My final week in Turkey was spent in Istanbul. After a fun month where I was able to meet so many amazing people and have so many awesome experiences, it made leaving Turkey hard.
After a short time in Çeşme, my friend Mica and I took an overnight bus to Istanbul. When we arrived the next morning it was Turkey’s Republic Day, October 29th, so there were a lot of celebrations and decorations throughout the city. We made our way from the bus station into the city to drop our bags off at our hostel. Since our bus arrived in Istanbul a little after six in the morning we were able to see Galata Tower and the surrounding streets mostly empty which allowed for some awesome photos. This was extra special since there were a lot of Turkish flags and decorations up for Republic Day. After getting some photos we found a place to have breakfast and sat there for a while before meeting up with a friend of Mica’s who lives in Istanbul. We then set off to wander around the city; our first stop was Istiklal street, then down to Galataport, and then to a food stall market that had a great view of the city.
Casually wandering through the city was a lot of fun and I enjoyed seeing different areas that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen if I hadn’t been with a local. After the market we headed to the Beşiktaş neighborhood and went on an impromptu food tour. In Beşiktaş, Mica's friend took us to a döner shop that is very popular with locals. There was a long line and luckily we were able to get a döner right before they sold out. After having döners Mica’s friend insisted we try a wet hamburger, a popular Istanbul food. Wet hamburgers don’t look or sound appealing, however, they taste better than they look. The final food of the night was midye dolma, which are mussels stuffed with aromatic rice, herbs, and spices. Before trying the midye dolma I was nervous that it would have an odd texture and a strong mussel flavor, however, with the amount of rice and seasonings used it tasted really good and did not have an overwhelming mussel taste.
The next day, Sunday, was another casual day that Mica and I spent wandering around the city, again along Istiklal Street and the Beyoğlu neighborhood. One stop we made during our day in the city was to try an ice cream baklava. On a hot day sitting in the sun it was a delicious treat with the thick cold vanilla ice cream and the sweet baklava. After wandering through the city for a while, Mica and I headed back to the Beşiktaş neighborhood where we met up with Chelsea, whom we had originally met at our hostel in Antalya. It was a fun evening out to dinner with the two of them.
"You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place."
- Miriam Adeney
On Monday, my third day in Istanbul, Mica and I wandered through the Sultanahmet neighborhood and the Blue Mosque, which is still under construction, before going to the Grand Bazaar. Even though I had previously taken a walking tour through the Grand Bazaar when I was in Istanbul at the beginning of the month, I still managed to find new streets and shops. The Grand Bazaar is truly massive, it has over 60 covered streets. After spending some time walking through the bazaar, we went back outside and wandered through the uncovered areas that are also filled with shops. Our next stop was the Süleymaniye Mosque where we walked through the grounds outside and admired the view of the city before going inside. On our walk towards the water, we stopped to pick up some delicious baklava and rested for a while. That evening on our walk back to our hostel we were able to get an amazing view of the sunset from the Galata Bridge.
Tuesday was Mica’s last day in Istanbul, which meant it was our last day traveling together and we decided to take the ferry across to the Asian side of Istanbul to go to a Turkish hammam, the same one that I had gone to during my first time in the city. Even though I knew what it would be like, it was still an interesting and fun experience; it was nice to get another exfoliating scrub and soap massage. After spending a large part of the afternoon at the hammam, we finally left and took a city bus up the hill to Çamlica Mosque to take in the sunset. Çamlica Mosque is the largest mosque in Istanbul. It is a massive, multiple stories tall mosque. By the time we made it up to the top of the hill it was already golden hour and the lighting was beautiful. The mosque was gorgeous; it was definitely one of, if not the most, beautiful mosque I have visited. The detail and colors of the ceiling pieces in the covered areas of the inner courtyard were absolutely beautiful. Inside the mosque there was a lot of blue, from the ceiling to the floor and even the stained glass. Since the mosque was finished and opened in 2019, all of the details and paintings still look brand new.
After exploring just a small section of the inside of the mosque, Mica and I went outside to see the sunset. The view from the mosque was one of the best views I have seen of Istanbul and it was an amazing spot to see the sunset. By the time we exited the mosque, the sky was already a bright, blazing orange; it was a surreal view. As the sun continued to set, the colors of the sky continued to change and deepen; it was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. Once it got dark enough outside the lights of the mosque turned on and the view of the mosque became even more striking as so much of the details on the outside were illuminated in a bright golden color that looked even better by the last remaining orange colors in the sky. Throughout the entire sunset I continued to be in absolute awe of the view and colors in the sky. I couldn’t help but keep thinking about just how much I have fallen in love with the city of Istanbul. Once the sun had finally set and I had taken hundreds of photos and videos, Mica and I caught a bus down the hill to get to the Kadiköy neighborhood. When we got there we met up with Chelsea again for one last dinner together. It was a great end to the night and to my time traveling around Turkey with Mica.
My last two days in Istanbul were uneventful. I used them as work days to get ready for my travels to Southeast Asia. The final week I spent in Istanbul was a memorable end to my time in Turkey. I was very sad to leave.
Before I went to Turkey I had heard amazing things about Istanbul and the country. I assumed I would love my time there however, I was not prepared to love Turkey, and specifically Istanbul, as much as I did. As of right now, I can easily say that to date Turkey is my favorite country I have visited and Istanbul is my favorite city. One month in Turkey went by way too fast. It was definitely not enough time to see and experience all that Turkey has to offer. I hope to go back and spend at least another month or more there in the future.
“Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”
- Mary Ritter Beard
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