Istanbul –
let me teach you how to love it
This post
was asking to be published from a long time ago. For a couple of years now I
have been providing my friends with information for their trips to Istanbul,
but I didn’t get the chance to gather all the data in one place. I’ll make up
for that by making you fall in love with Istanbul just as I have with a guide
through the city.
Some info
Istanbul, or
Constantinople at is was named before the Ottoman conquest in 1453 by Mehmed
the Conqueror, was the imperial capital of 4 empires, Roman, Byzantine, Latin
and Ottoman. When you are visiting remember that you are surrounded by a great
history and that what you are seeing is a testimony of a unique mixture of
cultures that has transcended time and that makes you incredibly lucky to see
it now. It is the only city in the world spreading on two continents Europe and
Asia. It has an official population of 14.4 million, not taking into
consideration the large number of Turkish people that have residency in other
parts of the country, but are living in Istanbul, and the immigrants and
tourists visiting from all over the world. You could say that there are about
18 million people in Istanbul. So you can better understand how large and dense
it is let me tell you that I am living in Romania and the whole population of
Romania is 18 million.
The
Bosphorus strait separating the city into the European and Asian side adds to
the beauty of the city and it gives you a view of the two continents that for
me it is breathtaking. I am terribly subjective on the subject so I’d better show
you:
Transport!
To reach city center from the airports you should take the Havataş that is an express bus service from right outside the airport. It does not cost much and it will take you to Taksim Square.
When
reaching Istanbul make sure you buy yourself the Istanbul Kart (Istanbul Card).
The easiest
way to get the Istanbul Kart is at major transit stops such as the airport,
Sultanahmet, and Eminönü. To buy an Istanbul Kart, you need to pay a
non-refundable 6 TL fee (for the actual card and the service), and of course an
amount of your choice to load onto the card.
To reload
the card, you can either go to newsstands and small shops (look for the phrase
Akbil Dolum Noktası) which offer this service, use self-service special purpose
machines at major transit stations. The machines accept notes of 5, 10, 20, and
50 TL and have instructions in multiple languages.
You can use
the card for all types of public transport from bus, tram, metro, funicular and
ferry.
Be smart and use smartphone applications
Install
Moovit application (http://moovitapp.com/) on your phone and make sure you
have Internet connectivity. It will get you around Istanbul by offering multiple
ways to your destination.
During your
trip it is important to watch your belongings so they don’t get stolen.
Use Foursquare
to get reviews on places to visit, restaurants, bars, and clubs.
Make sure
you know how to read a map and that you don’t run out of battery so you can use
the GPS in case of emergency. Advice!
Get yourself a power bank.
Learn Turkish
Learn a few
words in Turkish. It will help you a lot. Turkish people appreciate those that
learn a bit of their language. Here are a few videos that you can check out.
Places to stay
If this is your first time in Istanbul better pick a place near the touristic attractions like Taksim, Nisantasi, Beyoglu area, or Sultanahmet. Read the reviews so you know where your hotel is located. I would not recommend Aksaray and Laleli at all because those districts are not quite safe.
European Side of Istanbul
During your
visit to the European side of Istanbul you might pass by the Old City Walls of
Constantinople built with defensive purposes, and the Rumeli Hisarı or Rumeli Fortress that you can see from the Bosphorus Tour. You are
surrounded by so much history that you can imagine that the pebble you just
stepped on might have witnessed the conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
There are
more areas in Istanbul that you can’t miss. Keep in mind that Istanbul is one
huge city and time is very precious. If you want to visit and also have a good
time then you should put in a little effort by making a plan and sticking to
it. Here are some suggestions that you can use to make your schedule:
- Sultanahmet area with Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmet Mosque (The
Blue Mosque) and the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan) can be visited all in one day
if you start visiting from 9-10 am in that order. Topkapı Palace will take about 3-4 hours, Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmet Mosque and
Basilica Cistern 1 hour each. You can have lunch after exiting the palace or at
the restaurant located inside the palace facing Bosphorus. Topkapı Palace, the old palace of the
Sultans, holds many treasures. You will see chambers that display objects of
the prophets, the imperial treasures, gifts from the Ottoman period, the
kiosks, and arms collections. Make sure to not miss the Harem. Where you will
see a large number of people waiting in line be sure that you join because they
are not waiting for Turkish Delight, but to visit something of historical and
cultural value. For Sultan Ahmet Mosque make you are dressed decent or you will
not be allowed inside. In the Basilica Cistern look for a column that looks like it's crying. It has a hole in it. The legend says that if you stick your thumb there and manage to rotate your palm around it 360 degrees then what you wished for will come true.
- Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı) – it is one of the biggest covered markets in
the world and in 2014 was ranked no.1 among world's most-visited tourist
attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. If you want to do shopping there
keep in mind that you need to negotiate hard and please don’t get yourself
fooled. If you feel that you need help with this I’ll train you.J) And please don’t get lost on the
many streets of the Grand Bazaar! Print a map. This visit to Grand Bazaar may take you from 2 to 5 hours or more if you
are planning to buy the whole Bazaar. You have some cool outlets and malls in
Istanbul so don’t buy many stuff from Bazaar because you might pay extra money
for nothing.
- Egyptian Bazaar(Mısır Çarşısı) and Eminönü. The Egyptian Bazaar is located in the Eminönü area. You can buy Turkish Delight, spices and
different souvenirs from here. You should definitely try Ekmek Balık which is Fish in Bread from Eminönü.
Eminönü it is a very important and large bus
station. You can also book a Bosphorus Tour from the same place. The
tour takes about 1.5 hours.
-
Galata Tower, Istiklal Avenue and TaksimSquare. One of the city's most striking landmarks, Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi- https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Galata_Tower) offers a panoramic view of the historical peninsula and the Bosphorus. Istiklal
Avenue (İstiklal Caddesi - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0stiklal_Avenue) starts from the Galata Tower area
and leads up to Taksim Square. Located in the historic Beyoğlu (Pera) district,
it is an elegant pedestrian street, 1.4 kilometers long, which houses
boutiques, music stores, bookstores, art galleries, cinemas, theatres,
libraries, cafés, pubs, night clubs with live music, historical patisseries,
chocolateries and restaurants. It doesn’t matter if you have a tight budget or not, you will find good
food at all the prices. I can suggest to try the breakfast, sweets and Turkish ice-cream at Mado
or Özsüt, and lunch at Midpoint on the terrace
if the weather allows it.
There are almost all the important brands on that street. There is a
great Mango outlet in case you want to buy something. My favorite brand is also
there and is called adL (http://www.adilisik.com/). For clubbing, and food as well, you can try 360 Istanbul (http://www.360istanbul.com/). The historic tram crossing the avenue adds to its old charm and popularity. Taksim Square is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the
central station of the Istanbul Metro network. Taksim Square is also the
location of the Monument of the Republic (Turkish: Cumhuriyet Anıtı) which was
crafted by Pietro Canonica and inaugurated in 1928. The monument commemorates
the 5th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923,
following the Turkish War of Independence.
- Nişantaşı is a quarter of the Şişli
district up north of Taksim. It comprises neighborhoods like Teşvikiye, Maçka,
Osmanbey and Pangaltı. A popular shopping and residential district, it is
considered to be one of Istanbul's most exclusive neighbourhoods. The area
includes brand name stores, popular European-style cafés, pubs, restaurants and
night clubs. Abdi İpekçi Street, Turkey's most expensive shopping street in
terms of lease prices, stretches from the neighbourhoods of Maçka and Teşvikiye
to the center of Nişantaşı. Try lunch at Hünkar
restaurant (http://www.hunkarlokantasi.com/main.asp). The food is great!
- Dolmabahce Palace or Dolmabahçe Sarayı is located in the Beşiktaş district and you can reach there by bus or by
tram(Kabataş – last station). The palace located on the European coastline of
the Bosphorus strait, served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman
Empire from 1856 to 1922, apart from a 22-year interval (1887–1909) in which
Yıldız Palace was used. I suggest you get the full tour and tickets because it is one beautiful
palace. It will take about 3-4 hours to visit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolmabah%C3%A7e_Palace). While you are in the area you can have coffee at Kahve Dünyası near the Kabataş
tram station, that is
some sort of Turkish Starbucks with Turkish coffee, sweets and snacks. Try the
cheesecake.
- From Kabataş
you can take the ferries to the islands. The largest one is Büyükada (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%BCy%C3%BCkada).
No cars there just bicycles and horse-drawn phaeton carriages which function
like taxi cabs, also offering "round-the-island" sightseeing tours. Visitors
can take the "small tour" of the island by a phaeton, leading to the
point from where it is a strenuous climb to Agia Yorgi (St. George, in Greek
Άγιος Γεώργιος), a tiny hilltop church with a magnificent panoramic view, and a
café in its garden that serves wine, chips and sausage sandwiches, this being a
part of the "classic" Agia Yorgi experience. You should make one day
trip to the islands. It is impossible to do anything else besides that.
- Back
in Istanbul now go to Ortaköy by bus or taxi. Located there the Neo-Baroque style Ortaköy Mosque is a beautifully
ornate structure, right on the jetty of Ortaköy, bordering the waters of the
Bosphorus, and thus highly visible from the passing boats. There are plenty of restaurants(pretty expensive), clubs(one of them is
Reina), souvernire shops in the area. Ortaköy is famous for kumpir and waffle. I personally go there every time I am in Istanbul and eat kumpir at the
restaurant behind the mosque, on the coastline, facing the Bosphorus Bridge.
- Bebek, Etiler, Arnavutköy and Sarıyer are residential districts
north of Istanbul that you should visit in case you have the time. You can have
lunch at great, but not cheap, restaurants and enjoy the spectacular view of
Bosphorus. You will see a more luxurious face of Istanbul. “Good” people live
there. The traffic is criminal.
- Levent & Maslak. Two of the business
districts in Istanbul. Tall buildings, restaurants and malls. You can check
these two if you have business in the area.
- Pierre Loti hill. You can take a bus from Eminönü and reach the top of the hill (that is
actually a cemetery) with the teleferik. You will get to see a spectacular Istanbul
from above. On the hill there are many restaurants and coffeehouses where you
can enjoy the view and have a taste of Turkish food.
- Miniaturk – is a miniature park situated
at the north-eastern shore of Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey. It was opened
May 2, 2003. Miniatürk covers a total area of 60,000 square metres (650,000 sq
ft). It is one of the world's largest miniature parks with its 15,000 m2
(160,000 sq ft) model area. The park contains 122 models in 1:25 scale. It
contains structures from in and around Turkey, as well as interpretations of
historic structures. Nice
to visit, but only if you have the time for it because it may take a couple of
hours.
Asian side
of Istanbul
Finally we
reach the Asian side of Istanbul. You can get there by bus, metrobus, ferry or
metro. The fastest way is by metro from Sirkeci to Üsküdar. You can also take the ferry if the weather is nice from
Karaköy to Kadıköy.
- Kadıköy a residential and commercial
area that, with its numerous bars, cinemas and bookshops, is the cultural
centre of the Anatolian side of Istanbul (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kad%C4%B1k%C3%B6y).
I found something nice for you to read
because maaan am I tired or what of writing: http://atdaa.com/the-ultimate-guide-for-kadikoy-taksim-of-the-asian-side
- Üsküdar
is one of Istanbul's oldest-established residential areas. It is directly
opposite the old city of Eminönü and transport across the Bosphorus is easy by
boat or bridge. Üsküdar's long promenade along the coast from the center down in southern
direction towards the bus station at Harem is popular in summer as it commands
excellent views of the European shore of Topkapı Palace, Aya Sofya, Sultan
Ahmed Mosque (The Blue Mosque), Taksim and Beşiktaş. This promenade is lined
with cafes and restaurants, the most famous and prominent of which is not on
the coast but out in the water: Kız Kulesi (Maiden's Tower), a small tower just
off the coast that has existed since Byzantine times. From time to time it has
been used as a toll booth; now it is used as an upscale restaurant and a venue
for wedding parties. The name comes from a legend about a princess shut in the
tower.
- Bağdat Avenue(Bağdat Caddesi) – you can
reach it by bus from Kadıköy.
The street runs approximately 14 km (8.7 mi) from east to west in the Maltepe
and Kadıköy districts, almost parallel to the coastline of the Sea of Marmara.
The most important part of the street is the one-way traffic, avenue-like
section, which is 6 km (3.7 mi) long from Bostancı to Kızıltoprak, within the
district of Kadıköy. Or you can just get off at Suadiye station. It can be seen
as the counterpart of Istiklal Avenue on the European side in terms of
importance and glamour. So
people the street is a must walk on. Shops and restaurants everywhere inside an
european style area. You should also take a walk or drive on the coastline that
is parallel to the avenue. New shops, restaurants and a nice view to the sea.
Other attractions
There
are many places and museums to visit in Istanbul like Panorama 1453
Museum, Sabancı Museum, the Archeological Museum, the Museum of Turkish
and Islamic Arts, Istanbul Modern
aka Istanbul Museum
of Modern Art, Ottoman palaces, the parks, hamams, Çamlıca Hill, the
football stadiums, Vialand theme park, and others. You should go to these places only if you
had visited Istanbul more than once.
Çamlıca Hill
Shopping in
Istanbul!
Check this
link bellow and use Moovit application or just ask people how to go there in
case you want to make some shopping.
Boys and
girls you have great history, a unique mix of cultures, spectacular architecture,
museums, awesome food because Turkish food is awesome, the Bosphorus, clubs,
pubs, bars, shops and malls. There is no way to go to all the places I
mentioned, but you can make a selection and save a few hours to enjoy your trip
in the evening at the Bosphorus coastline by drinking a Turkish tea,
by listening to the sound of the water and the Istanbul’s seagulls.
P.S.: You
might feel a bit suffocated because there is a flow of Syrian and Arab immigrants
in Istanbul that you might take for as Turks if you can’t tell the difference in
language.
ENJOY
ISTANBUL!
