Jun 12
We loved our recent trip to Istanbul and could have spent several weeks; checking out churches, cruising between continents or shopping up a storm. The city successfully straddles the Asia Europe vibe – street vendors, sunshine and century old buildings mixed in with a smidge of crazy. Here are our five favourite Istanbul attractions and a couple we thought were over-rated.
It’s hot, it’s crowded and like most of Istanbul, it’s ancient. I hold tight to my handbag whilst trying to navigate the narrow winding streets, crammed with tourists, touts and busy Turkish housewives.
The 16th century Sultan Ahmet Mosque (or Blue Mosque) is an awe-inspiring culmination of two different centuries, the Ottoman and the Byzantine Empires and is believed to be the last great mosque of the classical period. Despite there being more than three thousand mosques in Istanbul, the Blue Mosque dominates the cities skyline with it’s six spires (or minarets).
Istanbul is not at all what we expected, it’s clean, colourful, cheap and that curious mix between old and new and East meets West is evident throughout the city. Here are our first impressions of Istanbul.
Theme: Linen by The Theme Foundry
