This is Christine of GRRRLTRAVELER!
Today we're in Istanbul, Turkey.
It’s a city that’s both, mystical and mysterious, with a history spanning over 4000
years.
There’s a lot to do and see in Istanbul, so I’m going to show you the highlights
of my trip!
Sultanamet is the most popular tourist neighborhood,
housing the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia
and the Grand Bazaar.
It’s got a plethora of restaurants, travel agencies,
sweet shops and cafes. .
The Blue Mosque was built by 15 year old Sultan Ahmet,
it was meant to be an Islamic place of worship grander than the Hagia Sofia.
The architecture is not only exquisite, but easily my favorite landmark.
It was given its name due to the 20,000 blue tiles which line the ceiling.
Prayer calls occur every 5 hours for 30 minutes.
Women who hope to enter are required to wear a headdress.
The Hagia Sophia was the architectural highlight of the Byzantine era,
when the arts and architecture flourished.
It was built by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th century.
It was first a cathedral, then a mosque and now, a museum for tourists to visit.
Did you know Istanbul had an underground scene?
The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient
Byzantine water storage caverns
resting beneath the city of Istanbul . It houses two large stone carvings of medusa
heads.
The Turksh have a bit of a sweet tooth.
And you'll see a lot of sweet shops off the bat.
From Turkish delight to beautifully nutt sprinkled pastries.
They're all ornately laid ready to make your mouth water.
Why not take in a Whirling Dervish performance?
The celebrational and spiritual prayer dance is still
active in istanbul and Konya.
We're walking down the Grand Bazaar right now.
And it's almost a mile long.
There are little alleys off to the side that you can detour in .
It's actually quite overwhelming.
YOu can probably buy anything, jewelry, clothing. carpets, umm.
If you want to go shopping this is the the place to come to.
I bought pomegranate juice from this vendor in back of me.
I bought it for 5 lira, which is two and a half U.S. dollars.
Eminonu is the gritty crossroads, where you’ll find spice,
fishermen and ferry cruises that go down the Bospherous Strait.
Spice Bazaar is a bazaar filled with stalls of Turkish spices and sweets.
Some vendors here make their own spice mixes and will give you a free taste to lure you
in.
If the Spice Bazaar is too touristy for you,
the local market right outside will take you directly into the Turkish kitchens.
What you may not know is that Istanbul is city on two continents.
The Bosphorus strait divides Turkey’s Western side and Asian sides.
Today, it’s transportation route for the 13.5 million Istanbulers.
You can take a Bospherous cruise for 10 lira from the docks off the left docks of Eminönü.
For 25 TL, you can take the Full Bosphorus Cruise,
a longer cruise to the Black Sea and back.
The Galata Bridge links the neighborhoods of Eminönü
and Karaköy, and it is the dock of choice for amateur fishermen.
Walking over Galata Bridge you'll see a lot of fishermen lined up along the bridge side,
throwing their reels out waiting to catch some fish.
Now a lot of them look pretty patient and they're here for the day.
And it's quite a sight to see. Now it's not only on this side of the bridge.
It's also on the other side too.
This has got to be some awesome fishing spot.
Here are on Yusek Kaldirrmmm… I'm not getting it.
This street goes up all the way up to Galata Tower.
There's a lot of cute boutique shops. And eventually it gets artsy.
So we're outside the Galata Tower.
It is said to have the best view of all of Istanbul.
That is because it has a 360 degree view.
Cost is 16.5 lira, which can be a little steep,
but if a view is worth it to you,
make sure you pick a sunny day.