1. Istanbul Blue Mosque
It is the national mosque of Turkey and is one of several
mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. Not that I have been to many Mosque's in my time but this one is particularly spectacular. However, be sure to cover up and wear a head scarf when visiting and be prepared to queue in the Summer.
2. Topkapi Palace
Take a day to explore the grounds, palace and museums; and
given the high entrance fee you might want to take advantage of your surroundings. With great views of the city and plenty of places to stop for lunch and coffee it makes for a great, educational day out.
3. Haghia Sophia
The
beautiful Haghia Sophia was first a Byzantine church, then Ottoman
mosque and now a Turkish museum. The museum is full of ancient mosaics and history of the city.
4. Grand Bazaar
A must see for the shopaholics among you. The Grand Bazaar is full of small market stalls and shops selling everything from Turkish Delight, fake handbags, local jewellery, spices, Turkish trinkets and local clothes, fabrics and outfits. Open until late, this is the perfect place to end a day of sight seeing.
5. Istanbul Princes Islands
Set in the Marmara Sea off Istanbul’s Asian Shore, the
Princes Islands are where Istanbul’s mainly non-Muslim elite built their
summerhouses and pleasure palaces. Beautiful, hilly landscape with gorgeous beaches, its the best place in the city to spend a summer's day. The boats from the main land go frequently and it takes roughly an hour to reach the islands.
6. Reina
Reina is one of Istanbul's most hot and trendy clubs offering its visitors glistening views of the Bosphorus bridge and river. Not only is it a celebrity hot spot with a massive open air dance floor, there is also a restaurant which serves up delicious Mediterranean dishes. Be sure to get there early in order not to queue, dress smart and make sure the boy to girl ratio is the same.
7. Taksim Square
Situated in the Europe part of Istanbul, high up on the hill above the sea lies Taksim square which leads on to one of the longest streets in Turkey. This is considered the modern heart of the city and is mostly where demonstrations etc happen. You can always guarantee that this will be a busy spot and the street and square is always lined with people, trades men doing there day to day hustle and bustle and multiple amounts of restaurants and shops. Its Istanbul's answer to London's Oxford Street or Paris's Champs Elysees.
8. Boat trip down the river and have lunch in Asia
There are plenty of stops along the Borphorus where you can jump on a boat, making it very easy to fit a boat trip into your day. The great thing about most of these trips are that they are 'hop on hop off' meaning you can get to see different areas of Istanbul. The boat trip we participated in took about 1hr 45mins, and we stopped off in Asia for some lunch. The Asian side of Istanbul was extremely beautiful, authentic and a lot more quirky than the Europe side and whilst we were there we stumbled upon a gorgeous little restaurant on the river with great cocktails and a mix of cuisines.
9. Walk the streets
I am sure this is said for most cities in the world but I genuinely find this is how you stumble upon hidden gems and get a real feel for any city. The main areas of Istanbul are not hard to navigate by foot and its particularly nice to go for a stroll by the Bosphorus.
10. Coffee at Mimar Sinan Teras Cafe
If you are keen to take in the views of Istanbul, head over to Mimar Cafe. For a start, its free to enter, and its also not packed to the brim with tourist. Even though its dry, there are a vast amount of fun and fruity mocktails and coffees on offer as well as snacks and burgers. Its not far away from the bridge that leads over to The Blue Mosque side of town... The perfect way to end a long day out.
Bon Voyage x
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