Bosphorus (aka the body of water that separates Europe from Asia), Istanbul, Turkey {Image source: TrekEarth}
We are doing another all-day tour here with Ephesus Deluxe Tours, which I think will be good because there's a lot of historical things to see and the Grand Bazaar seems overwhelming. I also think the Grand Bazaar will be a good place for me to play around with my new fancy camera, so I'm looking forward to that.
We are mostly hanging out in the green area. {Image Source: Istanbul Travel Guide}
Our tour includes visits of the following
Suleymaniye Mosque {Image Source: Xiquinho on Flickr used under Creative Commons license}
Suleymaniye Mosque - The city's second largest mosque, it is famed for its stunning stained glass windows.
Topkapi Palace - Built in 1467, this palace was home to the Ottoman sultans (and their many wives and concubines!) for 400 years. It is now a museum.
Blue Mosque {Image Source: Myhsu on Flickr used under Creative Commons License}
Blue Mosque - Built for Sultan Ahmet I in 1616, but he died a year later from typhus. D'oh! Still, the building is considered to be the city's grandest mosque.
Hagia Sophia {Image Source: Archer10 on Flickr used under Creative Commons license}
Haghia Sophia - A church turned museum that has been around for nearly 1500 years! It was considered the most grand church of the time, and is still considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. I guess judging by the above picture it looks okay. JUST KIDDING, OMG, GORGEOUS.
Grand Bazaar {Image Source: Kamgtr on Flickr used under Creative Commons License}
Lamps at the Grand Bazaar {Image Source: Rolypoly_girl on Flickr used under Creative Common license}
Grand Bazaar - A huge labyrinth of shops and cafes. It is the largest covered bazaar in the world with nearly 4,000 shops. Rumor has it you can't leave here without buying a carpet.
One thing that is not included on our tour is lunch! Any recommendations? We will probably be eating near the Grand Bazaar.
{Image source: National Geographic}
We are not stopping here but I just have to share this image that I found because it's so magical. The caption reads, "Yerebatan Sarai is the most unusual place I have ever seen. Most of the time it is empty, but I happened to be there when it was decorated and magical music was playing. Built in the 6th century, it’s the largest of several hundred cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Cisterns were typically used for water storage, and Yerebatan Sarayi once provided water for the Great Palace of Constantinople." (Photo and caption by Magdalena Biskup)
(Landmark descriptions derived from the book Mediterranean By Cruise Ship by Anne Vipond unless otherwise noted.)
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If you have visited Istanbul, I would love to hear about your adventures? What should we see? What should we do? Most importantly, what should we eat and what should I buy from the Bazaar?
I spent a weekend in Istanbul during my study abroad. The Grand Bazaar was certainly an experience! Lots of vendors yelling "American girls!" and then, once we got better at ignoring the calls, "French girls!" :)
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I don't really remember what we ate (I'm pretty sure it was relatively similar to the Greek food we'd been eating all the time). One of my favorite travel purchases ever was a cheap pair of earrings I bought at the bazaar. At least back then, most vendors let you make purchases in US dollars or Euro, and sometimes gave you a better deal if you did.
I think of the song too. lol It's on the new Just Dance 4 as well, so maybe I'll play it when you're in Turkey and think of you. :)
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