Istanbul: a busy day hitting the top sights

So here we sit, drinking some port we brought back from Portugal, enjoying being home after a ten day vacation in Spain and Portugal. It was a really great time away, but before I tell you about our latest adventure, we're going to Istanbul first.

Enjoying the sun in front of the Blue Mosque

BK took a long weekend around my birthday, and we headed south to discover Istanbul. Istanbul has been on BK's list of places he wanted to visit for quite some time, and two years in we finally made it there. Lots of people in the US asked if it was safe to go, but every expat we talked to over here who had been really enjoyed it and were not concerned about safety. Istanbul is a big city, but just like NYC, Paris, London, or any other destination, you just have to use some common sense.

We did quite a lot in Istanbul, but I thought in this post I would share our Saturday with you, when we saw the most well-known sights. We arrived Friday evening, with enough time to feed Baby K, give her some crawl around time in the hotel, and put her down before going to dinner. A good arrival, but nothing overly exciting.

Headed to the hotel...no car seat needed

Saturday we booked an all-day private walking tour of the city. Our tour guide was really great. She was extremely knowledgeable about Turkey, and especially Istanbul, and it really came out in her time with us. She was also great with Baby K, which was an added bonus. In general, I would say we hit the top sights in Istanbul, especially for first time visitors.

Palace grounds

Palace hall exterior

We started at Topkapi Palace. It's not what you think of when you picture your typical European palace, which is normally a huge estate with one large building that goes on forever and is extremely ornate. Istanbul has a history that comes from numerous places around the world, but the Ottomans were probably most influential and were also the ones who built the palace. As nomads they would have numerous buildings in their settlements, all with varying purposes. Similarly, Topkapi Palace is set up with numerous buildings scattered around, all with specific purposes, along with a number of courtyards for various uses.

Palace entrance

Crest above Palace entrance

The buildings are all beautiful, and are all somewhat different from one another. The kitchen is huge, and at one time had up to 1300 people working to feed all the people in the palace. Its a large brick building with a system of chimneys to push heat out and bring in fresh air. We also visited the guards quarters, which was just newly opened; the treasury, which has many jewels and valuables; the relics room, full of religious relics- including Muhammad's sword; and the harem section, which is where the Sultan and his wife(s) lived.

Palace ceiling

Sultan's hosting room

Prince's room

Next we visited the Hagia-Irene Church, which is technically part of the Palace. It's was the first church built in Constantinople, completed in 537. It was the only church not turned into a mosque by the Ottomans, but only because it was used as an armory. It is a pretty amazing thing to see.

Hagia Irene

We then made a quick stop for lunch (more on that later) and walked across what used to be the Hippodrome. It now has a number of monuments, including obelisks from ancient times.

Obelisks in the Hippodrome

After walking through the Hippodrome, we visited the Blue Mosque. The name is not actually Blue Mosque, only tourists call it that; the name is Sultan Ahmed Mosque, named for the Sultan who built it.

Entering the Blue Mosque

I'll be honest, I expected to be completely blown away by the Blue Mosque, but other sights in Istanbul wowed me much more. I'm not sure if it was all the people, or kind of just being herded in, or what, it just wasn't my favorite. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful, enormous, and full of history, so it's a must see when you're there.

Me and Baby K; shoes off and head covered

Interior of Blue Mosque

After the Blue Mosque we went across to Hagia Sophia- my favorite one we saw. This building has an extremely interesting history. It's been a church, a mosque, and is now a museum. People worshiping- church or mosque- is not allowed, as to not anger others. It's just really interesting to see how changes were made and ideas merged to fit what the building was at a time.

Huge interior of Hagia Sophia

Outside of Hagia Sophia

Mosaic in Hagia Sophia

Mixed religious symbols

After all the big monuments, we visited Basilica Cistern. It's a former underground reservoir (one of many) initially built to protect the city's water supply when the city was under siege. People visit this large one, but it can also be rented out for events as well.

Basilica Cistern

Last, but not least, we visited the Grand Bazaar. It is a huge maze of shops and vendors of all sorts. It goes on for many blocks and includes different sections for sweets, scarves, leather, silver, gold, jewels, and many, many other things. There are also tea shops who have delivery people running all over the market to take tea to whomever calls for it. We didn't buy anything, but did enjoy walking around and taking it all in.

Grand Bazaar Gate 1

Interior of Grand Bazaar

Seem like a long day?? It was, but it was full of tons of history, lots of really interesting sights, and a better understanding of Istanbul. I have more to tell about the rest of our time there, but I'll save that for another time. We really liked Istanbul and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in going.

And to end things on a cute note, this is my favorite picture of BK and Baby K from the day. I took it of them at the castle, apparently making one another laugh. Love.