I absolutely love Istanbul. One week in Istanbul went by so fast and I can honestly say that I loved every minute of it. I cannot wait to go back and spend even more time there. The city is full of so much amazing history, culture, and delicious food. It is also the only city in the world to be on two continents, Europe and Asia, and is known as the city on the seven hills.
To get to Istanbul I took an overnight train from Sofia, Bulgaria. Before getting on the train I had absolutely no idea what to expect or what type of train room I booked. I ended up in a four person cabin and I lucked out with the people in my cabin on the train. In my cabin there was one girl from Germany and two guys from Turkey and we were all close in age. We all ended up getting along super well and talked and hung out together for the first couple hours before finally trying to go to sleep. Shortly after I finally fell asleep, we reached the Bulgarian border and were woken up by the train attendant before the customs agents came and collected all of our passports and then left with them. About 30 to 40 minutes later the customs agents returned and handed our passports back and we continued on to the Turkish border.
At the Turkish border we had to get off the train with all of our stuff. When we arrived, the customs officer who was to have checked passports wasn’t even there yet, so we had to wait for him to show up. Once the agent checked our passports we then had to put our bags through a metal detector before being allowed back on the train. Overall the process didn’t take too long but we ended up being stuck at the border for well over an hour and a half waiting for another train to come that was then attached to our train. After the border, the rest of the train ride continued smoothly. We ended up arriving at the train station outside of Istanbul at least two and a half hours later than scheduled but it worked out for the best because instead of arriving at 5:30 in the morning we arrived just after 8:00, which meant more time to sleep and not having to arrive crazy early in the morning. Once at the station, one of the Turkish guys from my cabin helped the German girl and me transfer some Euros to Liras since there weren’t any ATMs and then he helped us get Istanbul cards and load them with money so that we could take the train into the city.
After getting into the city I made my way to my hostel, which was in the Sultanahmet neighborhood and right by the Hagia Sophia Mosque and the Blue Mosque, both large mosques and popular tourist sights in Istanbul. Once I left my bags at the hostel I went out to find a SIM card and food and to explore until I was able to check in. That morning ended up being rainy so I spent most of the morning in a restaurant reading while waiting for the rain to pass. The rest of the day was very relaxed which was nice because it had been a long night of traveling with very little sleep. That evening my hostel hosted a group dinner so I went and there I met two women from Belgrade, Serbia, Milena and Jelena, and another American, Ryan.
On my first full day exploring Istanbul I spent the day with Milena, Jelena and Ryan. It was a lot of fun exploring with a group, especially since both Milena and Jelena studied Turkish in University. This was their second time in Istanbul so they were able to teach both Ryan and me more about the city, culture, and language. The first day also turned out to be Istanbul Liberation Day so there were multiple events going on throughout the city and all public transportation was free. We started the day by heading to Gülhane Park where there was a stage set up, free snacks, posters showing photos from Istanbul's liberation, and street performers. It was a lot of fun hanging out together in the park and experiencing the events of the day. We ended up spending over two hours in the park. The time went by super fast.
After spending time in Gülhane Park we headed to the Galata Bridge which always has a bunch of fisherman fishing from it and has amazing views of the European and Asian sides of the city. Once we crossed the bridge we continued uphill towards the Galata neighborhood which also has the famous Galata Tower. On our walk towards the Galata Tower we stopped a few times to window shop at a few stores and on my way I got a freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. All over Istanbul and Turkey in general you can find fresh fruit shops that squeeze the juice to order. The pomegranate juice was delicious but also very bitter; it was a drink that you could only take small sips of and was best when diluted slightly with water. After finishing the juice we made it to the outside of the Galata Tower and stopped to admire it before continuing on through a picturesque street with lots of cafes and restaurants. Our next stop was Istiklal Street, which is a famous large shopping street with all kinds of different shops selling everything from high end clothing to winding market shops selling knock off clothing to restaurants. After walking down the street we stopped for a late lunch/early dinner at a shop that sold Tantuni sandwiches and wraps. I got my Tantuni as a sandwich and it was delicious. A Tatuni sandwich or wrap is made with seasoned chopped meat, tomato, onion, parsley, and peppers, before adding it all to the bread they dip the bread in the seasoned liquid that the meat is cooked in and then assemble the sandwich with all of the fillings. The sandwich was served with pickled peppers and lemon and pairs well with Ayran, which is a salty yogurt drink that is super popular in Turkey.
After our late lunch/early dinner, we started heading back in the direction of our hostel the way we came from. Had we gone straight back we were about a 45 minute walk from our hostel. Instead, we casually walked back, stopping at different shops and places along the way. On our walk back we stopped and bought some baklava. In the shop, when we were deciding which baklava to get, we were able to try some baklava as well as fresh halva which is another Turkish dessert but is made with tahini while baklava is not. Finally we were able to also try some Turkish delights. After picking out three different types of baklava we headed back to Gülhane Park where there was a band playing popular music. We found a nice place to sit and listen to the music and eat the super delicious baklava. After dessert in the park, we continued our walk back and when walking through Sultanahmet Square it was super empty because it was late. While looking at Hagia Sophia Mosque from the side and having a fun time hanging out as a group, a seagull flew overhead and pooped and some of it hit me. It was absolutely disgusting and I can still see dried seagull poop in some of the stitching on my fanny pack. After the unfortunate seagull incident we found a seller in the square selling simit, which is a round Turkish bread that is covered in sesame seeds. We each got simit; I got mine with Nutella on it.
On my second day in Istanbul I decided to splurge a little and used money I’d gotten as a birthday gift to take a Turkish cooking class through Airbnb Experiences. It was an amazing experience. We made and also got to try a bunch of different delicious Turkish foods. The class was super small which was nice. In the class there were three people from Australia, Ryan who I had met at the hostel, and myself. The class ended up being over three hours, but it went by so fast. During the class we made yağlama, manti, yaprak sarmasi, and künefe. Yağlama is similar to a Turkish lasagne and was served with a yogurt sauce. It was made by layering a meat mixture made with minced beef, onions, olive oil, tomatoes, and seasonings and lavas which is thin cooked dough. Manti is like a Turkish ravioli and was also served with a garlic yogurt sauce. To make it, we first had to make the dough, which was then rolled out very thin and cut into squares. The squares were then filled with a meat mixture that can be made with different meats; ours was beef and onion. After stuffing and cooking, the manti was topped with a garlic yogurt sauce and seasoned with a tomato and paprika olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika and another sprinkle of sumac to finish it off. The third dish was yaprak sarmasi which is also known as wine leaves. Similar recipes can also be found in other countries, like dolmades in Greece. These wine leaves were stuffed with a seasoned rice mixture that was made with onions, currants, sugar, mint, and a lot of cinnamon, then as they were being rolled in the grape leaves the rice mixture was topped with a sour cherry. Finally we made künefe, which is a sweet dessert made with kadayif which is a shredded pastry and cheese and then once cooked it was topped with a sugar syrup.
Along with all of the dishes we were able to make, I was also able to try çig köfte which is a Turkish raw meatball but it is no longer made with raw meat and instead bulgur. They already had this made for us because it takes so long to prepare. With all the other dishes we were making, there was not enough time to also make this. To eat the çig köfte, the “raw” meatball mixture was added to a piece of lettuce, topped with mint, a squeeze of lemon, and drizzled with pomegranate sauce; we were then instructed to eat it in one bite. All of the foods were so flavorful and delicious, however my absolute favorites were the manti and yağlama. Before trying the manti, the thought of a pasta like dish being served with a yogurt sauce sounded like a weird combination having never tried anything like it, however after trying it I fell in love with the dish. The sourness of the yogurt combined with the garlic and other seasonings was amazing. It was very bright and lighter tasting and the sourness of the yogurt along with the garlic added a great depth of flavor to the dish. With the yağlama, I loved that we were instructed to eat it layer by layer by rolling each layer around the fork and then dipping it in the garlic yogurt sauce. Again the savory garlic yogurt sauce paired so well with the savory aspects of the seasoned meat mixture.
After the cooking class ended it was already after 3:00 in the afternoon so Ryan and I decided to wander around for a while in the Galata neighborhood where we were before. I then headed back to the hostel to do some more planning of my time in Istanbul. The next day, I scheduled a free walking tour through Guru Walks; this tour was of the Grand Bazaar and Süleymaniye Mosque. I really enjoyed taking a walking tour through the Grand Bazaar. Since the Grand Bazaar is so huge, with a tour I was able to see areas that I would have otherwise missed and to learn even more about its history. One thing that was interesting to learn was how it used to be divided up more into sections of what was being sold and with some products it can still be seen, for example there is still a gold section and today it is the largest gold market in Turkey with the most gold being sold there everyday. I also learned on the tour that Turkey has the highest tea consumption per capita and the shops in the Grand Bazaar have a special tea phone so they are able to just pick up the phone and ask for however many cups of tea they want at that time and it will be delivered to them. They also pay for this tea using chips that they purchase at the beginning of each week and each chip is equal to one glass. During the first part of the tour we were taken to a tea shop that is hard to find and is above the Grand Bazaar and has amazing views of the top of the Bazaar and the city of Istanbul. After the Grand Bazaar we headed to Süleymaniye Mosque, which was the largest mosque in Istanbul for hundreds of years until recently. This mosque was commissioned by Süleyman the Magnificent and is beautiful on the inside, the grounds of the mosque are also beautiful and have amazing views overlooking the city.
Once the walking tour ended I casually wandered over to the Balat neighborhood which was over an hour walk away. On my way I stopped at a park and enjoyed the weather and read for a while before continuing on. The Balat neighborhood is a fun neighborhood to visit and had a bunch of different cafes and also had picturesque colorful steps and a street with umbrellas and a tree with colorful crocheted shapes. It was a fun neighborhood to explore and after walking around for a while and stopping for a late lunch I started the long casual walk back to the neighborhood where I was staying.
On my fourth day in Istanbul, I took another free walking tour with the same guide as the day before. This walking tour started on the European side and then continued on to the Asian side. Starting on the European side in the Sultanahmet neighborhood I was able to see and learn more about the Ahmed III Fountain, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Irene, Gülhane Park and more. I had already seen a lot of these sights from the outside but it was great getting to know more about them. Then, after making our way towards the water, we took one of the city's ferries to the Asian side of Istanbul. The tour was much shorter on the Asian side, however we were still able to go into the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque. One really interesting thing about this mosque was that when it was made the acoustics were so advanced that the imam could speak in the front of the mosque and be clearly heard in the back. For this to work they added clay pots covered with fabric to the ceiling which allowed the sound to project throughout the mosque. Next we were able to see the outside of the New Mother’s Mosque, walked along the Bosphorus, and were given a bunch of food recommendations and a local, well priced Hammam, Turkish bath, recommendation.
Once the tour ended, I went out to lunch with a woman I had met the day before on my first walking tour and who was also on the second walking tour. We went to a local restaurant and then found the Hammam that our tour guide had recommended. When the day started, I hadn’t been planning on going to Hammam but I went with the flow and it was a lot of fun. The Hammam the guide recommended was very local and the people who worked there didn’t speak any English so it made it more of an interesting and fun experience trying to figure everything out when we were there. When we entered the Hammam we were given towels and sandals and then pointed to rooms where we were to change and leave our clothes and bags. In the Hammam you and everyone else wear only your underwear and then, when walking around, you can be wrapped in the towel that they provided. The rooms in the Hammam were warmer and to start there are different rooms with large stone sinks with plastic bowls that you fill with either hot or cold water and then, using the bowls, you pour water over yourself. There were two other rooms, one was a sauna and the other was a steam room; if either got too hot you could go out and pour cool water on yourself to cool down.
After going through all of the different rooms, I then waited in line for the scrub and massage. There was a line because multiple other women from the walking tour decided to go after and there were some locals there as well. I opted only for the exfoliating scrub and soap massage, however they also had a coffee scrub option. For the exfoliating scrub one of the workers has a rough glove that she used to exfoliate every inch of you and to scrub off every bit of dead skin. It sounded and looked moderately rough but ended up being super relaxing and left my skin feeling unbelievably soft. After the scrub she then went on to the soap massage where she had a special pillowcase shaped bag that she would put a bar of soap in and would fill with air. By squeezing the air out of the bag she would produce a ton of bubbles. She then gave me a full body massage which was very relaxing, except for my back where she used her full force and elbow and went hard. In the moment it hurt but afterwards I was left feeling very relaxed. After the massage she then brought me to one of the stone sinks to rinse off and then had me take my hair out of its bun and she gave me a head massage while washing my hair. In total the Hammam, exfoliating scrub, soap massage, private changing room where I could leave my belongings, and towels only cost 205 Turkish Liras which when writing this post is only about $11 USD. It ended up being a very enjoyable experience and I look forward to visiting the Hammam again.
"Travel is about learning, about crossing boundaries and mastering the fear of strangers, about making the effort to understand other cultures and thereby empowering yourself."
- Fatima Mernissi
After leaving the Hammam the woman I was with and I headed to a cafe for a coffee and dessert before parting ways. I then headed to the Kadikoy neighborhood which was further down on the Asian side and I met up with Milena and Jalene. We walked around the busy Kadikoy neighborhood and had a lot of fun together exploring and hanging out. After walking for a while we found a place for dinner and then walked around the neighborhood for a while longer before heading back towards the Bosphorus. Along the water we found a live music performance and stopped to listen for a while before heading back to our hostel.
My final two days in Istanbul were at a lot slower pace than the first four days. On my final two days, I spent some time planning my next stop in Turkey and casually wandering around the city. After getting off the ferry on the way back from Kadikoy with Milena and Jalene, I saw a Caribou Coffee and so on my fifth day, after having a relaxed morning, I headed to Caribou for a coffee. It tasted just as good as the Caribou Coffee at home. While there I enjoyed reading, people watching, and watching the busyness of the city go by. Afterwards I wandered around the Galata neighborhood and Istiklal Street more. This time I continued along Istiklal Street even further and headed to Taksim Square where I saw the outside of Taksim Mosque. By the time I headed back towards my hostel it was late and since Istanbul is huge, the walk took a while. It ended up being after 10:00 in the evening when I walked by Hagia Sophia. This turned out to be great timing because I saw that it was still open. Every time I had passed Hagia Sophia during the day it always had a multiple hour long line of people waiting, however after 10:00 in the evening there was no line at all. I took this opportunity to go in and visit the mosque, I would highly recommend visiting late at night; it was an amazing experience. While there were still people visiting, the inside was emptier than it would have been during the day. I even ended up having the entire women’s section to myself. It was a beautiful mosque and a very peaceful and quiet experience visiting at night.
On my final day in Istanbul I had another relaxed slow morning and then left to explore the Eminönü neighborhood more and wandered through the spice bazaar. After walking around the neighborhood and bazaar for a while I decided to head to the Kadikoy neighborhood again to wander around and experience it for a second time. It was very enjoyable taking it slow, especially after a super busy first four days in the city. The six full days I spent in Istanbul went by so fast and I was sad to leave the city, even though I knew I would be back soon. Throughout my travels I have enjoyed and had fun in so many different cities, however there was something different and extra special about Istanbul that made me love the city even more.
"Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller."
- Ibn Battuta
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