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This blog post is about our second stop on our world trip, beautiful Istanbul.
It is harder for me to write this post than our first two. Not because of the content but because this beautiful city enchanted us both.
Let's start with some history.
About 1600 years ago, Istanbul was the capital of the Byzantines, Romans and Ottomans. During this time, the city has seen 120 emperors and kings. As a result, Istanbul's history is as long and eventful as almost no other city.
In 313 AD, Nicomedians conquered the city, which Constantine I. was later able to reclaim for himself. Thus, the city of Constantinople was born, the new capital of the Roman Empire. The chosen residence was located in a strategically important region for Constantine. He recognised the advantages of this location and shortly afterwards had the city rapidly expanded and magnificently enlarged.
Today, not much remains of the history of that time. Nevertheless, a visit is always worthwhile, as the charm and culture make up for it.
Mosques Sightseeing
Hagia Sophia or St. Sophia's Church
Let's start with the most famous mosque in Istanbul. The Ayasofya (translated from Greek: Holy Wisdom) is a city landmark and stands in the Eminönü district. It got completed in 537 as a Byzantine church. It was used as a mosque from 1453 to 1935 and from 2020. From 1935 to 2020, it was a museum.
You can still marvel at the architecture of the Roman Empire today, and we were particularly impressed by its interior.
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
A few meters further, you can find the Sultan Ahmed Camii. Sultan Ahmet Parkı, a green city park, is the only thing separating it from Hagia Sophia. On the way, you can grab delicious salep, simit (Infos below) or black tea at one of the stalls.
It is a significant work of Ottoman culture and was commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I. It is called the Blue Mosque in Europe because of the many blue and white tiles.
New Mosque
The Yeni Cami is the last mosque we reached on foot. It is located just before the Galata Köprüsü bridge, near the Spice Bazaar, and was built on a burnt ruin in 1663.
Seen from the Bosphorus, it towers over the city with 66 domes and two minarets (minarets are towers from which Muslims are called to prayer five times a day). Like Sultan Ahmed Camii, it has many Ä°znik faiences (blue and white ceramic paintings that decorate 40 mosques in Istanbul alone), so be sure to look inside.
Çamlıca Mosque
Büyük Çamlıca Camii is the name of the largest mosque in Turkey. It stands on the Asian side of Istanbul in the Üsküdar-Çamlıca district, which was not opened until 2019 and is therefore still waiting for its proper name. Construction began in the summer of 2013 after an architectural competition organised by President Erdogan. It is controversial as it is seen by many as part of an Islamisation of society and is one of 7 major construction projects of the Erdogan era.
Ortaköy Mosque
Right to the Bosphorus in the Beşiktaş district lies the Ortaköy Camii. With an earthquake in 1894 and a fire in 1960, it has already been through a lot. Turks last restored it in 1984.
Its compact beauty and location are popular photo motifs.
We have prepared an excellent itinerary for you to see the mosques in one day. However, we recommend splitting this route into two days, as it is worth spending more time in the different neighbourhoods of Istanbul. After your tour, it's worth visiting a café to enjoy the sunset over the Bosphorus. The route is for travel by car. However, reaching the mosques by public transport tram and Bosphorus ferry has much more flair. Moreover, it is cheaper with the Istanbulkart (more below).
Click here to find the itinerary:
Had enough of mosques? We'll introduce you to four more beautiful sights!
Dolmabahçe-Palast
The Dolmabahçe Sarayı is a palace with full gardens. It was built for 13 years, from 1843 to 1856, for Sultan Abdülmecid and is located on the European side of the city in the Beşiktaş district. Since then, it has been considered the residence of the sultans.
The palace is 600 metres long and has a total area of 45,000m². Palace is a palace, so it has 46 halls, 285 rooms, six hammams and 68 bathrooms.
Enough said, there are tours to marvel at the interiors, gates and gardens. A clear recommendation from our side!
Galataturm
The Galata kulesi is in Galata. Who would have guessed? It is a neighbourhood in the BeyoÄŸlu district. It was first built in 527 but got destroyed in 1204 during the conquest of Constantinople. In 1349, a new Galata Tower was completed at the highest point. The new tower withstood earthquakes, storms, fires and damage. In the 15th century, it was even used as a prison for prisoners of war. It is considered the most beautiful viewpoint over Istanbul from the north side of the Golden Horn. You can take the lifts up to the seventh floor; from there, a wooden spiral staircase takes you to the eighth and ninth floors. There is a restaurant with a 360-degree city panorama and a terrace.
Bazaars
Grand Bazaar
The Kapalıçarşı is the biggest bazaar in the city and also the top one in the world. So no matter what you are looking for in Istanbul, the chance of finding it here is relatively high. It contains 4,000 shops on 30,700m². But be prepared for a lot of visitors, because it is one of the top sights in the world and is even called the world's first mall.
Spice Bazaar
Mısır Çarşısı is the Turkish name for one of the largest bazaars in the city. As the name suggests, it is the centre of the spice trade. You can buy spices, Turkish sweets, jewellery and souvenirs in 85 shops. The smell and the tasting alone are worth a visit.
Hamam
Tarihi Galatasaray Hamami is the name of a Turkish bath and hamam in the Galatasaray district. Istanbul probably has hundreds of beautiful hammams, so we don't necessarily want to recommend one to you. Instead, we booked a classic Hamam treatment together in separate rooms locally as our Air BnB host recommended it. Locals use it a lot, and that's precisely the flair we wanted to feel. It was a pleasant experience without other tourists and not as expensive as the big "tourist hammams".
Restaurants and Bars in Istanbul
We love food, and Lukas, in particular, loves Turkish food. So we went to several Turkish restaurants and enjoyed it.
Before we start with the restaurants, we'll start with street food. In Istanbul, you should try salep, simit and the typical Çay.
Salep is a sweet hot milk drink that Turks usually drink in winter. It tastes like rice pudding to drink with a little bit of cinnamon.
You can hardly get past a simit in Istanbul. You will see them on almost every corner. A crispy sesame ring made of yeast dough baked in a stone oven. If you come across a vendor with a full trolley, you should strike, and they should still be fresh.
You'll also see the black Çay tea everywhere. You'll probably get invited to try it at least three times during your visit. So be sure to grab one, as it allows you to start a conversation with the locals.
But now for our restaurant and bar recommendations:
Bilice Kebap
We ate there on the first day and what can we say? We arrived in Turkey! The waiter served us an enormous kebap platter. Lamb and chicken, plus sides like salads, baba ghanoush, potatoes, pepperonis and onions. A clear 10/10!
Seven Hills Restaurant
We used this restaurant more as a means to an end. If you want a great view of the Hagia Sophia and the Sultan Ahmet Mosque while having breakfast or a coffee, it's worth a visit. The seagulls are also fed here directly from the roof terrace.
Birben Restaurant
Since Lukas was dreaming of the kebap platter, he had to eat another one. The Birben Restaurant in Eminönü is a good snack bar with amiable staff and also incredibly good kebap.
Karaköy Güllüoğlu
Many people know the taste of baklava. But, if you don't like it, like Natalie, try again! Karaköy Güllüoğlu is known for making the best baklava in the world. The consistency, the ratio of pistachios, pastry and honey and the many variations are unbeatable!
Arya Lounge Süleymaniye
We quit smoking at the beginning of the world trip, but we had to treat ourselves to a shisha in Istanbul. Since we have never smoked much shisha, I can only write that our Blue Mist head tasted fruity, fresh and delicious. Moreover, you have a fantastic view of the city and its Asian side.
Salt bae Burger
We couldn't resist trying the burger from Nusret Gökçe, a well-known butcher on the internet. Since we set the bar pretty high with our many good burger restaurants in Frankfurt am Main, we had high expectations, which were unfortunately disappointing. We got a mediocre burger. If you're in Istanbul and want to eat good meat, you'd better go to the real Nusr-Et Steakhouse, although, of course, you'll have to pay a lot for its show and name.
Kronotrop
What's a trip without a good breakfast? At the Kronotrop cafés, you'll find everything your European heart desires, also fused with Turkish cuisine. Kronotrop became famous for its excellent coffee roasting and now has many branches all over the country.
Backpacker Accommodations in Istanbul
Hotels
Tactically, we booked our stay in two different neighbourhoods, Sultan Ahmet and BeyoÄŸlu. Moving around during a trip is, in many cases, a good choice, as a city can have many faces.
Blue Tuana Hotel
Located in Istanbul's old town, the Blue Tuana Hotel is a central spot from which you can explore the whole city. You can look directly at the Sultan Ahmet Mosque while having your Turkish breakfast in the morning. We are backpackers, so don't expect too much from the rooms. They were cheap and clean, and the beds were comfortable.
Casa Rosa Suites
The Casa Rosa Suites were visually an upgrade, but with a different flair. We would call the area in BeyoÄŸlu a hipster neighbourhood. There are many excellent restaurants, bars and cafes here. The rooms are modern, and the bath is new.
The Istanbulkart: tram, metro, ferry and bus in Istanbul
Are you looking for the cheapest and most efficient way to get around in Istanbul? With the Istanbulkart, you can access the entire transport system and save a lot of money per trip after a one-time payment of 25 lire (1,49€). You now pay only 7.67 lire (0,46€) per trip. It is available at over 2,000 yellow and blue vending machines or kiosks. The locals will be happy to help you if you have problems buying a card.
You can reload the card with cash at the same machines by holding it up to the sensor. But be careful here! The yellow ones don't give any notes, and the blue ones only give up to three 20 lire (1,19€) notes. So plan how often you will use public transport or only top up small amounts.
We hope you enjoyed our blog post and found some valuable tips. It was our last stay in Europe during our world trip.
See you in our next blog post.
Sawadee Kap!
Off to Bangkok:
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