As we made our way back to London from Albania, we decided to spend a few days in Istanbul. We stayed at a lovely place in the Sultanahmet area. This area turned out to be great. It was a short walk to all the attractions we wanted to visit and there were great food and shopping options in the area.
We were in Istanbul during covid times, so a few attractions were closed and there was an evening curfew for locals. For some reason tourists did not have to follow the curfew. When researching the restrictions before we arrived, we thought that restaurants were closed for eat-in options, however once we arrived we discovered that was not the case. Restaurants that also offered accommodation could be opened to serve their guests however in reality, these restaurants were open to anyone, not just the people staying there. Some places were much more open about the fact that they were serving food, others asked us to say that we were staying in the hotel, should someone ask.
We even found that some restaurants, that did not have accommodation, were “secretly” open. We were walking back to our hotel one evening and stopped to look at a restaurant’s menu. The restaurant looked closed (everything was dark), but when we asked a guy standing nearby, he said that they were open. He guided us through the dark, very much closed outdoor area, to a door (which required a code to unlock). Inside, the area was filled with diners. It felt like the prohibition and we were entering a speakeasy!
Other than a few oddities, covid restrictions didn’t really have an impact on our few days.
We tried to fit in as much as possible in our few days, here is a description of what we did while in Istanbul.
- The Blue Mosque
- Boat Trip
- Galata Tower
- Grand Bazaar
- Hagia Sophia Holy Grand Mosque
- Hippodrome of Constantinople
- Museum of Great Palace Mosaics
- Suleymaniye Mosque
- Sultanahmet Park
- Tomb of Turhan Sultan
- Topkapi Palace Museum
The Blue Mosque
Unfortunately, while we were in Istanbul the Blue Mosque was under restorations. The inside of the mosque was completely covered, so we didn’t get to see any of the stunning walls or ceilings.
Boat Trip
One evening we decided to take a sunset boat trip. The views from the water were great. Everywhere you looked there were mosques. From the water, and a bit of a distance, you really got to see the massive size of some of them.
Galata Tower
We walked over the Galata Bridge and were going to walk up the hill to the Galata Tower. As we crossed the street from the bridge we saw the Historic Karakoy Tunnel train and decided to check it out. The train doesn’t go far, but it does take you to the top of the hill. We thought it would be fun to ride the train (and save us from walking up the hill). The train stops at the top of the hill, which you can then walk down a short distance to get to the Galata Tower. There is a sign as you leave the train indicating the direction of the tower, so it was super easy to find.
The area around the tower was very interesting. It was full of funky cafes and shops, lots of music shops. It was a fun area to explore before and after visiting the Galata Tower.
There is a ticket booth outside the tower, then you head inside and take the elevator to the top of the tower. When you get off the elevator you are in an enclosed room with windows all around. There is a large model of the city that you can view, and then you can head up to the top floor which has an outside viewing area. The viewing area is a small walkway around the tower, which was a bit crowded, but gives you great views over the city.
Once you are finished admiring the city views, you can head back down to ground level via the stairs. As you make your way down, there are things to explore on each of the floors. There are old artifacts from the area, information on the city, as well as a VR flying display.
After visiting the tower we continued to explore the area, before making our way back over the Galata Bridge.
Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar and the area around the bazaar have some great shopping options. The shops are grouped together based on what they sell. You want kitchenware, you go to one area. You want socks, you go to another area. It was lots of fun walking around the area and checking out the shops. The prices and quality are surprisingly good as well. We had to buy an extra suitcase to take our unexpected purchases home in! 🙂
Hagia Sophia Holy Grand Mosque
The Hagia Sophia was first built in 537 as a patriarchal cathedral of the imperial capital of Constantinople. In 1453, after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into a mosque. In 1935 it was established as a museum and in 2020 it was re-opened as a mosque.
When it was converted to a mosque many of the Christian elements were removed or destroyed. Many of the mosaics depicting Jesus, Mary, Christian saints, and angels were either destroyed or plastered over, however there are a few Christian mosaics that can still be seen throughout the mosque.
You can spend quite a bit of time taking in all of the elements, or just sitting and enjoying the surroundings.
Hippodrome of Constantinople / Sultan Ahmet Square
The Hippodrome of Constantinople is near Sultanahmet Park. The Hippodrome was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople. Today there are a few fragments of the original structures still standing. You can see the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Fountain.
Obelisk of Theodosius
The obelisk was created by Tutmoses III around 1450 BC. Yes, 1450 BC – 3500 years old!!! It was brought to the area in 390 AD. It is in incredible shape for its age and the Egyptian hieroglyphs are still clearly visible. The obelisk currently stands at 19.59 meters, which they believe to be about two thirds of its original size.
Museum of Great Palace Mosaics
The Great Palace Mosaic Museum, is located near the Sultanahmet Square, at the Arasta Bazaar. Outside the museum is a small bazaar with interesting shops to explore.
The museum contains mosaics from the Byzantine period, unearthed at the site of the Great Palace of Constantinople. The museum has a walk way over a large floor mosaic that gives you a great view of the beautiful design. There are also several mosaics hung on the wall as you walk around and explore.
The mosaics are amazing and there is more than enough remaining to make out the designs and the pictures/stories they are depicting.
Suleymaniye Mosque
Near the Grand Bazaar is the Suleymaniye Mosque. There are several mosques in Istanbul that you can visit. They are all same, same, but different – each one is worth a visit (some are quick stops, others take a bit longer to take it all in).
This mosque has a lovely courtyard area outside the main entrance. We arrived just before prayer, so we got to look inside and then we sat outside in the courtyard listening to the call to prayer.
Sultanahmet Park
The Sultanahmet Park is the area near the famous Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. The park area contains several grass areas, with a large water feature. There are plenty of benches to sit and relax. There were lots of people out and about, just sitting and chatting with friends and family. It’s a great meeting area to sit and enjoy the surroundings.
Tomb of Turhan Sultan / Hatice Turhan Sultan Türbesi
We decided to head over the Galata Bridge to the Galata Tower. On our way we stopped at a few places, including the Tomb of Turhan Sultan.
The Tomb is the resting place of six Ottoman sultans. It was built in 1663 for Turhan Hatice Sultan. It now contains a total of 44 graves.
The tile work on the inside and outside is stunning, along with the dome ceiling and the circular light fixture.
Topkapi Palace Museum
At the Topkapi Palace there is a lot of things to look at. The area is HUGE, with several different courtyards and buildings full of displays from the sultan’s time living in the palace.
The highlights of the museum were the Chamber of Holy Relics and the Harem.
The Chamber of Holy Relics is a repository for Islamic relics, including the mantle, sword, and bow of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Harem can be visited for an additional fee. It was the living quarters of the sultan’s family and contains several rooms covered in beautiful, colourful tiles. And is definitely worth a visit.
Conclusion
We had a great few days exploring Istanbul. The areas we explored were all easy, short walks away. There were lots of other things we wanted to see while there, but we ran out of time. Next time we’ll be sure to stay longer and make sure we have time to explore more.