and grabbed balik ekmek (fish sandwiches) grilled directly on tumultuously swaying boats and passed to you on shore. Everything was fresh, and quick, and with few exceptions, excellent.
Istanbul was a mesmerizing place – unlike anywhere else we visited in Europe or in the rest of Turkey. The sights, the food, the people were all extraordinary, and we were lucky to be able to share it all with friends and family. After travelling around the country for another three weeks, we happily returned to Istanbul for a final three days of wandering the streets and soaking it all in one last time before catching a flight to Dubai and beginning our Asian adventure.
Click on the photo below for our Istanbul photo album.
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