Istanbul - old and new all in one

With the recent attacks in Istanbul, I am reminded of my holiday to Turkey in May and it makes me so very sad to see what is going on in the country. A city that is so rich in history and culture, a literal melting pot of the west and east, where reminiscence of such beauty is still visible, which now I fear can be lost.

Even back in May it was a contentious decision to go to Turkey because by then the country had already seen 2 attacks in a short period but I am so very happy that I went and my sister pushed me for it. And so here is a little bit of the beauty and history this city has to offer, with the hope that all of it remains for every one of you to see.

I remember, very distinctly, on my bus journey from Sabiha International airport to Taksim Square seeing a city sprawled with a skyline like I hadn't seen before. Having recently travelled a lot in European cities, I realised I was accustomed to seeing churches and cathedrals as part of a city’s architecture and skyline. It was so refreshingly beautiful to see the minarets of the numerous mosques all over the hills of this city.

Our first evening was a Friday and so even though I arrived late, we had to go out and see this city’s famous night life. So we first went for some delicious Turkish food at one of the unanimously recommended restaurant that comes with a gorgeous view, Hamdi @Pera Radisson Blu Hotel. The food sure was great and we had a perfect first meal with the view of the Old Town and the lit up Blue Mosque.

A short walk from around the restaurant, we were amid streets of bars and nightclubs full with the youth of the country. Trying to determine the best place to start, we followed the sound of some great live music into a cool small place. The beats were great and the tempo picked up and as anyone who knows me will vouch for it, if it’s a good beat I can’t resist. There we were, me and my sister, swinging away to music we couldn’t understand but thoroughly enjoyed. Soon we were off to another bar and well the night went on and we only managed to make it home by 4 am, this city's nightlife delivered :)

Exhausted, we knew our morning wasn’t going to be as productive as we’d hoped. But somehow we managed to make our way out by noon and headed over to Cihangir/ Beyoglu district to Kahve 6 for some delicious brunch in their cute garden out the back. Taking our time, we walked through back streets and along the Bosphorus and made our way to the Old Town ready to finally begin our touristy day.

First stop, which is a must when in Istanbul as a tourist, is the really beautiful, old, historic area of Fatih where you will find monuments that have so surely stood the test of time through multiple religions and rulers and still stand there beautiful and powerful inviting you in to explore the centuries that have passed within their walls.

Sultanahmet Mosque or more popularly known as the Blue Mosque, built in 1616 is a very religious building. Once we are dressed in the appropriate attire we enter but realise got there during prayer time and so we couldn't enter yet, but standing in its white marble courtyard, we can hear the hundreds of people chanting away. There is definitely a sense of calm and peace when you hear the serine sound of so many people in unison. You will also notice the walls of the courtyard are covered in religious notes mentioning what Islam stands for in case that is of interest. A good 30 mins later, the doors were open and we were able to make our way in. Being such a popular destination, I really expected there to be longer queues but already we could see the bad impact tourism had with all the news because we got in very quickly.

This was one of the first times I can remember entering a mosque, and boy was I lucky it was this one. The name it’s inherited becomes immediately evident as you take in the stunning tile work that covers every inch of the domes inside. I haven’t seen anything like it and it's absolutely gorgeous. The intricate work, the non-intrusive blend of colours interwoven in the design, are so very pleasing to the eye that you can see how this would affect the mind set of people when in a place of prayer and one that provides a peaceful sanctuary for believers.

Having spent a fair bit of time inside we made our way out through the luscious gardens and fountains across the square over to Ayasofya Museum or Hagia Sophia. Now, I’ve read a fair bit of the history of this place in history fiction books, school history books and so when you actually walk through the massive doors and see the main room, you can see how old the place is. Even though there is restoration work going on, the overall structure and layout of the building is dark, the byzantine gold plated ceilings are chipping away but you can see the largest calligraphy plates hanging in the main entrance on the pillars. Walking around this historical space that has seen so much I was reminded of Mezquita-Cathedral of Cordoba. Where here stood a church converted to a mosque there stood a mosque converted to a church. There is so much to mention on this monument's history but i'll let you read up on it yourself, some info can be found on the site.

Standing in this spot, listening to the audio tour and understanding the numerous emperors it went through, I felt grateful it still stands and I was actually able to see it, unlike the turmoiled cities of Damascus and Aleppo where rubble seems to have replaced some of the most ancient monuments reminiscent of humanity.

Bit tired having seen two of the most noticeable monuments, we were ready for a break and were ready for some local lunch and then walked through the streets of the old town before we took the tram back to the hotel. Saturday night dinner is at hotel, yes i know boring but we were staying at the Ritz-Carlton thanks to my sister so why not make the most of it, plus we were too tired to head out. So to cure our hangover at the Bleu Lounge @Ritz we decide we will try Raki, a local anise flavoured alcoholic drink. We were amazed at the way you drink it with ice and water to dilute it and its served with a separate full glass of water, well cause obviously it’s that strong that they already know you will need hydration :)

Next morning is the 1st of May and we are told there will be a fair few protests in Taksim Square which is where our hotel is, and so instead of exploring the streets of Galata and Beyoglu we went back to the old town and went to Topkapi Palace for yet another cultural day.

The palace is immense, well like most palaces are. It has the start at the servant’s quarters which are bigger than my office floor and so we know already that this is where the whole of our morning will be spent. Walking through the lavish gardens, through the throne room, into the schooling areas and seeing even how the concubines lived, making our way to the multiple beautifully tilled rooms, I am reminded of the Muslim rule in India and the palaces that still remain there and yet again reminded of Alcazar in Seville, which quite clearly has such a major influence from this part of the world.

Finishing with the palace, we made use of our Museum pass (which i would recommend if you are looking to have a culture filled holiday in Istanbul cause it covers a lot of the famous must see palaces and museums). So we saw the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Ancient Orient and walked through Hagia Irene, the 4th century Byzantine church all covered in the museum pass.

After a busy morning of taking in a lot of history, we decided to hit the spice markets, see the numerous stalls selling delicious Turkish delights, spices, teas, followed by a performance of the traditional Dervish dance (which in all honesty was a bit over-hyped for what it was and later realised it would have been better and cheaper to see it in Cappadocia) and then we call it a day.

A quick rest back at the hotel and we are off for dinner to yet another recommendation Karakoy Lokantasi and once again a place that is super busy. Oh yes I forgot to mention, make sure you book before you head out to these popular places, they are always busy.

Another delicious meal later we walked about through the back lanes of Karakoy on the hunt for a sheesha place, of which there weren't many. We did however get lucky and found a really nice spot where they had board games and Sheesha and some delicious Turkish tea. Taking a look around, almost every table had a game they were playing, so we asked the waitress for a game of Backgammon, even though we have no idea how to play it. Now we tried our very best to learn it online but that is really hard and not fun, so we asked the guys sitting next to us and they were so helpful and fun that we were taught this really old traditional game by some local Turkish folk, a lovely end to yet another great day in this city.

Our final day was a bit more relaxed, after two full days of culture we decided to explore the more modern side of Istanbul but not before the must-do cruise along the Bosphorus. It is as beautiful as all the tourist books say and we got lucky with the weather cause it was sunny and pleasant.

Finished with our final tourist tick, I was ready to check what shopping is like in Istanbul and so I made my way to the Soho of Istanbul, Galata, while my sister went back to the Old Town to see the Grand Bazzar. Serdar-I Ekrem Cd is a long street filled with new Turkish designers, alternative cafes, street art and lots and lots of cats!

With a good bit of shopping and nice lunch we were ready for a relaxing evening which came to a wrap with the traditional hammam and a lovely massage at our Ritz-Carlton Spa, a gorgeous spa and well worth the $$ (though thanks to my sis we did manage a nice discount) A swim and a massage later, we ordered some take away kebabs and called it an early night ready to catch our 6 am flight to Cappadocia.

finally some relaxation by the Ritz indoor pool

This city is absolutely gorgeous, fun, full of history and culture and I really hope it regains its popularity after these disputes are resolved (hopefully soon)