Istanbul is NOT the capital of Turkey as many of us assume it to be. It is so well known that no one seems to remember Ankara - atleast not the bunch of people looking at options for their next travel plan.
Having said that, Istanbul is truly a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-dimensional city to explore. It was a part of my trip to Turkey and having spent four and a half days there, I would say that I have not even scratched the surface.
The trip started with a late night landing at Istanbul airport. Much to my dismay I realized that the airport does not offer free wifi. So whoever is counting on getting in touch with people at the airport, please do not hope so. But you do have an option to buy a sim card at the airport at any time of day or night. There is a vodafone store which only sells sim cards till 11 PM while there is another sim card counter where you can buy Avea sim card and have plans as per your requirement. A thing to remember though - Turkcell has the best plans and is available across turkey. Avea is a bit expensive but is good if you wish to use it only for data.
If you land late at night, the only option for you is to take a cab/ shuttle to your destination. You can either take a car for hire from the counters at the airport or just take airport yellow cabs for which you can get in the line outside the airport. For Sultanahmet, the hired cab was for 100TL while the yellow taxi I took from outside the airport only took 50TL. If you plan to visit Istanbul, spend atleast 4 days in the city. We had our Istanbul visit in two parts - 2 days at the start of our Turkey trip and 2 at the last specifically so that we do not have to carry shopped items across the country. This turned out not as fruitful as expected because we were so tired by the end of our trip that we didn't have enough enthusiasm to roam around Istanbul on foot during hot days.
This post covers day 1 spent in Istanbul when we explored most of historical Istanbul. Day 2, 3 & 4 will be covered in following posts.
We stayed in Sultanahmet area during first two days. It was a very good decision as it gave us plenty of opportunity to explore Fatih district on foot. The first day started a bit late as we were pretty tired due to our long flights. The place we chose to stay was a small but very pleasant hotel called Deniz Houses. Though the rooms were a bit small, the staff was very courteous and helpful. It was a short walk to Ayasofia or the Blue mosque and other important places. Breakfast served on terrace overlooking Blue mosque on one side and Marmara Sea on the other was a treat to senses. We immensely enjoyed our buffet breakfast with multiple varieties of cheese, tomato, cucumber, eggs, break and some salami while soaking up the blue expanse of calm water.
For lunch, we had some ice tea, hummus with bread, greek salad with the freshest of ingredients one can imagine and an aubergine vegetarian dish with a small portion of rice called Pilaf. The dishes were tasty and were served by the person with utmost courtesy. We were offered a cup of sweet pomegranate tea after our lunch was over. The owner even gifted us sweet small souvenirs - evil eye bracelets to ladies and a small evil eye for men. Our first encounter with Turkish hospitality was quite memorable.
We went out and explored some more places around our hotel before heading off to Sultanahmet mosque via Arasta Bazaar. It is a small bazaar with both sides lined up with shops selling spices, tea, souvenirs, ceramic items and all other things imaginable. The first glimpse of this bazaar filled me with joy as the colors were a treat to the eyes. Mosaic museum is located at the head of this bazaar and one can see the very famous turkish mosaics on display there. We were not much interested in mosaics and hence decided to give it a skip and instead attend friday prayers in Blue mosque. One word of caution - timings for visitors are mentioned outside the mosque and non worshippers are not allowed for certain duration during prayer times. On fridays, the mosque remains closed to tourists for longer duration i.e. 12:30 to 2:30 PM. Expect a huge crowd if you visit the mosque on a friday.
The mosque is called Blue mosque due to the abundance of blue tiles in upper corridors which is not accessible now. Still, one can see an exceptionally beautiful example of ottoman artistry on the domes and walls on the mosque. Six minarets towering over the courtyard are distinctive sight to behold in Istanbul.
We said our prayers and walked out of mosque after witnessing huge crowd of both men and women (in separate sections) bowing down to pray in unison. It was a humbling sight and a fantastic start to our trip.
We got in the line to purchase tickets for Ayasofya or Hagia Sofia after the Blue mosque. One can buy a museumkart which can be used for museums across Istanbul (the list is mentioned at the counter) for a period of 5 days for 85TL. It is valid across 12 museums including Chora Church, Topkapi Palace, Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Museum of Islamic arts, Hagia Irene Museum, Mosaic Museum, Rumeli Hisar Museum, Galata Mevlevi House Museum, Yildiz Palace Museum etc. It not only saves you money but also saves countless minutes spent in line to purchase individual tickets.
Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia) was built in 537 AD as an orthodox church. It was an important building in erstwhile Constantinople and throughout the Byzantine history. The church was converted into a mosque in 1453 during the ottoman empire. Since 1931, it has been turned into a museum. When one enters the large hall in Ayasofia, it is easy to feel awed by the grandeur. Marble floors, stoned pillars, golden tiles, beautiful calligraphy and an active imagination will transport you to hundreds of years in time where you can feel and see time in motion.
To the left of Ayasofya is Basilica Cistern - an old underground water storage system. If you are a harry potter fan, you would be delighted to apparently enter chambers of secrets complete with serpents fanning Medusa's head. Yes, you read it right - Medusa, the mythological goddess who had her hair turned into snakes and was killed by Perseus. She was considered a protector of important places and hence this cistern has her heads at the base of two pillars at one of the corners of the cistern. Low lights and shimmering water with fishes swimming in it makes it all very surreal. You have to dish out additional 20TL for visiting this labyrinth of corridors seemingly floating on water.
Once we came out of the underbelly of Istanbul, we proceeded to the Hippodrome - a square which was used for games, social gatherings etc. in the older time. It has a German fountain, which has golden tiled dome and was used by travelers across the world to rest and drink water from. On the way to German fountain was an interesting area which had stones with distance to major cities across Europe and Asia engraved in. It was overlooked by a tall direction indicator. This suddenly makes you aware of how important Istanbul has been over the centuries as the confluence of Asia, Africa and Europe.
The hippodrome has two ancient obelisks. One of those is an Egyptian column erected in 1500 B.C. in front of the temple in ancient city of Hierapolis in ancient Egypt. It was brought to Istanbul and erected at Hippodrome around 380 A.D. Part of this pillar was broken and it's crest was broken either during transportation or during devastating earthquake of 869. It's faces are covered with messages in hieroglyphs - pictorial script of ancient Egypt. The other column is a laid brick column which was probably used to showcase the opulence of Constantinius VII, a powerful ruler of Constantinople around 875 A.D and to give support to tents and shades to protect spectators while watching races at Hippodrome.
On our first day, we felt a bit overwhelmed by the rich history of every inch of the area we visited. The colorful, vibrant atmosphere was a sensory overload for us and we felt it more acutely as the area was a bit overcrowded with tourists (we were in Istanbul during peak tourist season).
Corn on the cob, Simit (a round donut shaped bread with generous sprinkling of sesame seeds), Dondurma and shawarma were some of the items we tasted over the day and were totally bowled over by the simplicity of corn and simit, sticky awesomness of dondurma and spiciness of a well rolled shawarma. Food on the go is perfect when you are on foot and exploring treasured monuments steeped in richness.
If you happen to be not so tired as we were (we crashed on our beds at 9 PM), you can walk along the streets of Sultanahmet area and visit the Grand Bazaar nearby. It is one of the biggest and oldest covered market place in the world where you can find almost anything. It will also give you plenty of opportunity for people photography or meeting Turkish people if you are interested. If you wish to have some quiet time, you can take a walk along the seafront (Kennedy Cd. or Cankurtaran Park) and soak up the excitement called Istanbul.
Istanbul Day 1:
Places to see/ activities to do:
1. The Blue Mosque or SultanAhmet Mosque : The mosque is closed for tourists half an hour before and 45 minutes after prayer times. On friday, the mosque remains closed for longer in the afternoon i.e. from 12:30 to 2:30 PM. No entry fee.
2. Hagia Sofia or Ayasofya : Church/ Mosque turned museum ticket can be purchased for 30 TL. Museumkart which costs 85 TL and can be used across 12 museums in Istanbul also works here. This pass is valid for five days and saves you time as well as money.
5. Hippodrome : An open area where you can see Obelisks, German fountain and soak up the warmth of Istanbul.
6. Grand Bazaar : A covered bazaar - a shopper's paradise. Do not forget to bargain.
7. Mosaic Museum : A place for the mosaic lovers. Museumkart is valid here too.
All these places are accessible on foot if one starts from any place. Be prepared to walk and enjoy the colorful restaurants and shops. You can also hop on and off the tram which runs near Ayasofya. One needs Istanbulkart to use any public transport services across Istanbul. One station to another on a tram costs only 2 TL per person. Single card can be used by multiple people.
Food:
One can always pick up rolls and Simit to appease the hungry belly. It's cheaper and easier to eat while walking around. If you prefer to have your food while seated, there are plenty of options too. Both sides of the lanes near Ayasofya/ Blue Mosque have eateries ranging from small time roll joints to fancy restaurants. Cost for two in a restaurant might cost somewhere between 30-50 TL. In a fancier place, it could be around 100 TL (we ordered a full turkish dinner with multiple courses and that was the fanciest and costliest dinner we had at 50 TL per head).
Budget:
Stay per night for two : 47 Euro
Food : Breakfast Free (mostly at your hotel) or around 12 TL or 4 Euro per head
Lunch around 20 TL (sit down lunch) or 6-7 Euro per head; Pick up lunch can be around 10-12 TL i.e. for 3-4 Euros.
Dinner around 25-30 TL (sit down) or 8-10 Euro per head. At a fancier (but not too fancy) place, expect around 15 Euro per head.
Istanbulkart : 7 TL for the card and refill it with amount depending on how much you plan to use it. Average 2 TL per person from one station to another (anyone). Valid for almost all means of public transport, be it Metro, Tram, Marmare (underwater train), Ferries and Bus. Istanbul has amazing public transport system. So you would not need to hire a cab unless you are not able to walk. On day 1, we did not use any public transport as walking is the best way to see Sultanahmet area.
Museumkart: 85 TL for 12 Museums and valid for 5 days. Quite a deal considering you can spend 85TL in tickets while visiting only 3-4 places. Also, a huge advantage that you do not have to get into normal line. A separate fastrack line is for people using the pass.
Things to Buy: Hold onto the urge to buy souvenirs from Istanbul. You can get same things in Cappadocia or Izmir at much cheaper rate. Explore and find out the rates though. It will help you decide what to buy from where. Things that you can find interesting are : Tea (many many varieties), Cheese, Turkish delight, Coin belts, Ceramic items, Evil's eye, Spices etc.
Istanbul Day 2
Istanbul Day 3
Istanbul Day 4
Photo credit: Sourav Biswas
Having said that, Istanbul is truly a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-dimensional city to explore. It was a part of my trip to Turkey and having spent four and a half days there, I would say that I have not even scratched the surface.
The trip started with a late night landing at Istanbul airport. Much to my dismay I realized that the airport does not offer free wifi. So whoever is counting on getting in touch with people at the airport, please do not hope so. But you do have an option to buy a sim card at the airport at any time of day or night. There is a vodafone store which only sells sim cards till 11 PM while there is another sim card counter where you can buy Avea sim card and have plans as per your requirement. A thing to remember though - Turkcell has the best plans and is available across turkey. Avea is a bit expensive but is good if you wish to use it only for data.
If you land late at night, the only option for you is to take a cab/ shuttle to your destination. You can either take a car for hire from the counters at the airport or just take airport yellow cabs for which you can get in the line outside the airport. For Sultanahmet, the hired cab was for 100TL while the yellow taxi I took from outside the airport only took 50TL. If you plan to visit Istanbul, spend atleast 4 days in the city. We had our Istanbul visit in two parts - 2 days at the start of our Turkey trip and 2 at the last specifically so that we do not have to carry shopped items across the country. This turned out not as fruitful as expected because we were so tired by the end of our trip that we didn't have enough enthusiasm to roam around Istanbul on foot during hot days.
This post covers day 1 spent in Istanbul when we explored most of historical Istanbul. Day 2, 3 & 4 will be covered in following posts.
We stayed in Sultanahmet area during first two days. It was a very good decision as it gave us plenty of opportunity to explore Fatih district on foot. The first day started a bit late as we were pretty tired due to our long flights. The place we chose to stay was a small but very pleasant hotel called Deniz Houses. Though the rooms were a bit small, the staff was very courteous and helpful. It was a short walk to Ayasofia or the Blue mosque and other important places. Breakfast served on terrace overlooking Blue mosque on one side and Marmara Sea on the other was a treat to senses. We immensely enjoyed our buffet breakfast with multiple varieties of cheese, tomato, cucumber, eggs, break and some salami while soaking up the blue expanse of calm water.
For lunch, we had some ice tea, hummus with bread, greek salad with the freshest of ingredients one can imagine and an aubergine vegetarian dish with a small portion of rice called Pilaf. The dishes were tasty and were served by the person with utmost courtesy. We were offered a cup of sweet pomegranate tea after our lunch was over. The owner even gifted us sweet small souvenirs - evil eye bracelets to ladies and a small evil eye for men. Our first encounter with Turkish hospitality was quite memorable.
We went out and explored some more places around our hotel before heading off to Sultanahmet mosque via Arasta Bazaar. It is a small bazaar with both sides lined up with shops selling spices, tea, souvenirs, ceramic items and all other things imaginable. The first glimpse of this bazaar filled me with joy as the colors were a treat to the eyes. Mosaic museum is located at the head of this bazaar and one can see the very famous turkish mosaics on display there. We were not much interested in mosaics and hence decided to give it a skip and instead attend friday prayers in Blue mosque. One word of caution - timings for visitors are mentioned outside the mosque and non worshippers are not allowed for certain duration during prayer times. On fridays, the mosque remains closed to tourists for longer duration i.e. 12:30 to 2:30 PM. Expect a huge crowd if you visit the mosque on a friday.
The mosque is called Blue mosque due to the abundance of blue tiles in upper corridors which is not accessible now. Still, one can see an exceptionally beautiful example of ottoman artistry on the domes and walls on the mosque. Six minarets towering over the courtyard are distinctive sight to behold in Istanbul.
We said our prayers and walked out of mosque after witnessing huge crowd of both men and women (in separate sections) bowing down to pray in unison. It was a humbling sight and a fantastic start to our trip.
We got in the line to purchase tickets for Ayasofya or Hagia Sofia after the Blue mosque. One can buy a museumkart which can be used for museums across Istanbul (the list is mentioned at the counter) for a period of 5 days for 85TL. It is valid across 12 museums including Chora Church, Topkapi Palace, Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Museum of Islamic arts, Hagia Irene Museum, Mosaic Museum, Rumeli Hisar Museum, Galata Mevlevi House Museum, Yildiz Palace Museum etc. It not only saves you money but also saves countless minutes spent in line to purchase individual tickets.
Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia) was built in 537 AD as an orthodox church. It was an important building in erstwhile Constantinople and throughout the Byzantine history. The church was converted into a mosque in 1453 during the ottoman empire. Since 1931, it has been turned into a museum. When one enters the large hall in Ayasofia, it is easy to feel awed by the grandeur. Marble floors, stoned pillars, golden tiles, beautiful calligraphy and an active imagination will transport you to hundreds of years in time where you can feel and see time in motion.
To the left of Ayasofya is Basilica Cistern - an old underground water storage system. If you are a harry potter fan, you would be delighted to apparently enter chambers of secrets complete with serpents fanning Medusa's head. Yes, you read it right - Medusa, the mythological goddess who had her hair turned into snakes and was killed by Perseus. She was considered a protector of important places and hence this cistern has her heads at the base of two pillars at one of the corners of the cistern. Low lights and shimmering water with fishes swimming in it makes it all very surreal. You have to dish out additional 20TL for visiting this labyrinth of corridors seemingly floating on water.
Once we came out of the underbelly of Istanbul, we proceeded to the Hippodrome - a square which was used for games, social gatherings etc. in the older time. It has a German fountain, which has golden tiled dome and was used by travelers across the world to rest and drink water from. On the way to German fountain was an interesting area which had stones with distance to major cities across Europe and Asia engraved in. It was overlooked by a tall direction indicator. This suddenly makes you aware of how important Istanbul has been over the centuries as the confluence of Asia, Africa and Europe.
The hippodrome has two ancient obelisks. One of those is an Egyptian column erected in 1500 B.C. in front of the temple in ancient city of Hierapolis in ancient Egypt. It was brought to Istanbul and erected at Hippodrome around 380 A.D. Part of this pillar was broken and it's crest was broken either during transportation or during devastating earthquake of 869. It's faces are covered with messages in hieroglyphs - pictorial script of ancient Egypt. The other column is a laid brick column which was probably used to showcase the opulence of Constantinius VII, a powerful ruler of Constantinople around 875 A.D and to give support to tents and shades to protect spectators while watching races at Hippodrome.
On our first day, we felt a bit overwhelmed by the rich history of every inch of the area we visited. The colorful, vibrant atmosphere was a sensory overload for us and we felt it more acutely as the area was a bit overcrowded with tourists (we were in Istanbul during peak tourist season).
Corn on the cob, Simit (a round donut shaped bread with generous sprinkling of sesame seeds), Dondurma and shawarma were some of the items we tasted over the day and were totally bowled over by the simplicity of corn and simit, sticky awesomness of dondurma and spiciness of a well rolled shawarma. Food on the go is perfect when you are on foot and exploring treasured monuments steeped in richness.
We were pretty tired after our first day in Istanbul (mainly due to lack of sleep the previous night). Hence we decided to give it a rest after sunset and settled down a small restaurant nearby. The spread we ordered was traditional turkish grand dinner. It had saksuka (aubergine/ brinjal stir fried with tomato and potatoes),Yayla Çorbası or Yogurt soup (very similar to Indian Kadhi with chickpeas, rice and chicken pieces), Ezme (tomato salsa like dip), Patlıcan Salatası (roasted baingan bharta :)), Pilaf (fragrant rice), Hummus, Muhammara (spicy walnut and oilve oil dip), Çoban Salatası or Shepherd's salad and freshly baked bread. The end to this delicious spread was with sweet Baklava - traditional sweet dish of Turkey. If you are true blue Indian who loves his Indian food, it will be a paradise for you as the tastes are very similar and the familiarity with spices and yogurt makes us savor the food some more. Turkish people like strong tastes - be it a bit too sweet baklava or amazing varieties of cheese. Even turkish coffee is not for the faint hearted (a confession : I could not drink the sludgy mixture entirely as it was way too grainy for my taste).Oh I forgot to mention the best part. They dole out refreshing Chaas which they fondly call Ayran. Discovery of Ayran was the best thing to happen to me on the first day of my trip.
If you happen to be not so tired as we were (we crashed on our beds at 9 PM), you can walk along the streets of Sultanahmet area and visit the Grand Bazaar nearby. It is one of the biggest and oldest covered market place in the world where you can find almost anything. It will also give you plenty of opportunity for people photography or meeting Turkish people if you are interested. If you wish to have some quiet time, you can take a walk along the seafront (Kennedy Cd. or Cankurtaran Park) and soak up the excitement called Istanbul.
Istanbul Day 1:
Places to see/ activities to do:
1. The Blue Mosque or SultanAhmet Mosque : The mosque is closed for tourists half an hour before and 45 minutes after prayer times. On friday, the mosque remains closed for longer in the afternoon i.e. from 12:30 to 2:30 PM. No entry fee.
2. Hagia Sofia or Ayasofya : Church/ Mosque turned museum ticket can be purchased for 30 TL. Museumkart which costs 85 TL and can be used across 12 museums in Istanbul also works here. This pass is valid for five days and saves you time as well as money.
3. Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam: A turkish bath can be enjoyed for 70 Euro (starting price). It is a bit costly but one of the best hamams available in Istanbul. After a tiring day, nothing like a turkish bath to invigorate your senses.
4. Basilica Cistern : A dungeon for the darkness within us. Separate ticket needs to be purchased for 20 TL.
5. Hippodrome : An open area where you can see Obelisks, German fountain and soak up the warmth of Istanbul.
6. Grand Bazaar : A covered bazaar - a shopper's paradise. Do not forget to bargain.
7. Mosaic Museum : A place for the mosaic lovers. Museumkart is valid here too.
All these places are accessible on foot if one starts from any place. Be prepared to walk and enjoy the colorful restaurants and shops. You can also hop on and off the tram which runs near Ayasofya. One needs Istanbulkart to use any public transport services across Istanbul. One station to another on a tram costs only 2 TL per person. Single card can be used by multiple people.
Food:
One can always pick up rolls and Simit to appease the hungry belly. It's cheaper and easier to eat while walking around. If you prefer to have your food while seated, there are plenty of options too. Both sides of the lanes near Ayasofya/ Blue Mosque have eateries ranging from small time roll joints to fancy restaurants. Cost for two in a restaurant might cost somewhere between 30-50 TL. In a fancier place, it could be around 100 TL (we ordered a full turkish dinner with multiple courses and that was the fanciest and costliest dinner we had at 50 TL per head).
Budget:
Stay per night for two : 47 Euro
Food : Breakfast Free (mostly at your hotel) or around 12 TL or 4 Euro per head
Lunch around 20 TL (sit down lunch) or 6-7 Euro per head; Pick up lunch can be around 10-12 TL i.e. for 3-4 Euros.
Dinner around 25-30 TL (sit down) or 8-10 Euro per head. At a fancier (but not too fancy) place, expect around 15 Euro per head.
Istanbulkart : 7 TL for the card and refill it with amount depending on how much you plan to use it. Average 2 TL per person from one station to another (anyone). Valid for almost all means of public transport, be it Metro, Tram, Marmare (underwater train), Ferries and Bus. Istanbul has amazing public transport system. So you would not need to hire a cab unless you are not able to walk. On day 1, we did not use any public transport as walking is the best way to see Sultanahmet area.
Museumkart: 85 TL for 12 Museums and valid for 5 days. Quite a deal considering you can spend 85TL in tickets while visiting only 3-4 places. Also, a huge advantage that you do not have to get into normal line. A separate fastrack line is for people using the pass.
Things to Buy: Hold onto the urge to buy souvenirs from Istanbul. You can get same things in Cappadocia or Izmir at much cheaper rate. Explore and find out the rates though. It will help you decide what to buy from where. Things that you can find interesting are : Tea (many many varieties), Cheese, Turkish delight, Coin belts, Ceramic items, Evil's eye, Spices etc.
Istanbul Day 2
Istanbul Day 3
Istanbul Day 4
Photo credit: Sourav Biswas
Nice writing. Make me want to go to Turkey. Keep up the good work :)
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Sourav.
DeleteExcellent description and writing skill. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteVery nice description
ReplyDelete