Istanbul, a name that conjures up many visions - A historic city, yet blended with modern infrastructure, not in the ’developed’ world, yet not in the ’developing/third world’.
Istanbul holds some nostalgic memories for me - I visited the city during a trip to Izmir (Southern Turkey) for a study tour. On my way back I stopped there, in the middle of 1999.
Truly, Istanbul is a magic place - when I visited the city the weather was beautiful, and I was staying at Hotel Petro - just a stones throw away from the mosque. My review will concentrate on the Istanbul that I saw, with a tourists view point.
Arrival and stay
Arriving at the hotel, after being guided by a very helpful tourism department official, I found the accommodation good. The rooms were clean and comfortable and with a certain level of luxury - the rates were around 25 USD at that time, definitely a budget hotel. Breakfast was served in a buffet on the top floor, from where you could see the spires of the Blue Mosque, very close by - magnificent architecture in an Islamic Style.
Places to see
If you are staying anywhere the Blue Mosque, or the Hagia Sophia, be sure that you will have a myriad number of places to visit, all within walking distance.
Hagia Sofia
Visit the Hagia Sophia - a massive building, now a museum, which has alternated between being a church and a mosque, with successive rulers.
Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque is one of the most impressive pieces of Islamic Architecture in the world. I visited the interior, public section of the mosque where the light is dimmed by passing through exquisitely coloured stained glass, and the interior architecture is the true work of a master craftsman.
Visit the Blue Mosque definitely also at night, and sit out in the garden on the bench and see the beautiful lighting, and watch the pigeons fluttering in the moonlight. Take a short walk around the corner, and enter a tent to drink endless cups of black tea and smoke a hukkah with Turkish carpets surrounding you.
Kapali Carsi
The covered market is a shoppers paradise, especially for tourists – you can buy all kinds of curios and souvenir items here. Close by is a McDonalds for those of you who are missing a burger
Others
Take a cruise along the Bosphorus, Visit Topkapi palace, the visit to the Harem is expensive and not worth seeing. This is where a James Bond movie was filmed a long time ago, and is situated on the banks of a river. Also recommended is Dolmabahce Palace.
Eating Out
seafood street
I don’t remember the name of this street, it was a bit further away from the place where I was staying. It is a very quaint street with old world architecture, leading down to the sea, with seafood restaurants on every side, where one can choose live fish and wait for them to be cooked while sipping a cool drink. A must visit for seafood lovers.
Mystical Tea Gardens
There are numerous ‘mystical tea gardens’ dotting the city, where one can sip endless cups of tea while smoking a hukkah in a magical ambience – Turkish rugs and carpets adorn the walls, and a flickering smoky lamp is the only light, transporting you back a hundred years. Don’t miss them
Endnote
Now that I’m through with the review I’m not very satisfied with it, but will post it anyway. The ideal length of stay would be a week or so for Istanbul. If you can extend your stay, visit the southern coast – there are some very beautiful places, including meriyamani, greek ruins and other places worth seeing. Definitely worth visiting – In fact if you are looking for a good holiday, I would recommend Istanbul over the usual Europe destinations !. Plan to spend at least Rs. 1, 500 – 2, 000 a day for budget hotels, which will include breakfast. Travel is not very expensive (be careful with your money calculations – The lira is a funny currency) – food is available cheap. A great destination !