Istanbul - the city that resounds with the beatings of my heart

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkWS9Gb2fZA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VjHT3xBuc8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtsDJCGu0nc

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:

1. 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.
   
   
2.  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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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!
6. 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.
   
7.  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.
   
8.  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.
   
9. 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.
10. 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.
    
11. 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.
    
12. 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.

1. 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
2. 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. 
   
3.  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.

http://www.wittistanbul.com/magazine/top-9-shopping-centers-in-istanbul/

Final!

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!