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11 reasons to visit and always remember Istanbul

11 reasons to visit and always remember Istanbul

13 October 2011 | By Pawel

Topics: Places, Travel Advice, Turkey

 

“If the Earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital” – Napoleon Bonaparte.

I probably wouldn’t go so far in my judgement as Napoleon there, but I can assure you that Istanbul is certainly a place worth visiting!

Colourful souvenirs at the Grand Bazaar

Colourful souvenirs at the Grand Bazaar

The city, previously known as Byzantium and Constantinople, was founded in 330 BC and since then has played an important role in the history of both Europe and Asia. As most of the historic sites in Istanbul have survived in good condition till date, the long and colourful history of the city is visible at almost every corner of Istanbul’s old districts, enriching the experience of any tourist coming here.

Our first impression about the city was very different from what we expected. Since we got here from Egypt, we were mentally prepared for the usual pushy touts at every corner, reckless drivers, bumpy roads and much more… but to our surprise, the city turned out to be far more European than Middle-Eastern (if you can make such a generalization at all).

The dark and mysterious Basilica Cistern

The dark and mysterious Basilica Cistern

It also needs to be mentioned how scenic Istanbul is. It spreads across many lush green hills topped with numerous mosques pointing their minarets straight into the sky, and with the Bosporus Strait flowing right in the middle; it makes for truly picturesque scenery, especially in the warm colors of the sunset.

Nowadays Istanbul is an extremely busy metropolis with over 13 million citizens, modern commuting system (including metro, trams, buses and ferries), designer stores, stylish dressed women and men strolling through the streets, well preserved historical buildings as well as countless restaurants and cafes. It’s simply a city that you would like spending your time in… doesn’t matter if your interests lie in visiting historical sites, sampling the regional cuisine, partying at a hip nightclub or simply meeting the friendly local people.

Having said all that, here are several important reasons why I think you should visit Istanbul and why I’m sure you will remember your visit for a long time to come:

  1. Admiring the amazing architecture and interiors of Aya Sofya(Hagia Sophia), built more than 1600 years ago, it initially served as church for over a thousand years, then as a mosque for nearly six hundred to finally become a museum as it is today.

    The fascinating Aya Sofya

    The fascinating Aya Sofya

  2. Taking a boat ride between Europe and Asia on a Bosporus Strait. Possible either on a touristic (longer and more expensive ride) or local ride (shorter but cheaper) ferry.

    Bosphorus Bridge connecting Europ and Asia

    Bosphorus Bridge connecting Europe and Asia

    On the cruise across the Bosphorous

    On the cruise across the Bosphorous

    The touristic ferry we took for about 2 hours was 10 TL each (approx. 5$), the local one is for 2 TL.

  3. Trying local food in one of Istanbul’s many restaurants.The most typical meals include different versions of kebap, corba (soup), pide (Turkish pizza), pilav (rice dish) or dolmas (vegetables stuffed with rice or meat).

    Modern restaurants set in ancient buildings

    Modern restaurants set in ancient buildings

  4. Stocking up on fresh spices for your kitchen back home at the spice market.

    Plenty of spices and teas from all over at the Spice Bazaar

    Plenty of spices and teas from all over at the Spice Bazaar

  5. Relaxing in one of the grand, historic mosques of Istanbul, that is if you are lucky enough to avoid the throngs of tour groups and their guides that usually invade the popular sites – the famous and oldest Blue Mosque, grand Suleymanyie mosque and crowded New Mosque (all of them more than 500 years old). Drop by early in the morning if you want some time to yourself and to avoid elbowing everyone around you while you enter.

    The intricate artwork and interiors of the Blue Mosque

    The intricate artwork and interiors of the Blue Mosque

    Women will have to cover their heads while entering the mosques and everyone is handed a plastic bag to carry your shoes in as you have to take them off before entering. Both men and women should avoid wearing shorts if you’re planning to visit any of the mosques.

  6. Sipping coffee in one of the modern cafes at the hip and crowded Istiklal Street.

    Where the young and the hip crowd of Istanbul hangs out - Istiklal street.

    Where the young and the hip crowd of Istanbul hang out - Istiklal street.

  7. Going for a traditional “Turkish bath” and a massage at a hamam.

    Interiors of one of the old hamams in Istanbul

    Interiors of one of the old hamams in Istanbul

    A post about Lavanya’s rather funny experience at the hamam coming up soon!

  8. Watching the fishermen on the Galata Bridge at the sunset.

    Men gather in the evening with their fishing rods along the Galata Bridge

    Men gather in the evening with their fishing rods along the Galata Bridge

  9. Bargaining for and buying colourful authentic Turkish souvenirs at the Grand Bazaar.

    Colourful Grand Bazaar

    Colourful Grand Bazaar

  10. Taking an evening stroll in the beautiful and extremely well maintained park between Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya.
    The Imperial Blue Mosque

    The Imperial Blue Mosque

    The magnificent Aya Sofya

    The magnificent Aya Sofya

  11. Diving deep into the history of the city at the Basilica Cistern.

    Sculpture of Medusa at the Basilica Cistern

    Sculpture of Medusa at the Basilica Cistern

 

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About the Author:

Pawel is a photography enthusiast, a would-be violist and a business school graduate who ran away from his cubicle to travel the world. Enjoys spending free time with good company over beer and shisha.

To find out more about Pawel check out our About us page.

 

Posted on 13 October 2011

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18 Comments For This Post I'd Love to Hear Yours!

  1. Prianca says:
    October 13, 2011 at 9:14 pm

    Beautiful pictures!

    Reply
  2. Jacek says:
    October 13, 2011 at 11:19 pm

    If you are still in Turkey, I would recommend diving in Kas, south Turkey or http://www.sukaypark.com/ Try to travel by hitchhiking.

    Reply
    • Pawel says:
      October 14, 2011 at 6:37 am

      Hi Jacek! Thanks for recommendations. Unfortunately we might not have enough time to go to these places (we’re going to Iran soon) but we’ve already tried hitchhiking and it was a really good experience!

      Reply
  3. Amanda says:
    October 14, 2011 at 8:47 am

    Hi Pawel,

    You’re making us jealous with these great photos. We so want to visit Turkey. Some good friends visited a few years back, coming overland from Iran (they climbed an amazing 5000m peak in Iran).

    They came back with the most amazing photos and tales of hospitality – and food!

    Thanks for sharing and hope your Iran trip goes well.

    Reply
    • Pawel says:
      October 14, 2011 at 3:14 pm

      Hi Amanda!
      Glad you liked it!
      Istanbul is really an amazing city so if you have a chance you should definitely visit it.
      We’re also looking forward to Iran as we heard its a great place to travel…
      Planning to keep posting updates from there so stay tuned :)

      Reply
  4. Joe says:
    October 15, 2011 at 1:05 pm

    Alright, you’ve convinced me to visit. The architecture looks incredible! And such vivid colours!

    Reply
  5. lara dunston says:
    October 16, 2011 at 1:40 am

    All great reasons! Love Istanbul, one of our favourite cities. Especially love Beyoglu, where Istikal St is – we like to rent an apartment near Taksim Square – something always happening there 24 hours a day.

    Reply
    • Lavanya says:
      October 16, 2011 at 7:28 pm

      Hi Lara, It’s definitely a favourite city of ours too now. I’d been waiting to come here for ages and am glad I did! We did have the opportunity to stay with a host near Taksim square after a stay in Sultanahmet. It was good fun! Also the area near Galata tower was quite lively in the evenings. All in all, a great city! :)

      Reply
  6. Francesca says:
    October 16, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    Great post! I am heading to Istanbul in just a few weeks. This definitely got me even more excited to go! Did you go / have you been to any other parts of Turkey?

    Reply
    • Lavanya says:
      October 16, 2011 at 7:24 pm

      Hi Francesca! You will definitely love Istanbul. even though we were quite looking forward to it, we were still pleasantly surprised. We’re still in Turkey travelling around the south eastern parts right now. Have been to Goreme in Cappadocia -amazing!, Ankara, Gaziantep and right now are in Urfa. Will also be heading to Diyarbakir soon.
      Enjoy your trip to Turkey! Do let us know if we can help in any way!

      Reply
      • Francesca says:
        October 16, 2011 at 7:52 pm

        I cannot tell you how excited I am to learn that you have been to Gaziantep! Here’s the deal: I am planning to go to Gaziantep after Istanbul because I’d read that Gaziantep is like the foodie Mecca of Turkey. Since deciding that and booking a hotel and purchasing plane tickets, I have not been able to find ANY information about Gaziantep. It’s like no one has traveled there! No info in guide books; no info on blogs; no info on Twitter. And now, you say you’ve been there. So, tell me… what did you think of Gaziantep? Would you recommend it?

        Reply
        • Lavanya says:
          October 16, 2011 at 8:46 pm

          Ah Francesca! I know how you feel. I too was really excited about Gaziantep on reading about it in the guide book for the same reasons, though i must say we were a tad disappointed and even left Antep sooner than planned. We didn’t find any good (budget) food options. 1 restaurant mentioned in the guidebook had shut down, the other supposed budget place turned out to be a very expensive restaurant offering the same kebab dishes we found in Istanbul. And we walked around most of the city in a day and weren’t too impressed. Of course this is just our opinion, there must be some reason people have raved about it? However in a different category, I do strongly recommend the Mosaics museum there, it’s one of the best I’ve ever seen (I’m not an exceptionally big fan of museums). Though we’re in Urfa right now, not too far away from Antep which has turned out to be great! Plenty of different restaurants and food wise it’s been our best city (after istanbul) in Turkey so far! Maybe you can head here after Gaziantep and see for yourself?

  7. Yvette says:
    October 16, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    Baklava!!!!!!!!!!!!

    http://www.crafthousellc.com/blog
    Twitter @CraftHouseLLC

    Reply
    • Lavanya says:
      October 16, 2011 at 7:22 pm

      Hi Yvette!
      Baklava is sure popular here! Though personally I preferred ‘Kadaif’ over Baklava. A baked sweet made of cottage cheese served warm with sugar syrup. Delicious!!

      Reply
  8. Tom says:
    January 18, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    I agree with everything you’ve said here – Istanbul is one of my absolute favourite cities in the whole world. I LOVED the Spice Bazaar (I actually thought it was the Grand Bazaar at first and was underwhelmed by the size of it until I realised my mistake), perhaps even more than the Grand Bazaar – I’m a sucker when it comes to places that sell exotic spices and potions. I felt like I was in some kind of magician’s market, like an eastern Diagon Alley (Harry Potter reference there).

    Gotta say that I preferred the Asian side of Istanbul – I was staying with a host in Selimiye. Uskudar and Kadakoy are great places to walk around, and smoke a little nargileh too! The park between Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque is beautiful, would’ve sat there all day if I wasn’t going to get horribly sunburned!

    Reply

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