Turkey – Istanbul

Istanbul, Turkey

This is a city that has been on my list of places to get to for years and years but somehow I just never got round to getting there. Maybe because I had been to Turkey beach resorts so many times I just assumed I had effectively seen Turkey ….WRONG! … It captivated me on the first day and I asked myself how I had not got my act together and been here sooner. From the ferry trip across the Bosphorus that I took every day (wow, what a fab start to the day),to the wonderful pedestrianised area of the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, to the bazaar selling tons of Turkish Delight, to the huge, huge Palaces, reliable modern trams, to the abundance of small very busy cafes and coffee shops, I loved it all. I was surprised at the affluence, cleanliness and beauty of this megapolis….. I wanna go back and see more when I can !

Istanbul had been on my list to visit for a while. I had been to Turkey several times before, in fact I once owned an apartment with a friend in Kalkan on the coast. We stayed there many times, although we principally rented out as a holiday place. I had flown in/out of Istanbul airport as a connecting flight on the way to Dalman or Antalya airports so actually getting out of the airport this time would be an achievement in itself !

Which airport to use in Istanbul?

Getting to Istanbul is interesting at the moment as for the last few months (as of April 2019) they have been trying to get the new airport up and running. It will supposedly be the biggest airport in the world when finished but there have been several delays. Old Ataturk airport (code IST) will close down when the new Istanbul airport – no name as yet- opens (code ISL) and the airport on the Asian side of the city Sabina Gorkcen airport (SAW) will remain open. They have started flights into the new one so make sure you know which one you will be flying into.

• Ataturk airport is nearest to the centre of Istanbul (17 km), has a fast and efficient40 mins Metro journey, 25 mins taxi journey, or bus connections to the centre. It is the only airport of the 3 presently connected to the Metro.
• New Istanbul airport is 43 km away from the centre, has only buses (1hr 40m approx. journey), that go to Taksim Square, to connect with the Metro,. There are other buslines available too, or a long/expensive 40 mins journey in a taxi.
• Sabina Gorcen is 63 Km from the centre of Istanbul, needs an expensive 55 min taxi journey or a 2/3 bus changes journey of nearly 2 hours to get to the centre.
  Both Istanbul and Sabina airports will have Metro connections in the future which they apparently have plans to build but that will be a few years off.
  All of the above depends on where your hotel is as these timings are based on journeys to the Sultanahmet central area. Add in more time if you are in another outlying area.

Which area to stay in when in Istanbul

I arrived in Istanbul from Beirut in Lebanon – see my post on Beirut for info and luckily they were still flying into Ataturk so got the best airport, location-wise. I was staying at the 4 star Dila Hotel in Kadikoy. I had several reasons for choosing this area, which is on the Asian side of the Bosphorus next to the terminal for ferry boats that cross the river to the centre/Eminonu area.

I had heard that the central area can be noisy from traffic and nightlife which would really disturb me, being a very light sleeper. I also wanted a cheaper place as I felt the central hotels, while being walking distance to most of the sites, were far overpriced and the Dila would get me a room at almost a third of the central ones.

Kadikoy

Kadikoy has ferries every 10-15 mins, takes 20 mins and lands me in the central area of Istanbul anyway, so for the pretty cheap travel cost each day, it would be such a saving. The area would be quieter (and it defo was!) and is in a more local area (defo was and it was fabulous to see!). Also I have never taken a ferry every day to get to my sightseeing, so this would be really fun.

To be honest, it was a fantastic choice. Great hotel with a very quiet restaurant, good service, nice rooms, very quiet and loads of local shops, restaurants etc to see. I especially loved walking thorough the local shopping/eating/socialising areas of Kadikoy. This area is surprisingly affluent, clean and with an amazing choice of everything at such cheap prices. Being the only obvious tourist I ever saw there, I loved it and I would defo return here on my next visit.

Buying the Istanbulkart.

A great tip is to buy the Istanbulkart. I bought mine at the Metro machines at the airport and it was a godsend. Click here for the website of the Istanbulkart. It is a pre-payment card for public transport. It is the same size as a regular credit card, so it fits easily in your wallet and gets you use of all buses, Metros and city ferries. I was now getting all my daily ferries trips included!

I asked the attendant how to use the machine to get one, as it was not obvious at first. The machine shows the signs saying you can buy it here.  Basically you buy the card for 10 TL (about £1.40, not refundable) and you load/reload it with cash. You tell it, when buying the card how much cash you want to load onto it. I found 30TL (about £5) was more than enough for my 3 days here. Don’t put more than you are going to need as the refund process is not easy. It’s easier to top it up before you need more travel. Put in the notes for the amount and the card then pops out pre-loaded with that amount of TL.

To use it you just tap it at the contact point at the entrances to buses, ferries and Metro and in you go. No fussing around finding coins and queueing each time for individual tickets. Each time you use it, it beeps, deducts the 2.15 TL per trip charge (it is 3TL if you buy each individual ticket) and displays how much you have left on the card on the tap panel.

If you need to add more, as I did after10 TL worth of use you add more onto it by cash at the machines in the stations. So simply ….. I really recommend it if you are in the city for a few days and want to see lots and get around easily !

Staying in Kadikoy, Istanbul

To get to Kadikoy from Ataturk airport was actually very easy as Istanbul transportation is very well connected. I took the Metro to Yenikapi station and transferred to the Marmaray train line. A train on the Marmaray line comes every 8 mins or so. It crosses under the Straits to the Asian side of the city to Ayrılık Çeşmesi train station (about 12 mins journey). I changed there onto the Metro to take me one stop down the line to Kadikoy and my hotel was a 5 mins pleasant walk away.

So easy. I had worried about this part of the journey, as it was a long one involving 3 transfers but directional sign were good and with the Istanbulkart already bought it was simply tap and go through every station. So, so easy.

Catching the Kadikoy to Eminonu ferry

So, each morning my sightseeing started with a ferry trip across the strait into Eminonu.

So easy to use, as there are signs saying when and where to the next boat leaves, (ferries go to other places in Istanbul and farther afield from here). They usually leave every 10-15 mins at busy times. You board easily on the wide ramp – these ferries are busy – like the ones in Hong Kong!

They pull in fast, everyone walks on speedily in their hundreds, gates close and you are off quickly. No hanging around, these boats are efficient and timely.

There are panoramic views of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace as you near them from the opposite side of the straits, and watching huge container ships and the many other ferries criss-crossing the water was captivating. The ide was very smooth and there is even a popular roving tea seller complete with balancing tray on board most ships, if you want a drink on the way.

The views from the top deck leaving Kaldikoy/arriving at Eminonu, and to also see, in the far distance, the Europe-Asia connecting high bridge, were spectacular. What a way to travel My secret thrill each morning and afternoon back!

The ferry stop is really near the historic area of Istanbul and if you don’t want to walk, there is a tram stop just outside to take you straight to Hagia Sophia or across the inlet to The Golden Horn area …. so easy.

Spice Bazaar

So I get off at Eminonu, walk into the wide square in front and go under the road, via the wide shop lined underpass to the beginning of the central area. Ahead of me, to the right past the big Mosque, is the Mısır Carsisi, often called the Egyptian or Spice Bazaar, my first port of call in Istanbul. This is a covered 17th-century market bazaar with an L shaped interior with stalls built into the walls on either side and covered by the mostly restored, painted, decorative vaulted ceiling.

Yes, it is a bit of a tourist trap and there were plenty of us there but the place is very atmospheric and a great place to pick up small gifts for friends. Shops selling spices, herbs, sweets, honey, foods, gift textiles and masses and mases of Turkish delight (I bought my only present of the trip here for a friend in the US who adores Turkish delight).

Ok, after the first 20 or so stalls the rest sell pretty much the same as the first 20, but the merchandise is displayed so enticingly and creatively that you just have to stop and admire and buy some. I did, and they became my carry sack of sugar snacks for the day! The Turkish delight was tasty but I recommend getting them to fill your bag from the bottom of the display stack as those on top can absorb the spice/herbs aromas of nearby stacks and alter the taste a little.

Outside the Bazaar is a nice planted square with views of the nearby mosques minarets and some pretty cafes.

Next was to jump on tram T1 across the road, using the underpass and go up the stairs halfway along the underpass. Modern trams here are so spacious and comfortable. I loved watching the streets and shops go by, as I rode towards my next stop – The Blue Mosque. I got off the tram at Sultanahmet stop and headed towards it, as you can’t miss it, but on the way you go past a bubbling fountain.

Look for the interestingly decorated govt buildings to the right and then walk into the traffic-free, paved square with an Ottoman fountain. Here is an Egyptian obelisk with hieroglyphics from 1400 BC. It has been here since the 4th century A.D along with other columns and monuments,  standing in front of the Marmara University building.

Blue mosque, Istanbul.

The Blue Mosque is ahead standing out tall and proud, you can’t miss it! Enter into a grassed and tree filled square in front and head towards the front and the steps leading up to the entrance. It was undergoing extensive renovations while I was here but not enough to spoil the visit.

Be prepared to queue in the courtyard to get in as the numbers visiting here are huge but it is worth the wait.

It dates from 1616 and contains the tomb of its founder Sultan Ahmet Camii, and the Mosque’s true name is taken from him. It is fondly called the Blue Mosque as supposedly seafarers can see the blue tiled dome at sea – it is visible on land too but to my eyes was a grey colour – but still impressive.

It was built on the foundations of the Grand old Palace. It has, just to give you an idea of its size and importance ……. 6 minarets, over 200 windows, is lined with 20,000 tiles and filled with decorated domed ceilings. It does not fail to impress !

Ok, a fun story – the Sultan who built this wanted 6 minarets built, but the most sacred Mosque in the world, in Mecca, also has 6, so it was seen as overtly ostentatious. The Sultan by way of an apology paid for a seventh minaret to be built at Mecca, to appease the religious hierarchy …… true or not there it is !

Conveniently, my next stop was to the Hagia Sophia which was a short walk across the square past ornate building that were once hammams, historical teaching centres, and the Sultan’s family mausoleum. Here too is a grassed park with water jet fountain, cafes, and various Ottoman outbuildings.

The huge open air area housing all these buildings is delightful. There are benches to sit and admire the views, and was totally unexpected by me, as I was expecting a more austere, revered area. It is one of the nicest areas to stroll around in the Sultanahmet central district.

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul.

The next stop was Hagia Sophia, ex Holy Wisdom Cathedral or Ayasofya Mosque to give it its many names. Built 537AD on the foundations of a Roman Basilica – it was a Byzantine church, then a Christian Cathedral, then a Mosque, and finally a museum. Controversially, and amid much international criticism, the President of Turkey ordered it to be converted back to a Mosque in 2020.

The buildings look such a mixture of styles as it was altered and added to over the centuries. There are minarets but also a blocky, colosseum styled, double portico entrance, Here also are huge vaulted ceilings, Roman villa styled marbled slabbed walls, Basilica style arched windows in the walls. Look out for the delicately and intricately painted ceilings with big Arabic inscripted plaques.

This is another place in Istanbul undergoing massive restoration and the pics show the repairs still needed. So much intermingling of history and religion here. I queued for 25 mins to get in and it cost £9, so I hope all the money gets put to good use – the building is clearly needing these repairs.

This must be one of the only places in the world where there is a painting of Mary with the baby Jesus above a Muslim prayer Mihrab. So unique. The circles of suspended lights give an almost medieval feel to the main area and there are stairs to take you upstairs where Christian mosaics mix with Moorish styled archways.

It is famous for its dome and in its day was the largest building in the world ! It was a Christian Eastern orthodox Cathedral from 537 until 1453 and the world’s largest Cathedral for over 1000 years. Many parts show these European Byzantine elements. It was taken over as an Ottoman Mosque in 1453 and served as one until 1931 when it was given museum status. Now, as mentioned, it has returned to being a Mosque

From here it was back to the square where I started my visits to these two Mosques, to tram back to my ferry terminal at Eminonu. There I would catch my boat  for the trip home and to rest my weary legs.

Next day I repeated the same lovely ferry trip across the straits and caught the tram back to the Hagia Sophia to continue where I had left off. You walk past the front of the building and down the wide pedestrianised side street passing huge buttresses of the building, Now head towards the beautiful 1728 Turkish rococo fountain, in the square in front of the Topkapi Palace entrance.

Topkapi Palace. Istanbul.

You approach Topkapi Palace entrance via a square. To one side is the defensive fortified curtain wall of the Palace, running down to the Bosphorus and in front of you is the ornate gateway.

After passing through the first entrance, where you buy your ticket, you enter a series of defensive, but ornate, gateways.

This site is unashamedly huge! It takes a few hours just to walk around it, let alone visit anything. The sights inside include, the park, the many buildings, the Museum and the displays so give yourself plenty of time. It took me 3 hours and I didn’t stop at everything.

It has a small Museum at the entrance, so get a map. There are no signs to tell you a walkway around the museum or indicate what to see. If not you will easily miss so many nice views and rooms full of artefacts from kitchenware, glassware, utensils, colourful pottery and beautifully intricate utensils used by the Sultans over the centuries. The Museum is part of the Palace complex to the right as you go in.

There now follows a multitude of pics that I took. I’m not going to comment on every one as there are too many and I have to admit it is probably the place where I have taken the most pics of a single site in my life. The whole Palace complex was just ornate and gorgeous, with so many different styles and architectural features, that I couldn’t get enough of it.

I’ve put them in a handy scroll through to save space here and I will not be offended if you skip through them fast as I know there are a lot – but if you want Ottoman architecture and astounding features then take your time looking through them!

At one point you reach an area that over looks the Bosphorus Straits and here must be the best view of the huge waterway – out to sea and up the channel to the continental bridge with the ships passing by.

The Palace contains Royal Apartments, wives’ residences, hammams, gardens, store rooms, reception rooms, military accommodations, Summer Pavilions, – even a circumcision room ! Just so many buildings.

The next day arrived. This was my last day in Istanbul and I had an evening flight out. I really just wanted a couple of small visits today so I could do them, get back to the hotel around 2pm, pick up my bag and take off to the airport. For this reason I left the visit to the Dolmabahce Palace to my last day.

To get here was easy. I took my usual ferry from Kaldikoy across the Straits to Eminonu. Once off the ferry, I crossed the road to board the T1 tramway heading to Kabatas and eventually got off there. Kabatas is the terminus of the T1 so you can’t get off at the wrong stop ! You then walk up the main street for 8 minutes and you are at the entrance.

The Dolmabahce Palace.

The entrance is a white wall and gated design, dominated by the elaborate clocktower.

The Palace’s gardens look out over the Bosphorus Straits that separate the two halves of Istanbul and to the far shore. They are surrounded by white iron-work fences and laid out with lawns and plants.

You walk up to the front of the palace through a series of grand stone carved entrances.

This Palace was a so, so for me. You are not allowed to take pics inside (why, I have no idea!) and there are plenty of guards watching but I got a few in quiet rooms but none of the impressive ballrooms, ornate staircases , huge gilded ceilings or grand banqueting hall.

It was in this Palace that Kemal Ataturk, the first President of the Republic of Turkey from 1923 until his death in 1938 died.

So, without many pics of the inside to show you its features, I have resorted to the outside. I found the inside, while extremely grand with huge rooms and ornate decoration, actually a bit boring in its repetition of rooms all looking similar.

It just reminded me of a very ornate British stately home as its style was very Victorian/imitation Georgian. It was built in 1856 as the then Sultan wanted a more modern Palace/home than the Topkapi Palace.

From here I walked back to the tram stop terminus and just a little further along near the embankment is the funicular to take you up through the hill to Taksim Square (included in the Istanbulkart – you see why I recommend it now! ). You alight at the top of the escarpment at Taksim Square with again views over to the distant shore. The square is actually quite plain with a new Mosque (finished in 2021) here, with a grand memorial as a centre piece and a large plain park to one side.

Despite the tram being included in my Istanbulkart I decided to walk down the hill. Unexpectedly, on my walk  I found street upon street of art and craft filled stores, gift shops, cafes and boutique clothes shops. This felt like an affluent but laid back, arty area full of locals.