ISTANBUL TURKEY
By Nadia Ali
Istanbul, Turkey is one of Europe’s most exotic cities with it’s Arabian
Nights atmosphere, exotic drinks and tantalizing food to tease your taste
buds. Listed below are our picks for the best Istanbul sites to see.
ISTANBUL SHOPPING
Grand Bazaar / Kapali Carsi
This is a shopper’s paradise where visitors can find about 2,600 shops in a
maze of covered and open street sections. The deeper you go into the maze,
the better bargain you'll qet. This enormous area houses almost everything
from precious gems to old coins, carpets, cloth, spices, souvenirs, leather,
fur and handcrafted goods. Everything is up for negotiation, but make sure
that once you agree on a price that you buy it. Just walking though the arched
corridors into various sections has a cultural feel to it. Be aware there are 22
gateways with police on patrol who do random bag searches for security
reasons.
ISTANBUL ATTRACTIONS
Aya Sophia / Church of Holy Wisdom
This was once known as the Church of Divine Wisdom back in 537 when the
Roman Emperor ruled the land. It was regarded as a church up until the
fourteenth century when Mehmet the Conqueror took it over as a mosque.
Today, its walls and roof have decorative gold mosaic tiles. Pillars that
originated from Rhodes support its massive dome. Admission costs about
$11. Closed on Mondays.
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
The Museum is actually housed in the former palace of Ibrahim Pasa and is
the grandest example of Ottoman civil architecture that was completed in
1524. The museum displays over 40,000 objects from Turkish calligraphy,
ceramics, Ottoman woodcarvings and a variety of textiles. There is an
interesting cultural wing that reflects historic Turkish houses. Be sure and
visit the Turkish coffee house and the gift shop where you can buy
inexpensive Islamic calligraphy.
Yarebatansaray (Basilica Cistern)
Beneath the city of Istanbul lies this ancient cistern that was used as a water
supply for Constantinople. It is an underground chamber that spans two and
a half acres, but what makes this even more spectacular is the 25 feet high
marble columns that are spread throughout the area. Look for the one with
Medusa’s head. Its claim to fame was in the James Bond movie, “From
Russia With Love.”
Atmeydani (Hippodrome)
The hippodrome was used as a stadium where its predecessors settled
things by four-horse drawn chariot racing, wrestling and boxing. There is a
gazebo where you can view Kaiser Wilhelm's Fountain, which was
presented to the sultan in 1901. Look for the three columns known as the
Constantine Column, the Serpentine Column and the Obelsik of
Theodosius
Galata Tower
An original 5th century tower which was reconstructed in the 14th century in
appreciation of Michael VIII Palaeologus who allowed the Genose to settle
here. Today, there is a restaurant/ nightclub at the top of the tower and
several tea gardens and a public square outside at the foot. The tower itself
is 135m (450ft) high and offers a beautiful view of Golden Horn, the
Bosphorus, and the Marmara Sea all for an elevator ride of about $5.00.
Çemberlitas Hamami
Located off Divanyolu at the Column of Constantine are Turkish baths where
you can enjoy a relaxing soak with a massage and a kese – a scrub with an
abrasive mitt. You can choose to go to male or female sections or mixed if
you like. This is something you can choose to partake in from early in the
morning 6am up until midnight for about $25.00.
Istiklal Caddesi
Located in the Beyoglu district is Istiklal Caddesi, which was once the posh
area where foreigners used to live in the late 19th century. Today it is a mile-
long road closed to traffic where you can dine at the numerous restaurants,
buy some reading material from the bookshops, or visit the nightclubs,
cinemas, and every other form of entertainment imaginable.
Blue Mosque Sultan Ahmet Camil
This mosque is one of Istanbul's most visited attractions. Built by Sultan
Ahmet in a classic Ottoman design it achieves a visual experience that you
can fully appreciate when approached from the front through the domed
gateway, which is the motif of the architect Mehmet Aga. A series of domes
meet you in the courtyard along with the picturesque fountain know as the
fountain of ablutions.
Topkapi Palace
Plan to spend most of a day to see all that this Istanbul attraction has to
offer. Don't miss the Imperial Treasury, Imperial Council, Tower of Justice
and the harem, for which you have to buy separate entrance tickets to. It's
well worth the extra money to hire a guide to see the sights with.
By Nadia Ali
Istanbul, Turkey is one of Europe’s most exotic cities with it’s Arabian
Nights atmosphere, exotic drinks and tantalizing food to tease your taste
buds. Listed below are our picks for the best Istanbul sites to see.
ISTANBUL SHOPPING
Grand Bazaar / Kapali Carsi
This is a shopper’s paradise where visitors can find about 2,600 shops in a
maze of covered and open street sections. The deeper you go into the maze,
the better bargain you'll qet. This enormous area houses almost everything
from precious gems to old coins, carpets, cloth, spices, souvenirs, leather,
fur and handcrafted goods. Everything is up for negotiation, but make sure
that once you agree on a price that you buy it. Just walking though the arched
corridors into various sections has a cultural feel to it. Be aware there are 22
gateways with police on patrol who do random bag searches for security
reasons.
ISTANBUL ATTRACTIONS
Aya Sophia / Church of Holy Wisdom
This was once known as the Church of Divine Wisdom back in 537 when the
Roman Emperor ruled the land. It was regarded as a church up until the
fourteenth century when Mehmet the Conqueror took it over as a mosque.
Today, its walls and roof have decorative gold mosaic tiles. Pillars that
originated from Rhodes support its massive dome. Admission costs about
$11. Closed on Mondays.
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
The Museum is actually housed in the former palace of Ibrahim Pasa and is
the grandest example of Ottoman civil architecture that was completed in
1524. The museum displays over 40,000 objects from Turkish calligraphy,
ceramics, Ottoman woodcarvings and a variety of textiles. There is an
interesting cultural wing that reflects historic Turkish houses. Be sure and
visit the Turkish coffee house and the gift shop where you can buy
inexpensive Islamic calligraphy.
Yarebatansaray (Basilica Cistern)
Beneath the city of Istanbul lies this ancient cistern that was used as a water
supply for Constantinople. It is an underground chamber that spans two and
a half acres, but what makes this even more spectacular is the 25 feet high
marble columns that are spread throughout the area. Look for the one with
Medusa’s head. Its claim to fame was in the James Bond movie, “From
Russia With Love.”
Atmeydani (Hippodrome)
The hippodrome was used as a stadium where its predecessors settled
things by four-horse drawn chariot racing, wrestling and boxing. There is a
gazebo where you can view Kaiser Wilhelm's Fountain, which was
presented to the sultan in 1901. Look for the three columns known as the
Constantine Column, the Serpentine Column and the Obelsik of
Theodosius
Galata Tower
An original 5th century tower which was reconstructed in the 14th century in
appreciation of Michael VIII Palaeologus who allowed the Genose to settle
here. Today, there is a restaurant/ nightclub at the top of the tower and
several tea gardens and a public square outside at the foot. The tower itself
is 135m (450ft) high and offers a beautiful view of Golden Horn, the
Bosphorus, and the Marmara Sea all for an elevator ride of about $5.00.
Çemberlitas Hamami
Located off Divanyolu at the Column of Constantine are Turkish baths where
you can enjoy a relaxing soak with a massage and a kese – a scrub with an
abrasive mitt. You can choose to go to male or female sections or mixed if
you like. This is something you can choose to partake in from early in the
morning 6am up until midnight for about $25.00.
Istiklal Caddesi
Located in the Beyoglu district is Istiklal Caddesi, which was once the posh
area where foreigners used to live in the late 19th century. Today it is a mile-
long road closed to traffic where you can dine at the numerous restaurants,
buy some reading material from the bookshops, or visit the nightclubs,
cinemas, and every other form of entertainment imaginable.
Blue Mosque Sultan Ahmet Camil
This mosque is one of Istanbul's most visited attractions. Built by Sultan
Ahmet in a classic Ottoman design it achieves a visual experience that you
can fully appreciate when approached from the front through the domed
gateway, which is the motif of the architect Mehmet Aga. A series of domes
meet you in the courtyard along with the picturesque fountain know as the
fountain of ablutions.
Topkapi Palace
Plan to spend most of a day to see all that this Istanbul attraction has to
offer. Don't miss the Imperial Treasury, Imperial Council, Tower of Justice
and the harem, for which you have to buy separate entrance tickets to. It's
well worth the extra money to hire a guide to see the sights with.
ISTANBUL TURKEY
ISTANBUL HOTELS
ISTANBUL TOURS
ISTANBUL VACATIONS
ISTANBUL HOTELS
ISTANBUL TOURS
ISTANBUL VACATIONS
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