Before flying out to Turkey I was very nervous. But it was a good time! I found the locals in Istanbul to be very friendly and I really enjoyed my trip. Istanbul is a beautiful city and there is a lot to see and do there.
…The Shopping
(please note: if you are viewing from a mobile device, you can tap on the photo above and swipe right to view more)
Istanbul is full of colourful textiles. There were colourful carpets, scarves, cushions, and shoes everywhere. Sellers will try their best to force you into their shop to buy. Just say no thank you and continue to walk if you are not interested. If you are interested…make sure to haggle with the sellers, because there is a good chance they are quoting you double the price as a tourist. I never actually bought any of these colourful textiles this time…but looking at these photos is making me regret it. Perhaps it’s time to look into another trip to Istanbul.
…Ayasofya
These pictures were taken inside Ayasofya. When I went in 2018 it was like a museum that was a mix between a church and a mosque. You can see both Christian and Islamic art in the pictures above. It’s the most unique museum I have ever visited. Ayosofya was originally built as an Orthodox church, and I think the Turkish government recently converted it into a mosque.
…Food
Turkish food is amazing and consists of more than just kebab. In one of the photos above, we can see a slow-cooked meat stew (which I don’t know the name of) The same restaurant gave me some free baklava. Baklava is a dessert commonly found in Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East. It’s like a filo pastry filled with honey and nuts. The third picture is of a kebab named Adana.
…Topkapi Palace
The above pictures were all taken in Topkapi Palace. It was fascinating to visit and full of art. I went to Istanbul during May so there were beautiful flowers everywhere. During my trip to Amsterdam, I actually learnt that tulip flowers are native to Turkey. So tulips were actually taken to the Netherlands 100’s of years ago from Turkey.
…The Best Attractions
The famous Blue Mosque can be seen in the above photo collection. It looks beautiful from the outside…but the inside was actually quite disappointing. I think this might be because tourists are limited to walking around 1 room. There really wasn’t anything spectacular to see in that room…so I was in and out within 3 minutes. My hotel was only 5 minutes away from here so I decided to go first thing in the morning after breakfast. Another picture shows the outside of Ayasofya. It’s so pretty and pink!
…More Food
…and here we have some more Turkish food. I brought back a rose and nut flavoured box of Lokum. It tasted sooooooo good! The picture of me holding the fish sandwich was taken at Eminönü pier. You can see groups of middle-aged Turkish men fishing on the side of this pier. My fish sandwich was grilled from scratch so it took a good 10-15 minutes to wait while they cooked it in front of me. Another picture shows some more fish which I ordered at a restaurant. In case you haven’t noticed…fish is my favourite dish 😉
Hopefully, you enjoyed reading my little snippets about Istanbul. You may also be interested in reading my top 10 tips for this city.
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