Our first encounter with Turkey was in transit on the return journey home from a three-month road trip in Europe. We were intrigued and decided to return to see the country and try some real Turkish Delight in Istanbul.
One year later, we found ourselves sitting in the back of a taxi stealing anxious looks at each other. Did everyone drive crazily here? Would we make it to our apartment alive? There better be something special about Istanbul!
We had decided to take a small group tour on this first encounter with Turkey. We put aside a few days to explore Istanbul before and after the tour to experience the city independently. Sultanahmet, old town in Istanbul was the perfect starting point.
The taxi driver delivered us to the entrance of a pretty little street and gestured that we’d find our check-in location a little further down. Still early and keen to use our own time wisely, we left out luggage at the office and set out for a walk to beat off the jetlag and get our bearings.
The Hippodrome
The streets were slowly coming to life as we strolled a short distance to The Hippodrome. Surrounded by the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, the Hippodrome also serves as a meeting place for locals. An important historic site, it boasts three famous monuments, the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column and the Colossus lining the centre of the square.
People are crowded around a cart in the square and wander over to see what there is to see. It’s an ice cream truck and everyone is entranced by the vendors creating a show by stretching and manipulating the ice cream. We discover Turkish ice cream is not as we know it. The ice cream is thick and elastic and not ice cream as we know it. Unfortunately, we return home without having tried the Turkish version. We discover so many other delicacies during our stay.
After a short stroll around the Hippodrome, we retrace our steps to check in and refresh before returning to explore further.
The Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque with its domes and minarets is one of Sultanahmet and Istanbul’s most beautiful buildings. A working mosque, we visited in the early evening as worshippers attended evening prayers. The best way to enter the mosque is through the main courtyard. We were fortunate to do so when we visited by ourselves. We could appreciate the serene atmosphere as worshippers prepared to enter the mosque. Once inside, it is the famous blue tiles and the grand prayer area which everyone comes to look up.
We returned later with our tour group, where security checked and guided us into the interior through a dark back entrance. It provided none of the awe that we had experienced a couple of days earlier.
Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia stands opposite the Blue Mosque. It is one of the world’s most unique and culturally significant buildings and A UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. The Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century as a Byzantine church. In the 13th century, it became a Catholic Church and was converted into a mosque in 1453. In 1931 the building was closed and converted into a museum following extensive renovations.
A visit inside the Hagia Sophia is an experience unlike any other. The captivating interior displays remnants of both its Christianity and Islam heritage. We are grateful to have visited the building while it was a museum devoted to its Christian and Muslim heritage. In 2020, the Hagia was turned back into a mosque and place of worship.
Fresh juice and Turkish carpets
Our morning walks along the Caddesi as the stores opened were a delight. There were lots of food outlets and as it was the height of summer, there were many offering freshly pressed orange or pomegranate juice.
After a long walk one morning, we decided to try the pomegranate juice to quench our thirst. It seemed to be the juice of choice in Istanbul. Perched on plastic crates, we watched the vendor hand press pomegranates one after the other to produce one glass of juice. We lost count of how many he had to slice open during the process. Pomegranate juice, we found, is an acquired taste, rather tart!
Once, refreshed we started on the way back to the Hippodrome. A middle-aged man sidled up alongside us as we were halfway along the Caddesi. He chatted away in perfect English and questioned where we came from, how long we were staying and if we were enjoying our visit. He then proceeded to remind us that Turkey was famous for its unique artefacts and beautifully handwoven carpets. We agreed. We had seen some exquisite products in shop windows. Reaching the Hippodrome we stopped to bid him farewell. He looked at us astounded. “But you are coming to my carpet shop!”.
The Grand Bazaar
The charming Grand Bazaar is both an oasis and a trap. A guided tour through the bazaar was on our “Turkish Delights” tour itinerary but we took the opportunity to explore on our own beforehand.
In the heat of summer, the bazaar is a refuge to escape from the bustling Divan Yolu Caddesi outside. On entering, and once you have recovered from the marvellous interior, like us, you will realise you are trapped. Enjoy getting lost in the maze of alleys and discovering all sorts of treasures. The shops sell everything from fake designer wear and Turkish rugs to genuine leather jackets and opulent gold jewellery.
You’ll love wandering among the over 4,000 shops and stalls to find yourself a bargain or two.
Topkapi Palace
The grand Topkapi Palace sits on a small hill overlooking the Bosphorus River and Golden Horn. The palace was the political centre of the Ottoman Empire between the 15th and 19th centuries before being replaced by the Dolmabahce Palace sitting on the waterfront across the strait.
Originally a city within a city, and now a museum, wander through the halls, courtyards and vast gardens from where the Ottoman sultans ruled their vast empire.
Turkish Delight in Istanbul
Every day we walked through a quiet shopping village on our way to explore the busy Divan Yolu Caddesi area. The stores and small eating places were closed in the mornings but they were open for business when we passed through in the evenings.
One store caught our eye on our first evening. It specialised in lokum (Turkish Delight) and many varieties of the sweet were piled in pyramids around the store. “Which would you like to sample?”, the owner asked. So it was as we walked past every evening he beckoned us inside to us a new product to sample. Each item melted in our mouths. There was no obligation to purchase.
Every evening we told him we would be back to purchase some of his delightful delicacies. He smiled graciously as if it was a story he had heard before and offered us more Turkish Delight.
We kept our promise returning two weeks later to purchase Turkish Delights to take home for gifts.
In case you missed it
If you enjoyed this post and want to read more about Turkey, click here to learn about our day on Gallipoli.
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