Istanbul

Istanbul is the premier tourist destination for Turkey and it is easy to see why as it is just dripping with the most amazing history and sights.  But it really could benefit with a few hundred thousand fewer tourists!  We had five days in Istanbul and really could have stayed longer.  There is so much to see.

On our first evening in Istanbul we strolled through Gülhane Park just outside Topkapi Palace.  The Turks do city parks really well.  Every city has fantastic public spaces but the Gulhane Park has to be one of the nicest.  It is huge with mature shady trees and wide boulevards for strolling away from the busy city to end up at a fantastic tea garden overlooking the Bosphorus.  We sat there watching the ships come and go, the sun set and the city lights come on with a great light show on the bridge.

Bridge over the Bosphorus at night

Bosphorus by day

Istanbul’s waterways are as busy as the streets and we could have (and did) spend hours watching the boats.  The great way to watch the sights of the harbour is to sit on a little plastic stool set up in the evening on the waterfront near the Galata Bridge, with a glass of çay (tea) and Balik Ekmek (fish sandwich).  The Balik Ekmek is an institution in Istanbul and I have to admit it is the best fast food I have ever tasted – barbequed fish, filleted served in a toasted bread roll with sumac and salad of chopped tomatoes, red onion and parsley – heaven.

Galata Tower and Bridge

View from our hotel - we counted over 60 ships in this part of the harbour

Ferries near Galata Bridge

We went to the main tourist attractions.  The Blue Mosque – a mosque with six minarets built in the early 17^th Century.

The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia from the water

Blue Mosque interior

The Blue Mosque by night

The Roman Cisterns were made wonderfully eerie with great lighting and flute music.  I was amazed at how the Romans back in 500 AD cared enough to make beautiful columns and sculpture (Medusa heads) in what was simply abet importantly an underground water reservoir that I suspect would not be seen by that many people. 

Roman Cisterns

We spent six hours touring around Topkapi Palace and if we had the stamina could have spent much longer.  The Topkapi Palace was the residence of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years starting in 1465 and is now a huge museum complex and UNESCO world heritage site. 

Entrance to Topkapi Palace

One of the many awesome palace rooms

Mother of pearl and tortoise shell mosaics with painted tiles

Beautiful Ottoman tiles

The Hagia Sophia, first a church built by Emperor Justinian in 537, then a mosque, now a museum and another UNESCO world heritage site is probably the grandest of grand buildings in Istanbul.  Sadly I missed this as I was down with a nasty wog but Bob brought back plenty of pictures and stories.

Main hall in Hagia Sophia

Mosaic in Hagia Sophis

A pilgrimage Bob wanted to make was to revisit the Pudding Shop, the iconic cafe near the main tourist attractions that all the travellers went to while doing the hippie trail.  Bob was there in 1974 and had a great time reminiscing with the owner.

Bob at the iconic Pudding Shop

Istanbul has changed a lot from 1974 but the modern city still showcases thousands of years of fascinating history with great style.