Stunning Istanbul

Fidelma Brady 31 July 2019
Istanbul is a city that has always fascinated people. It’s a city of two parts -where Asia & Europe meet. I was lucky enough to travel to Istanbul recently and experience the many delights it has to offer.

I flew Turkish Airlines business class direct from Dublin which was a lovely experience and then I arrived into the beautiful new state of the art airport that opened recently. If you ever want to experience the delights of an airport, few airports in the world will rival this. The business class lounge and check in experience rivals a 5* hotel experience… it was simply impeccable. The transfer into the city is about 1 hour and as you would expect with a city of 20 million people, its vast and traffic is bustling but that awe inspiring first view of the Bosphorus is just breath-taking. With the various Mosques and old buildings lining its banks, you just know you are in for something special at that moment. We stayed in the historical Sultanahmet area of the city and its was a perfect location. After settling into our hotel and receiving a warm Turkish welcome we started our exploration – on the short walk to a restaurant called House of Medusa. Here we experienced local life in Istanbul, with families relaxing in the square and the vibe was really inviting. The lights of the many great architectural buildings were shining bright!

The next morning, we joined other travellers on a walking tour of this area. Turkish Airlines offer this tour complimentary for passengers with a long layover in Istanbul, so it was nice to experience it first-hand. A walking tour is the best way to experience the historical area and see the main sights of the city. Our first stop was the world famous “Blue Mosque” which is the most important mosque in the city and dates back to the 16th century. As it is a practicing mosque women must have her head covered with a scarf and have a long skirts on, however these are supplied at the entrance if you haven’t taken your own.

Next we walked to the Hagia Sofia, one of the most important Byzantine structures ever built and is a symbol of harmony and peace in Turkey. It’s walls represent a blend between Islamic arts and Symbols of Christianity. It’s a museum and a definite to-do in Istanbul however pre-booking is a must as queues are long. If you travel with a guide there is an option to skip the line here. Our guide also took us to the Topkapi Palace which was the main residence of the Ottoman Sultans. Today it’s a museum and made up of 4 different courtyards and various exhibitions, including the Imperial Treasury and the Room of the Relics.

After lunch and a little relaxation we headed off to the famous Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest bazaars in the world. I was blown away by its sheer size and really – there isn’t anything you can’t find here. It’s a shopper’s paradise and the key here is to haggle (normally 30-40% off the advertised price). The most amazing ceramics, leather goods, clothing and of course jewellery is all available here. I don’t consider myself a shopper, in fact I hate shopping and certainly never shop on holidays however I was completely converted and sucked into this place of high drama with endless shops and amazing colours….I truly could have spent a day here. We then headed onto the Spice Bazaar which will blow you away with the number of amazing spices on offer and again haggling is a must.

That evening we took a dinner cruise on the Bosporus and WOW what a beautiful sight – Istanbul comes into its own at night and the lights and beauty of this city comes to the forefront. One place that I was highly recommended to visit is the Buyukada Island located one hour by ferry from Istanbul and it is a must-do if you are looking for a more relaxing pace. It looks amazing and although I didn’t have the opportunity to visit this time it is definite on my bucket-list.

If you do visit Istanbul buy an Istanbul Card for 10 lira and then top up that one card for all your party, you can all use trams, buses and the cable cars with the card. Pre-booking a guided tour is also advised as there is long Q’s at the main sights and being able to skip the admission line to ensure you save time. My recommendations are to try the local drink Raki and to take the tunnel train from the European to the Asian side.

Istanbul can be summed up in one world – AMAZING! If you’re interested in having your own city break contact me to find out more!