Istanbul: A Turkish Delight

Istanbul, Turkey - where east meets west.

Istanbul, Turkey – where east meets west.

Imagine a city that straddles two continents (Europe and Asia), is separated by the Bosphorus Strait (one of the world’s busiest waterways), has been a capital of four ancient empires, and has served as a catalyst to the advancement of two major religions (Christianity and Islam) throughout its history.  This city is Istanbul, Turkey.  A city of around fourteen million people, Istanbul serves as the major economic and historical center for Turkey.  Located along the Silk Road (historical trade routes connecting Europe to Asia), Istanbul is positioned along the only sea route that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea.  This strategic location has been a major impetus in the massive population and economic growth that Istanbul is currently sustaining.

When planning a visit to Istanbul, access to this great city has been made much easier by the recent emergence of Turkish Airlines.  As part of the Star Alliance, Turkish Airlines has rapidly expanded its operations from its hub at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport with flights to over ninety countries.  On recent visit through Ataturk Airport, the growth of this airlines was evident.  The terminal was extremely busy with people bustling from one end to the other, catching flights to one of over two hundred destinations that Turkish Airlines currently serves.  Given the massive growth of Turkish Airlines and an increasing number of carriers that fly into Istanbul, airfares are generally reasonable which makes a visit to Istanbul even more appealing.  At the time of this writing, an airfare of $833 US was noted when flying from Chicago to Istanbul in October of 2013.

Istanbul is a rather large city by area but luckily most major attractions are closely condensed which makes visiting the city easy and very enjoyable. For our three day visit, we chose to stay in the Sultanahmet (Old City of Istanbul).  We were able to walk to almost every attraction that we visited.  As you walk around the city, it seems someone is selling something on every corner.  From beautiful hand stitched carpets to children’s toys, there are no shortage of merchants throughout the city.  Highlights around the Sultanahmet include the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace.

Towering minarets of the Blue Mosque

Towering minarets of the Blue Mosque

The architecture of the Blue Mosque is simply stunning with its six minarets rising high atop this building.  Entrance is free to the Blue Mosque but women are required to wear head scarves and all shoulders and legs must be covered.  The Blue Mosque is a functional mosque so visitors will observe people streaming into the mosque during the call to prayer which occurs five times a day in the Muslim faith.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia is important to both Christianity and Islam but is not a functional place of worship.  The Hagia Sophia served as the largest enclosed space in the world for about a thousand years.  It was originally served as a basilica for a roman emperor.  The basilica then became a mosque in the fifteenth century when the Ottomans conquered the city.  Today, the Hagia Sophia serves as a museum but signifies the religious history of Istanbul.

Basilica Cistern

Basilica Cistern

In contrast to the grandiose edifices that comprise the Sultanahmet, the Basilica Cistern is an underground chamber that once provided water to the city.  The walking pathways among marble columns along with dim lighting provide a spectacular backdrop.  A few feet of water still lines the bottom of the cistern and serves as a reminder of the ancient history of Istanbul.

Cruising along the Bosphorus Strait

Cruising along the Bosphorus Strait

In addition to a visit to the Sultanahmet, a cruise along the Bosphorus Strait is also worthwhile.  Amazingly, the ability to visit two different continents in one afternoon can be accomplished while cruising the coastline of Istanbul.  Many interesting Ottoman era waterfront houses are located along the waterway.

Inside the Grand Bazaar

Inside the Grand Bazaar

Finally, no visit to Istanbul is complete without a visit to the Grand Bazaar, which is located in the Sultanahmet.  With around 4400 shops, it is considered by many to be the oldest shopping mall in the world.  This labyrinth of covered shops is generally very crowded with locals and tourists.  Whether you are interested in buying jewelry, pottery, antiques or hand stitched carpets, the Grand Bazaar offers many options for even the casual shopper.

View of Taksim Square which has been in the news recently

View of Taksim Square which has been in the news recently

 

Comments

  1. Hi Andrew,
    We just followed each other on Twitter so I wanted to check out who you are.

    I enjoyed this post about Istanbul, with its rich history. Love your first photo taken in the golden light of dawn. (dawn or dusk . . ?) Conrad and I are going in November and looking forward to seeing this vibrant city in person.

    Wishing you lots of great travel to smash into your three weeks off per year. Bravo to you for making it happen.

    Josie

    • Josie, thank you for visiting my site. I am sure you will enjoy Istanbul. Great food and great sights. Congrats on your blog and thanks for following!

    • Yeah… Istanbul is just so great! I’ve been there twice and you could wake me up at night to take me there again… I love the tiles there, and I see you’ve taken pictures of the beuuitfal tile floors too…

  2. WOW. That is definitely an eexnripece. Not the kind i would like to have from any point of view, but an eexnripece none-the-less. i’ve been in some shady situations with a hostel before (in Sarajevo. I forget the name, and not sure if it’s even around, but it was something like Hostel Marin Dvor) where me and the 3 others i was with had to flee in the rain an hour after we showed up. Luckily no money was exchanged, and we ended up at a nice hostel that was recommended to us by a girl we met when we arrived at the bus station earlier that evening.I’m glad everyone was relatively ok. Cheers.

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