Under the blazing sun of Istanbul (Türkiye)

 

New adventures with my cousin Carine in Türkiye’s largest city, Istanbul!

We travelled with Turkish Airlines on Tuesday, September 13th 2022 from Charles de Gaulle Airport and landed at Istanbul International Airport.

Our plane took off almost an hour late. We had to leave at 19:55 and land at 00:55, local time (there is an hour difference with France, 1 hour more in Türkiye).

Once after landing, we went to pick up the taxi we had ordered through Booking.com.

The journey from the airport (which, by the way, is huge) to our hotel, Ayasultan Hotel, took about 50 minutes.

The hotel staff knew we were arriving late on Wednesday, September 14th, so they were waiting for us (we arrived at the hotel around 3am). One of the receptionists carried our suitcases from the taxi to our hotel room, it was very nice of him.

After stepping into our room, we wanted to take a shower but we couldn’t find any towels, just a bath mat. So we went down to the front desk to ask, but we found the staff who had welcomed us lying on the sofa of the front desk. We didn’t dare bother them because they were asleep and so went back up to our room.

Day 1

We slept very little that day as we arrived in Istanbul in the middle of the night.

We went to have our breakfast on the 5th floor of the hotel (a fairly varied and free breakfast), we were able to pick up towels to shower, then we went out for a walk around the city.

We walked around the Sultanahmet district where we saw the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (Aya Sofya), Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmet III Fountain and many other beautiful spots. We did not go back to the mosques because we wanted to visit them the next day, moreover, there were many people.

Alman Çeşmesi (German fountain)

Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque)

Ayasofya Camii (Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque)

Topkapı Sarayı (Topkapı Palace) 

Sultanahmet Meydan Fountain  Sultan Ahmed III Fountain)

İstanbul Türk Ocağı

We also wandered around the Grand Bazaar, a huge place where merchants selling all kinds of things (mainly beautiful lamps, jewellery, spices and treats) meet. In the Grand Bazaar, we were able to take pictures of these famous lamps that can be seen everywhere on Instagram. It is stated that it is forbidden to take pictures of them, one wonders why, because they are simple lamps, certainly very beautiful, but they are not works of art such as paintings that could deteriorate due to the flash of a camera, for example, or the drawing of an artist who does not want it to be reproduced.

To rest a bit, we went for a drink at Basilica Restaurant before continuing our walk.

We then went back to the hotel and left around 9pm to eat a pide, a Turkish pizza, not far from the hotel.

Day 2

For the second day in Istanbul, we visited the Blue Mosque but we were very disappointed because there was not much to see, besides, the place was under construction. Fortunately the visit was free!

We then bought tickets to visit Topkapi (420 Turkish liras) and were not disappointed. The tour was very complete and the places to see beautiful. I would say that it takes at least half a day to visit this place because there are several monuments to see, including a harem (this place is included in the 420 Turkish lira ticket but not the cheaper one).

After the visit, we walked around the Sultanahmet area and visited the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque before having a drink on the terrace at the Palatium Cafe & Restaurant, then headed to Kybele Hotel, a very colorful and instagrammable place, before returning to the hotel.

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

Palatium Cafe and Restaurant

Kybele Hotel Istanbul

In the evening, we went back to Kybele to have dinner and to taste Testi Kebap, a Turkish speciality made of meat and vegetables cooked in an earthen pot over huge flames. The show that takes place before our eyes is quite impressive!

Day 3

On our third day in Istanbul, we headed to the Balat district located about 1 hour walk from our hotel. We wanted to order an Uber to get there faster, the prices being very low (about 4 euros per ride). While ordering an Uber, I received a message from a driver who had accepted the ride. He asked me where we wanted to go and when I answered, he told me that the price of the race was $20, which was not at all the price on the app. So I told him that it was not the price indicated by the Uber app and he canceled the race! So we went to the district of Balat on foot.

The neighborhood is definitely worth a visit because the houses are very colorful, just like the famous rue Crémieux in Paris. Many facades are decorated with various objects: dolls, bicycles, figurines, flowers and many more.

We spent a lot of time there taking pictures, there was even a street where there were cars like the ones you find in Cuba.

After our walk, we stopped at Portafari Balat for a drink.

We then took the way back before we came across the Bulgarian church Sveti Stefan.

We then went to the Spice Market before having a drink at Hamdi Restaurant and then returning to the hotel.

Hamdi Restaurant

We went out to dinner at Hanedan’i Aras where we had the chance to see various shows: fire line, dance and many more.

Day 4

For this last full day in Istanbul, we headed to the Galata Tower which we did not visit but just took a picture. It is located about 35 minutes walk from our hotel.

We walked around the area and came across Istanbul’s old tramway, a real attraction here, both for tourists and for the city’s inhabitants.

We then went for a drink at Georges Hotel Galata on the terrace from where we had a nice view of the city.

We crossed the Galata Bridge to visit the Basilica Cistern.

Basilica Cistern

We then had a drink at Mozaik Restaurant before returning to the hotel.

We went out for dinner at Amara old city and cafe restaurant.

I loved Istanbul, I found the Turkish people really welcoming and kind. It is a very beautiful city with beautiful mosques. This city also seems to be the kingdom of cats because there are really cats everywhere, of all races and of all ages.

What I didn’t like was the fact that the restaurateurs and vendors in the markets flinch us as soon as we walk past them and that, no matter how many times we’re in their field of vision, it was very annoying.