We arrived in Istanbul after dark but with detailed instructions from my mom (who visited Istanbul last spring) were easily able to find the public bus into the city center, Taksim. A friend of Dylan's (from his study abroad program) was visiting Istanbul for a day before embarking on another trip and decided to book a night at the same hotel as ours called Mama Shelter. The bus into town was easy and everyone was incredible friendly. When we exited the bus, we couldn't really figure out where to go so we asked a hotel doorman to point us in the right direction. He gladly did but I was beginning to get skeptical because we weren't coming across certain landmarks that my mom had mentioned in her instructions to the hotel (she stayed at Mama Shelter when she was here). We found our way to "the big street with the pedestrian traffic and tram tracks" (as she put it) but weren't sure is we were going in the right direction and right as I walked up to a store clerk to ask, my phone died! So we were now without the hotel's address and phone number, and my mother's instructions. I remembered that the instructions said to look out for a Gap store so we kept walking down the road until we found the Gap and lo and behold, the hotel was right around the corner. I squealed with delight and relief and we made our way up to reception.
Mama Shelter is an adorable, boutique-y hotel. It feels almost like a hostel because of its family/community vibe but is incredibly nice, chic, and plush. We received our room keys and Dylan and I freaked out when we saw our room; big, fluffy white bed, amazing bathroom, a TV, and super speedy wifi. It was such a treat to stay here.
After setting down our things, showering and unpacking, we headed out on the town. Our hotel is right off of Istiklal Cad, the most famous avenue/pedestrian thoroughfare in the Beyoğlu district. It is modern and filled with bright, neon lights. I had read about this place called Istanbul 360, a restaurant and bar that sits atop a building on Istiklal and offers a view that reflects its name. We found the bar, ordered a drink, and admired the view. We were pretty tired at this point, so we headed back to our hotel and fell asleep.
Wednesday, December 18
Because waking up bright and early in Florence and Rome had served us so well, Dylan and I did the same today. We wanted to get an early start to the day so that we could see all of the big sights before slews of tourists made them unbearable. Mama Shelter provided us with a gorgeous and delicious Turkish breakfast, so after enjoying the meal, we headed out for the day.
Restaurant in Mama Shelter
Our hotel is in the Beyoğlu district which is across the Golden Horn (a body of water) from the touristy sites in Istanbul. They are located in an area called Sultanahmet. We walked down a street that was a steep hill, lined with amazing music shops to get to the Galata Bridge. Fishermen lined the bridge and fished for their morning catches. Dylan actually got smacked in the leg by a fish. It was hilarious. There was a terrific breeze and it was wonderful to hear pelicans and smell the ocean.
Dylan and his friend Adam enjoyed some fresh fruit juice on our walk. Street vendors made fresh pomegranate and orange juice right in front of us!
The city is occupied by numerous stray cats
Galata Tower
Fishermen on the Galata Bridge
The Czech Republic is land-locked and I didn't realize how much I had missed the water. Just to the left of the bridge was a massive and beautiful mosque called "The New Mosque." We just had to stop in because it was right in front of our faces. The courtyard was beautiful and filled with intricate designs. Before entering the mosque, we had to remove our shoes and I had to put on a head scarf. The inside was magnificent and overwhelming. It was filled with beautiful mosaics and Arabic calligraphy that decorated the entire interior. The carpet was surprisingly clean considering how many people must visit the mosque daily and felt wonderful on our feet.
I had to cover my head with a scarf to adhere to the Muslim dress code
We then proceeded to walk along the water towards the Hagia Sofia. The Hagia Sofia is a museum now but is iconic because it is a building that has served as a place of worship for both Christians and Muslims. The ceiling of the building used to be covered in gold, mosaic tiles but it has deteriorated over time and the only tiles that remain are parts of the ceiling and some restored mosaic art on the walls. There was an entrance fee so if you're planning on visiting Istanbul on a budget, I'd skip this one (unless you have a strong liking towards Byzantine mosaic work) and head over to The Blue Mosque which has free entry.
Hagia Sofia
After Hagia Sofia, we crossed the street in hopes of finding the Basilica Cistern. We camera cross a small yellow building with a ticket office after purchasing our tickets and walking through an unassuming door and down a few steps, we entered an underground cavern filled with massive columns and water. Fish flitter around the water, weaving through the 300+ columns that support the ceiling above. Two eerie heads of Medusa act as bases to two of the columns.
We then headed to The Blue Mosque in hopes of peaking in, but the mosque was closed for prayer, so we headed out for lunch. A family friend of mine is from Turkey and sent my mom a list of places to eat. We tried one of these places and it was absolutely delicious. Dylan, his friend, and I decided to eat in the tapas style and order many small dishes and share. It was definitely the way to go because we were able to try everything.
From here we wandered through The Grand Bazaar, a famous and ancient shopping area where shop owners haggle you to buy their products and you must stand your ground, bargain, and/or walk away. It was very amusing and fun looking through all of the different things. Here are some of the best lines that the vendors used on us: "Would you like to buy something you don't need?" When Dylan's friend said he couldn't buy a rug because he was flying home, the vendor responded, "it's a flying carpet, you don't need an airplane!" And finally, the classic "almost free!"
We walked to the Egyptian Spice Market which is similar to the grand bazaar by nature but I found it to be much cooler because the spices and different foods on display were so beautiful and fragrant. We stopped at a stand for freshly pressed juice and enjoyed it in the courtyard outside which also happened to be the back courtyard of The New Mosque. As we sat down to rest our feet, the loudspeakers began to blare with the mid afternoon call to prayer. It was so loud but hearing it this close was so cool! We headed back to The Blue Mosque because their prayer time was over and I'm so glad that we did. This mosque is perhaps the most beautiful building I've ever been in. It earned its name because of the beautiful, blue telework that covers the interior. We stared at it in awe for quite a while then sat on the carpet and relaxed for a bit while reading about its history. It is known by the Turks as The Sultan Ahmen.
Mannequins modeled proper modesty for the mosque
After seeing the mosque, we began our 40 minute walk (climb) back to our hotel (across the bridge, up the huge hill, etc). We were completely worn out by the end of this long day and happily rested before heading out to dinner.
This was a great start to the trip. Istanbul is filled with color, sights and smells that I have never experienced before. Falling asleep to the evening call to prayer is enchanting and I can't wait I explore the city more and see what I discover.
Thursday, December 19
I don't even know how I'll blog about today. Dylan and I decided to make reservations at a Turkish Bath, known as a Hamam. I'd read good things about the Suleymaniye Hamam, it's main pro being that it's coed (so we could experience the baths together). Our appointment was in the afternoon so we spent the morning exploring and shopping. To find the Hamam, we had to navigate through the busiest streets in Istanbul. They were so hilly and had no markings, so getting to the Hamam was half of the fun. We finally found the place and when we walked in, we were transported into 15th century Turkey. The main room was filled with luxurious red rugs and floor pillows. We were taken upstairs where we were shown a booth where we were to change into the traditional Hamam garb: a small loin cloth for Dylan and a small loin cloth + bikini top for me. Both of us were given wooden sandals, reminiscent of Dr. Schols, but harder to walk in. Dylan kept falling but his immediate response was, "this is my first time is heels!" We were cracking up. We were shown to the relaxation room where we saw other visitors dressed from head to toe in white garments drinking tea. The hot room, the attendant pointed, was behind us. We opened the door and 40 degree C air washed over us. There was a giant marble slab in the middle of the room and we were told to just lay down on it. The stone was SO hot and we dissolved into fits of laughter while watching the other writhe as our bodies touched the hot stone. We couldn't suppress our laughter and luckily no one else was in the hot room so we weren't disturbing anyone's bath experience. After a few minutes of sitting in the heat, the hot air got to our heads and we no longer laughed uncontrollably. We would periodically walk to a fountain at the side of the room and cover ourselves with tepid water in an attempt to cool off. Finally, after 40 minutes, Turkish masseurs, in matching covering cloths, walked in and instructed us to enter one of the side rooms (it was open to the main marble slab room). There were marble beds in the little room and we were told to lie down while they proceeded to scrub and wash us. They covered us completely in soap that was so foamy I was scared I'd get lost in it and then doused us in water without warning, cooler and cooler as the treatment progressed. They ordered us off the tables and told us to sit beside little fountains where they washed our hair and dunked us in water one more time. The treatment ended with a solid handshake and we were then led into a changing room where we were given a white Hamam towel to cover ourselves. As we exited the room, one of the masseurs wrapped me in another white towel and also wrapped a turban around my head. He did the same to Dylan. We looked like quite a pair with our matching wraps and turbans. Again, the laughter started and pretty much didn't stop for the remainder of the day.
We stopped for dinner at a traditional Turkish restaurant where we practically sat onto he floor and ate kebabs from the metal table. It was absolutely delicious. Our evening was topped off by us watching the skyline and listening to the call to prayer from the rooftop of our hotel.
Dinner
Friday, December 21
Istanbul is the only city in the world that straddles two continents. Dylan and I obviously wanted to take advantage of this so after breakfast, we walked to the bridge and hopped on a ferry to Kadikoy, a cool area across the Bosphorus in Asia. The ferry was only 3 Turkish Lira ($1.50) and the ride was short (15 min), easy and beautiful. We loved being on the water. We didn't have a big agenda for the day, our plan was mostly just to wander around. Although I did have a place in mind for lunch that I'd read lots of great things about. After wandering through the open air markets in Kadikoy, we located the restaurant and had a fantastic lunch. The restaurant is called Çiya Sofrasi and I would highly recommend crossing the Bosphorus for the sole purpose of eating here if you ever make it over to Istanbul. We headed back to our side of the water by the later afternoon and enjoyed a relaxing evening with a friend from my program who also happened to be here.
Pelicans fighting over a fish
Our ride to Asia!
View from the Ferry ride
Scrumptious lunch
Beautiful display of Turkish Delight at the market
Fresh eggs at the market
Saturday, December 21
Today was our last full day in the city but since we had seen most of the major sites, we decided to sleep in and take a long walk along the water. We ended up walking to the more wealthy and residential neighborhoods of Istanbul and looked at some nice boutique stores before walking back to the hotel to reunite with one of our close friends from Tulane, Koby. Koby is THEM (our a cappella group) with us and neither of us have seen him for about 7 months. He and his family coincidentally came to Istanbul for their winter break vacation. We had a wonderful dinner with the entire Berman clan at a great Turkish restaurant called Hamdi that overlooked the water. We had a relaxing day but it was the perfect way to conclude our 8-day long whirlwind vacation.
I'm off to Prague tomorrow for the night and then back to America!
Czeching out,
Grace
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