Turkey

Feb & May 2014: We went to Istanbul for 4-5 days in February, then Lisa went again in May for a weekend with a couple of girlfriends. We only saw Istanbul, which was incredible, but we definitely would like to go back and visit some other cities in Turkey. Istanbul was the perfect combination of Middle East meets Europe...which makes sense, considering the city is on two continents. We stayed at hotels in Sultanahmet (on both trips), which is within a short walking distance to many of the sites and tourist spots. Taksim square is a little further, but you can take a longer walk or transit there and spend the day wandering the streets. We flew with Turkish Airlines one trip, and the other with Pegasus (cheaper). We always enjoy Turkish Airlines (they give you turkish delight!), and it flies into Ataturk airport, which is closer to where you will be staying most likely. With Pegasus we flew in and out of their smaller airport, Sabiha, which is over an hour's drive from the center of Istanbul. It was okay though, we just arranged an airport transfer. 

higlights

. Food . Mosques . Aya Sophia . Basilica Cistern . Turkish Delight . People

lowlights

. Taksim Square . Topkapi Palace

blue mosque

The blue mosque is one of the top sights in Istanbul, and it is definitely beautiful. When we went in February, it was colder and wetter out, and not as many tourists, so there weren't any lines, and it was very quiet and peaceful in there. In May, there was a long line and it was a warm day. It was still beautiful, but oh my god...you have to take off your shoes when you go in, so you can imagine the smell inside the mosque. It was incredibly unpleasant. But still worth it! So even if you're there in the middle of summer, the line moves pretty quick, and just plug your nose and go! The blue tiles on the wall, and the vast size and openness of it are pretty amazing to see. But while in Istanbul, visit other mosques too. They are all beautiful. We randomly walked into one near the Grand Bazaar and it had all red tiles in it. And of course, hardly anyone in there. 

aya sophia (hagia sophia)

We were pleasantly shocked and surprised when we visited the Aya Sophia. It is located right across from the Blue Mosque, and it is massive! It has a really neat and old history, and is so cool to walk around. I think it was originally a mosque, then it was turned into a church, and now it's a museum. So you can definitely see elements of both religions, not to mention it is huge. They were restoring parts of it when we were there in February, so there was a lot of scaffolding inside, but we still really enjoyed walking through. It is huge and sticks out from any viewpoint, so you can't miss it, and you should definitely go.

basilica cistern

This was incredible! There was a lineup at this random little building and we had no idea what it was. After figuring it out we decided to see what it was like. I'm so glad we went in! It is a massive underground water source with big columns (some with upside down Medusa heads at the bottom of them). We walked around for awhile, and were just really impressed with the size of it, and the lighting they use make it look beautiful. The paths are pretty wet though, so just be careful when walking. I highly recommend giving this a visit when you're there.

taksim square

One of your days in Istanbul should be spent around Taksim Square. We ended up walking from Sultanahmet. I think it was around a 30 min walk (and some uphills). The square itself is not very impressive. Just a big space, with not much in it (except a large military presence when we were there). Around it are some restaurants and bars that are probably good (we were only there for a bit during the day). After wandering around the square (and stopping at a massive Starbucks) we wandered down the shopping/walking street (Istiklal Caddesi is the pedestrian street I think) until we reached the bottom, then we crossed Galata bridge and headed back to our district. On the girls trip we did the same sort of thing, but we stopped at Galata Tower on our way down. You can pay to go up and take some pictures. There's a pretty good view from up there, but not a lot of space to move around. Galata Bridge is cool because it's the bridge that everyone fishes off of. So there are just a ton of people lined up on the bridge with their fishing rods. 

Topkapi palace

This is one of the top tourist sites to visit in Istanbul. We decided not to go on our February trip, but on the girls trip we went. It was neat, once you got onto the palace grounds, you could walk into the different rooms and wander. But honestly, I don't remember too much from it, and found it a little underwhelming and incredibly busy. Again, it was a beautiful day, so there were a lot of people there. There were a lot of crown jewels in a few of the buildings, so if that's your thing then you'll probably really enjoy it. I did like some of the tiles on a couple of the rooms, and there were a few water features and great views. And the walk to the Palace and back down is pretty, with a couple of parks and some more views. 

bazaars

For gifts and souvenirs, I recommend going to a bazaar. We took a walk through the Grand Bazaar, and didn't end up buying anything. I think we were too overwhelmed by the vast size of the place. It was huge, and once you got out of the indoor part, there were little alleys and narrow paths outside with even more booths and shops. We got a little lost and weren't sure how to get out. It was very cool though. Also a ton of people walking through there. There was a little bazaar on our way up to the Blue Mosque, which we loved. It was small, quieter, and outdoor so you didn't feel too claustrophobic or enclosed with a ton of people pushing past you. And they had a good selection of gifts and such. We enjoyed walking through here a few times.

food and drink

There are plenty of restaurants in Sultanahmet, so take a walk around or look up some good ones on Trip Advisor. You can't go wrong!

• Apple Tea - it is delicious and sweet and everywhere in Istanbul. Great gift idea too!

• Turkish Delight - so delicious, and you can get many different kinds. Also a great gift idea!

• Kebabs and Doners - these are everywhere and a great snack on the go if you're wandering the streets.

• Testi Kebabi - I think this is the proper name for it. It is meat and veggies cooked in a clay pot, and once it's ready you smash the clay pot, revealing a delicious meal.

stories worth mentioning

• We had a long drive to Sabiha airport to catch our flight back home. Our taxi driver was super nice, and he stopped at a place to grab some delicious bread, which he shared with us on the way.

• While walking through the little bazaar on our first day in Istanbul, we ended up running into a friend of Lisa's from university, who was there playing volleyball. So random! Especially since it was a rainy day, and no one was walking around the streets.

• The McDonald's at Sabiha airport sells beer. I realize this is not a story. Fun fact.