VR City tour in Istanbul

A Travelers Report From Istanbul

Istanbul, situated along the shores of the Bosphorus Strait, is the only city in the world bridging two continents, Europe and Asia; it is as old as civilization itself.

Finding our way around Istanbul was easy (a map helps if you remember to take one); transportation by taxi, bus or Tram was efficient and inexpensive and a life saver in the heat. Tickets for the Tram could be purchased at the kiosks located on street corners everywhere adjacent to the Tram stops. Istanbul’s only train travelled only around the outside of the city. It was clean but old and slow. We rode the train once and met an English speaking doctor who was born in Toronto and has lived and worked in Istanbul for the last ten years.
We found ourselves lost many times so we would ask anyone on the street for directions; with a little sign language we always got the information we needed. I would recommend that upon venturing out, you take the card from your room with the hotel’s name and address on it.

I can’t say enough about shopping in Istanbul. The Grand Covered Bazaar has over 4000 shops, selling everything from Turkish rugs to leather goods, beautifully embroidered linens and fine jewelry. It was not unusual to see a shop selling tourist trinkets located next to a shop selling fine silk fabrics. We wondered for hours up and down the many lanes and alleyways and still didn’t see it all.
When we tired of shopping in the Bazaar, there were shops, boutiques and kiosks leading to the Bazaar and down every street. This was a shopper’s paradise. It was rare to see women working in the shops though; men dominate the market place even in shops where only women’s undergarments were sold.

The Turks are masters at bargaining so be prepared. Don’t pay the price marked on the item or you will have insulted the shopkeeper. If we left home thinking the last thing we needed was a Turkish rug, think again. We would be invited into a shop, offered a cup of sweet apple tea, or black coffee served in a cute little demitasse cup, and the bargaining would begin. Don’t be surprised if you go home with a rug, we did.

Also worth visiting was the Spice Market. Before entering the huge partially covered areas, the smell of cinnamon, mint and thyme greeted us at the door. Upon entering, I was hypnotized by the beautiful brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of every spice and herb imaginable. They were displayed in large jute sacks neatly stacked on the floor at the entrance to each little shop or in glass containers on shelves that lined the walls of the shops. The aroma of coffee beans, bulk tea and fresh baked goods made our mouths water. Be sure to purchase Saffron and pure Vanilla while you are there, the prices were reasonable and makes for wonderful gifts for family and friends back home.

There are many tours available in Istanbul and they offer English speaking guides. She Tours picked us up at our hotel and brought us back at no extra cost. The first stop on our tour was the beautiful Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asiatic shore of the Bosphorus Strait. It was the summer residence of the Ottoman Sultans, built in 1865 and is now a Museum for the public. As we entered the Palace, we were given plastic boots to cover our shoes, our purses were searched and we went through a metal detector before starting our tour. Continuing on, we crossed The Bosphorus Toll Bridge linking Europe and Asia and then stopped at Camlica Hill, the highest point in Istanbul. The view of the city was breathtaking. This tour lasted five hours, cost $30.00 U.S. each and was well worth the money.

We didn’t need a tour guide to visit The Museum of Haghia Sophia or “Divine Wisdom” that was built in the 6th century or, The Blue Mosque named for the blue tiles covering its interior walls and built in the 17th century. The Blue Mosque is the only mosque in the world with six minarets and is the most beautiful and grand mosque in Istanbul.

We also visited The Beyazit Mosque the oldest mosque in Istanbul; the entrance fee was $2.00 U.S. per person however we found out later it should have been free admission. This mosque was the only one where we had to remove our shoes, and I was given a scarf to cover my hair.

The Turks are purists in their culinary tastes so food wasn’t smothered in sauces and very little herbs or spices were used in the dishes we tried. The seafood was local and tasted fresh and was usually served with boiled rice; it was very tasty. A favorite meal of the locals was a Kebap; a large roll of mutton or beef cooked slowly on a vertical skewer in front of a heating element. When we ordered a Kebap, we could watch as it was shaved from the roll and served on an open bun. We didn’t need anything with it, it was very tasty all by itself.
The evening meals could be compared to an evening of entertainment. We were wined and dined for hours in air conditioned restaurants or outside on the patios and we would leave full and feeling like we had made new friends.

Every evening we would watch from our hotel window as vendors pushed their carts up and down the streets, offering stuffed mussels, meatballs made from barley, and pancakes filled with raw meat, as well as other carts loaded with every kind of fresh garden vegetable and locally picked nuts. And, not to be overlooked, Istanbul does have a MacDonald’s Restaurant for those who want to try Turkish hamburgers, french-fries and ice cream.

Istanbul is the largest city in the Republic of Turkey. It has a population of more than nine million people and can have as many as eight million tourists visiting at one time. It’s main religion is Muslim; five times during the day and night, at precise times, we would hear the call to prayer from the various mosques. In the beginning, especially when we were awakened in the night, we would hear wailing echoing through the city, however after a few days and after we knew where the sounds were coming from, we became accustomed to it and actually listened for it.

Tipping was not the norm but just like at home, when we were given good service, we felt they had earned a tip. In our hotel, by the time we were leaving for home, we had trained the staff to accept our tips; they had definitely earned them.

This holiday was an amazing experience. I have barely touched on the many interesting places we visited. It wasn’t necessary to know the history, the language, customs or currency before embarking on this trip to Istanbul. We were made to feel welcome by everyone and the language barrier, only a minor inconvenience. I would be amiss if I didn’t mention that at times there was the odd hint of terrorism but nothing that affected us in any way nor would it stop us from returning to Istanbul.

+ Information about Istanbul and Turkey

Below you can see some extra information and travel tips, you are welcome to leave comments if you have travel ideas you want to share.