Istanbul - Day 2

We were supposed to go to Topkapı Palace on the first day but our guide, knowing that it will be swarmed with tourists from the cruise ships, decided to go early in the morning on the second day.  By about 10am the palace was packed.

The Topkapi Palace is a large museum and library that was built at the start of the Ottoman Empire by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.  Topkapi means Cannon Gate.  It is difficult to explain the contents of the museum but it took several hours to even casually go through the museum.  They are mainly artifacts from the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Southeastern Europe, West Asian, North Africa, and later Central Europe for more than six centuries.  Below are some of the photographs inside the museum showing some of these artifacts.

Topkapi Palace

We stopped at a nearby restaurant for lunch.  According to our guide this restaurant serves authentic Turkish food. It is served cafeteria style, so you picked whatever dish you want.  Many of us were surprised by the relatively high prices.  You always pay more when you are a tourist.

The Pudding Shop serving authentic Turkish cuisine

Following lunch we took a walk through the Hippodrome of Constantinople.  The word hippodrome comes from the Greek word hippos, meaning horse, and dorms, which means path or way.  Horse racing and chariot racing were popular pastimes in the ancient world and many Greek cities have hippodromes.

The Hippodrome today is just a square, also known as the Sultanahmet Square.

The base of the Obelisk

Obelisk of Theodosius

Walkway in the Hippodrome

After the Hippodrome we walked a short distance to the Spice Bazaar.  This is one of the largest spice markets after the Grand Bazaar.  It is sometimes known as the Egyptian Bazaar.  It used to sell mostly spices but today they sell many edibles like Turkish delights and even tourist souvenirs.

Entrance to the Spice Bazaar

These are not spices!

Baklavas, Turkish sweets

Here are spices!

What a typical shop looks like

Inside the Spice Bazaar

A street vendor near the Spice Bazaar

A morning view of the Golden Horn area from our hotel dining room

We have visited most of the major tourist sites in Istanbul.  However, we did not have time for leisure strolls through the streets, without any agenda.  We would do that after this tour and after our visits to Athens and Santorini.  This time we will stay right in the midst of the Fatih district in a neighborhood called Sirkeci, within walking distance from all the busy streets.

Istanbul - Day 1

Since we arrived a day earlier we were on our own on the first day in Istanbul.  After a very good breakfast at the Galata Istanbul M Gallery Hotel we walked down the street towards the water to explore the area.  The hotel is near the Galata Tower and in the popular Karakoy area, where there are many nice hotels, including the plush Peninsula Hotel.  

We found our way to the Galata Bridge where we found many seafood restaurants, reminding us of what we saw on a YouTube show about Istanbul by Mark Wiens.  Normally seafood would get our attention but the fishy aroma did not indicate the freshness of the fish.  We also see many local residents fishing off the bridge.  It seems like a popular pastime here.

A very busy Galata Bridge

Restaurants under the bridge

Menu

Lots of Jellyfish in the river

They do catch fish here

A very popular pastime indeed

Initially I was confused; thinking crossing the Galata Bridge would take me to the Asia side of Turkey.  When I looked at the map of Istanbul again, I realized that I was still on the European side but crossing over to the so-called "Golden Horn."  This is where all the historic and famous buildings and monuments are:  the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, etc.  It is a very crowded area, with locals, tourists, traffic and street food vendors.  

Golden Horn area of Istanbul

This would be where we spend several days visiting the different places of interest.  It is also next to the Bosphorous Straits - a narrow stretch of water that separates Asia from Europe.  Importantly, it also connects the Black Sea in the north to the Mediterranean Sea to the South.  This is what makes Istanbul and Turkey unique, part European and part Asian.

On our first day we met the rest of the group.  There were 11 of us.  Two sister couples from Oregon, two couples from California, two of us, and a solo traveler from Washington, DC.  Our guide is Furkan Sari, a young 28-year old with an encyclopedia of knowledge about Turkey.  His college degree was in tourism and a lot of it is studying the history and culture of Turkey.  Despite his age, he was very mature in how he handled the group and any situation that arose.

We started the day with a cruise of the Bosphorus Straits, the body of water that divides Asia from Europe.  This is a popular cruise for tourists, as you travel between two continents.  We had the whole boat to ourselves so we won't have to fight for sightseeing spots.  We cruise north towards the Black Sea and at some point turned around to go back to somewhere near the Galata Bridge.

Looking at the Golden Horn area

Plush Peninsula Hotel on the European side

Bridge spanning Europe and Asia

Homes on the European side

After we disembarked we headed straight to the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world, with about 4,000 shops. We were allowed some time on our own to explore.  The shops sell a variety of things:  spices, lamps, clothings, food, etc.  There are so many alleys that it is easy to get lost.  

One of the entrances to the GB

Spices

What it looks like inside

Guitar and Spices?

More Spices

Knick Knacks

Sweets

Outside the Grand Bazaar there are more streets with more shops.  It is a shopper's paradise.

Street selling everything

A very crowded area

Vendors selliing something similar to bagels

Shops selling clothes

Following the Grand Bazaar we regrouped to head towards the Hagia Sophia.  This was originally built as a church in AD 537 by the Roman Empire.  It continued as a church until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottoman Empire.  It then became a mosque until 1935 when it became a museum.  In 2020 it became a mosque again.  

This is one of the most popular and visited tourist sites in Turkey.  Our guide is very familiar with the best time to visit, trying to avoid the early morning crowd.  The line was very long but because it was in October it was not as hot as if this had been July or August.

The Hagia Sophia

A view inside

The ceiling

A different view of the inside

Some of the paintings on the wall

More paintings on the wall

We were next given an optional tour of the Basilica Cistern.  It is located about 150m from the Hagia Sophia.  It was built in the 6th century by the Byzantine emperor, Justinian.  Underground cisterns were common in the old days to store water for the cities.  Today this cistern is more of a tourist attraction than actually being used to store water

In the evening we enjoyed a Welcome dinner at a local seafood restaurant.  After dinner we were free to explore the neighborhood around the hotel.  It is interesting to see the type of businesses and restaurants in the area.

Street Vendor

Vendors along the waterfront

Lots of food

Lamb chops grilled over charcoal

A small restaurant serving the lamb chops above

Menu of another waterfront restaurant

Turkey - A Magical Tour

Note:  This trip was taken in October 2024

Turkey is one country where you hear a lot about but you really don't know much about it.  For that reason I signed up for a tour of Turkey with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT).  This is such a popular tour that I signed up more than six months before the tour in October 2024.  Not only that, September/October/November are the best times to travel because the weather is not too hot and not too cold.  

Turkey is one of the most visited countries in the world, along with France, Spain, United States, etc.  There is a little bit of mystique about the country.  Part of it is in Europe and part of it is in Asia.  Today it is a predominantly Muslim country.  Its rich history goes back 12,000 years old!  

Instead of traveling on my own I decided to sign up for a 17-day tour.  I want to leave the itinerary to the people who know the place and not worry about details of when and where to go.  The beauty of a tour is that you show up at the time and place that they ask you to and just hop on the bus or plane.  Most of the meals are taken care of, which means you get the best and most authentic local meals.  

Itinerary for Turkey Magical Hideway Tour

The official name of this tour is called "Turkey's Magical Hideways."  Here is the itinerary:

Day 1   Fly to Istanbul, Turkey

Day 2   Arrive in Istanbul, Turkey

Day 3   Explore Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar & Topkapi Palace

Day 4   Explore Istanbul & Hagia Sophia • Spice Bazaar • 

             Bosporus Strait cruise

Day 5   Fly to Cappadocia • Underground city

Day 6   Visit Göreme open-air museum • Carpet Weaving Cooperative • 

             Ballooning Over Cappadocia tour

Day 7   A Day in the Life of a Cappadocian village • 

             Optional Whirling Dervishes tour

Day 8   Overland to Konya • Whirling Dervish monastery visit •

             Overland to Antalya

Day 9    Explore Antalya • Home-Hosted Dinner

Day 10  Antalya • Explore Perge and Aspendos

Day 11  Overland to Fethiye • Embark ship

Day 12  Cruise to Bay of Gemiler • Hike to Kayakoy

Day 13  Hike on the Turquoise Coast

Day 14  Cruise to Ekincik Cove • Dalyan River boat ride •

              Explore Kaunos

Day 15  Disembark ship • Overland to Kusadasi

Day 16  Kusadasi • Explore Ephesus

Day 17  Fly from Izmir to Istanbul * Return to the U.S.

We arrived in Istanbul a day early so that we can acclimatized to the local time zone and get a feel for the place.  We were picked up at the airport and driven to the The Galata M Gallery Hotel on the European side.  Our Tour Leader, Furkan Sari. met us at the hotel.  There were 11 of us in the group, all retirees from the United States.  Furkan is a relatively young guide, 28-years old.  However, his knowledge of Turkey and the sites that we visited is truly amazing.  Being a native Turk he is very familiar with everything Turkish - history, culture, food, habits, etc.  He also conducted himself in a very mature way and understand American culture and politics very well.