Istanbul - hiriko bidaia

At the end of February, we went to the city on two continents, the city that connects Europe and Asia with the Bosphorus passage. In Istanbul, we travel back to my roots and visit my family.

Flight with Turkish Airlines from Cologne for a total of 228€ per person. Departure in the late afternoon -> landing after a little over 3 1/2 hours at the 2nd largest airport in the world, IST. From the airport, you can take the buses of 'Havaist', for example, to Taksim for 25 TL (about 3.40 €) per person. After a short walk through the alleys at Taksim, we quickly find our small Airbnb room for the night.

Side note: Since I flew with a cold, my ears got blocked during the flight and only opened again towards the end of the journey. So, I was deaf in Istanbul!

The sleepy Istanbul around Taksim

The next morning, the day started early for me as I was looking for a pharmacy, hoping that a nasal spray would help me. On the way, I bought a few simit rings and then had breakfast in bed with Saskia. When we said goodbye to our Airbnb, we made our way towards the old bazaar in the Sultanahmet district.

After a traditional Turkish breakfast, with everything you can imagine, we set off. Unfortunately, the famous red Taksim trams were under repair, so they did not decorate the streets. On the way, we passed the Galata Tower, which was built in the 5th century and used as a sighting tower. Since the queue at the tower was very long, we couldn't go up. But during a previous vacation in 2015, I was already up there and you get a beautiful view of the sea of lights at the Golden Horn.

The hectic hub of Istanbul

And then we finally arrived: at the Grand Bazaar, also known as Kapalı Çarşı. The market, founded in 1461, includes more than 4,000 shops where jewelers, leather jacket vendors, and carpet sellers mingle. It's easy to get lost in these crowded halls, but don't panic, because that's how you experience the real Istanbul. Whether it's the traders who desperately try to win your favor or the smell of fresh baklava and cay. In my opinion, the Egyptian Bazaar is even more beautiful and authentic. It is located near the Galata Bridge and offers spices and teas in its halls. In front of its gates, there is also a fish as well as a fruit and vegetable market. Be careful not to let the sellers deceive you and end up buying something you didn't want, because these guys are real sales talents.

Also, be cautious of beggars, as they can sometimes be quite uncomfortable.

After thoroughly exploring the halls of the bazaars, we made our way to our hotel near the markets. I will link you to the hotel here. Due to its unbeatable location, the hotel was perfect for us, as we had the Grand Bazaar and the major mosques in close proximity.

The dinner at the 'Ortaklar Kebap' restaurant, opposite our hotel, absolutely convinced us. The restaurant is traditionally structured, with cooking on the ground floor and dining on the floors above. We paid a total of about 100 TL (14 €) for two Iskender Kebabs and Ayran with a Pide as an appetizer. We went here to have dinner 3 times because it was unbeatable in terms of price and incredibly delicious.

The Pride of Two World Religions

The next day, we wanted to see the two major attractions of ancient Constantinople, the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. Unfortunately, the Blue Mosque, named after the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, was undergoing renovations, so it could not show its full beauty. Nevertheless, with its tall minarets and the local prayer rooms, it is a beauty of Ottoman architecture.

The Hagia Sophia, opposite the Blue Mosque, is equally breathtaking with its more than 1450-year-old history. The church, built in the Byzantine Empire, has a stunning dome and provides amazing insights: After the fall of ancient Constantinople, the church was converted into a mosque.

This becomes quite evident from the fact that all depictions of the Christian faith were destroyed or painted over with Islamic calligraphy. Not even mosaics of Jesus Christ were spared. An exception are mosaics with King Constantine IX, as he was untouchable due to his royal status and his image could not be destroyed.

Not far from the Hagia Sophia is the Sunken Palace, the only walkable cistern in Istanbul from the 6th century. The well-preserved columns and the lighting make this place look mystical.

On the last day, we made our way to the Asian side to visit my family there, but before that, we went on a Bosporus tour, which allows you to see the extensive sights along the Bosporus from the water in about 1 1/2 hours. Here, too, cay is a faithful companion and is served.

The Bosporus ferry passes by attractions such as the Ortaköy Mosque, the Leander Tower, and the Dolmabahce Palace. Make sure to wrap up well, as it can be windy on deck.

And there we were: arrived on the Asian continent! Now all we had to do was to find the right metro and then off to my aunt, who lives in a suburb of Istanbul.

Those who are familiar with Turkish cuisine know how well aunts can cook, simply heavenly!

After chatting a lot with my family and taking souvenir photos, we made our way to Sabiha-Gökcen Airport, where our return flight home was at 22:30.

Tips for your stay:

· Definitely try Turkish cuisine, because it is much more than just kebabs!

· Catch a glimpse of Istanbul in the evening hours with the brightly lit Bosphorus Bridge.

· Stroll through the market halls of the bazaars and always remember to haggle.

· If you're a fish lover like me, try the freshly caught fish sandwich under the Galata Bridge.

· Definitely book a Bosporus tour on-site, as it costs only a fraction of the online price.

· Be prepared for a hectic and completely new culture and let yourself be enchanted by the hospitality of the Turks.

https://hava.ist/en https://www.booking.com/hotel/tr/peyk.de.html https://www.airbnb.de/rooms/14364646?source_impression_id=p3_1586821896_ZDrtm4qgBUcdV01X https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ortaklar+Kebap+Lahmacun/@41.0073147,28.9716041,19z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x14cab99720374877:0xe90dfecb5df5b4ce!8m2!3d41.0073147!4d28.9721167