Istanbul

We have finally made it! After giving it some thought and, quite frankly, not too much organisation, we can now say that Istanbul is in the list of places we've managed to set foot on! 

It was quite a last-minute decision, and, having heard from several friends about the breathtaking charm of this city, we ended up booking very cheap flights and setting off for 5 days there and we were certainly not disappointed! Why, you may wonder, were these flights so cheap during half term? Well, recent terrorist attacks and the instability caused by the somewhat repressive stance shown by governement towards political dissidents have taken their toll on the once thriving tourism industry.

This is a real shame. As you will find out reading further down, this city has so much to offer, but what is it that makes this city so inviting and captivating? In my opinion, it's its crucial location between two continents, Europe and Asia, and the fundamental role that the city played in the history of Europe and Asia. 

One can feel this stark dicotomy everywhere. In the words of another blogger: 'It's hard to put into words what makes Istanbul so special. It's steeped in history, the architecture is spectacular, and the Bosphorous beckons and captivates your soul. The city is modern yet ancient, and the people are extremely warm and welcoming to visitors. It's a city that many of us fall in love with and return to time and time again. It's a city that makes me feel very happy when I'm there. The only way to understand it is to visit Istanbul, and I hope you're able to do so in the very near future!

Down here you can find some of the practical information about our trip.

• How we travelled there: British airways (pretty disappointing, they don't give you food or drinks for free on board any more).
• Where we stayed: Airbnb (Ada home Istanbul). Our grade? 5/5 for cleaningless, location and service in general, and we would definitely recommend it.
• How we moved around: Buy a 'Istanbulcard'. Pretty cheap, yet extremely efficient transportation . You can easily top up at any station and you can use it for public toilets too.Do not take taxis. Several locals advised us not to do so. Nevertheless, we were forced to take one as we were running late for our ferry and... believe it or not, the taxi driver blatantly ripped us off.
• Museum card: Museum pass (85 liras). Two of the main attractions cost 80 altogether. You are therefore certain to make a bargain if you visit more than two sights.
• Cost of life: not too expensive (compared to London). The currency is the Turkish lira (£1 is 4.6 liras as I am writing this).

As soon as we stepped out of the plane and headed to our Airbnb, we couldn't but notice the strikingly modern and secular soul of this city, so different from what I had expected! On your way from the airport, you will soon realise that the sights in the Taxim Square area and in the Istikal high Street are not very different from those in Trafalgal Square or Shoreditch in London, with the only difference being the numerous minarets and typically Arabic architecture that make up the city skyline. Hence why Instanbul is indeed a perfect mix between Western society and middle East culture!

Day 1: We started off our day with a real Turkish breakfast at Van Kahvalti Evi, after being advised by our airbnb hosts. 

What is Turkish breakfast? For starters, a well prepared tea is a must. Turkish coffee has its name from this nation, but when it comes to breakfast, Turks are definitely tea people. The most common type of bread is white bread, accompanied by white cheese (similar to feta), old cheese (kaşar peyniri), black and/or green olives (zeytin), butter, honey, jam, an omlette or boiled eggs (yumurta), sliced tomatoes and/or cucumbers.As you can see a typical Turkish breakfast portions are quite generous.

After being properly fed, we took the train from Taksim to Sultanameht (the oldest quarter of the city), where we had planned to visit the Topkapi palace but found out it was closed on Tuesdays. The journey itself is very pictoresque, especially when you reach the Galata Bridge.

The city at night looks spectacular 

A stop on the Galata Bridge for some pictures is a must  to enjoy a spectacular view of Aghia Sophia and plenty of other mosques. Our Museum card allowed us to enter the Church of Aghia Sophia, but we highly recommend  a private guide as well. We were lucky with our one, who helped us gain a better insight into the rich history of this monument, which has changed its status throughout the centuries, having been a Bizantine chuch, a Mosque and now a Museum. What I also found really interesting is to find out about the origin of the Turks. Even though Westerners tend to consider Turkish people are Arabs, mainly because of where the coutry is located and the fact that it is mainly a Muslim country, modern Turkish people actually descend from ancient tribes from Mongolia, and their Language and ethnicity has little to do with those of the Arabic nations. The guide told us that, for example,when Turkish people read the Coran is Arabic their understanding is likely to be very limited, a bit of a similar situation to the one experienced by Irish Catholic attending a Mass in Latin, and it is quite difficult to tell if a person is Turkish by their look, because of the mix of peoples who inhabited this land throughtout the centuries. You and Stephane could very well be Turkish!

Gulhane Park, right in the centre of Sultanahmet

After the guided tour of Aghia Sophia we walked to the Galata Tower, climbed up the stairs to enjoy another view point of the city, then went to the Grand Bazaar, strolled on Istiklal Street, and had a cheap but delicious dinner at Falafel House, on Taksim Square. 

Falafel-based dinner

Day 2: as we were late and we had to rush to get our Sehir Hatlari ferry, we decided to jump on a taxi, but it turned out to be a very bad idea! Long story short, the driver ripped us off and stole our money, by giving us less change than he was supposed to, and totally denied that we gave him a 100 liras note. This misadventure ruined our day a little, but we still managed to catch our ferry (25 liras for the return to Anandolu Kavagi) and do part of the cruise on the Bosphorus.

However, we could not get as far the highest point because of a big Russian ship that was blocking the way (how random is that?). We got back to the European side, stopped at Besiktas and got out money back from the cruise company (a bit of Karma). We had lunch on the Bosphorus and that was a very good idea, as the area was a really nice one. The weather was on our side, which made the stay at Besiktas even better. We must admit that, all in all, we did not find the cruise on the Bosphorus particularly exciting, despite it being on all tourist guides as one of the highlights of the trip, so we are not sure whether to advise to do it that or not.

View from the Grand Bazaar

We then had a nice (long) stroll to Tofane, took the metro and went to the Turkish baths right in the city centre (Süleymaniye Hamamı). It was a unique, amazing experience indeed, with the men from the staff throwing buckets of hot and cold water onto us, and strongly scrubbing our bodies with their sponges, in a not-so-relaxing, but definitely reinvigorating experience. Morever, what makes this place even more special is the fact that this Hamam was built in 1557, and it has been very well preserved.

I can't believe Stephane actually liked it! We strolled around the area before heading to a place called Green Corner, near the Sultanamet area. Very pictoresque. We had mezze, tea and baklava, and we smoked narguilé. We definitely recommend this nice restaurant!

Dinner at the Green Corner

Then we walked to Kanataş and took the funicular to Taksim (only one stop).

We were told that unfortunately, just like the night before, we would still hear noises at about 3 o clock at night, namely a man playing a tamburine, and shouting and singing out loud.... Apparently, it's a way to remind people that it is time to eat (we always seem to be visiting Muslim countries during Ramadam!)... The pleasures of travelling in far-away contries and getting to know first-hand some of their deeply-rooted traditions!

Day 3: We left late that morning (you need at least one proper lie-in when you are on holidays!), walked from Taksim along Istiklal Street, enjoying a rich, plentiful brunch on the way.  We reached the Blue Mosque but it was closed for prayer (first attempt!) so we opted for a visit to Cistern Basilica, the Gülhane gardens and the Topkapi Palace, including the Harem.

Dinner at the Doy Doy restaurant

Afterwards, we had early dinner behind the Blue Mosque in a place I highly recommend called Doy Doy, where you will be able to enjjoy a magnificent view on the Blue Mosque and the Marmara Sea at very affordable prices.

We tried agan to visit to the Blue Mosque (for the second time) but we could not get in as it was prayer time but it was still great to see from the inner yard. Then enjoyed time outside (we saw plenty of people breaking their fast at 8 pm). Then went to a fancy place called Litera to savour local wines from the terrace.

Day 4:

The Princes Islands are in the Marmara Sea

Tried to go again to the Blue Mosque once again (for the third time), but could not because it was closed for prayer. We really started to think it was not meant to be! We then set off to one of the Prince's Islands (the biggest one). It was a good way to break up the visit of the city and enjoy some nature. These islands are famous for not allowing cars, apart from the residents', and the peace and quiet is definitely a feature of this place! We were lucky, as the weather was gorgeous and the highlight was by all means the the bike ride. If you plan to go, bear in mind that the ferries to get there are very cheap and they run at regular intervals.

We then had dinner on Istiklal in a restaurant called Parole Parole. That street So lively in the evening, we loved the atmosphere, and the crowds of Young people walking up and down the street.

Day 5: our last day we finally managed to get into the Blue mosque (better late than never) and the walk around the city walls. This was, however, pretty uninteresting and we would definitely not advise you to do it. Last quick lunch in Istanbul was in a vegeterian cafe called Zencefilm. Very pretty place and yummy food before heading to the bus stop and head to the airport!

Shorts are not allowed in the Mosque

And there we go, ready for the next adventure... we flew back to London with a bag of memories and photos, we'll need to gear up for the next adventure which will be Israel for me and Iceland for Stephane. We are both going at the end of August!