The result is an exotic and alluring blend of cultures that creates a truly vibrant city. A feast for the senses - wander the charming streets, where history and stunning architecture jump out at you at every turn; savour the scents of food being cooked in the street stalls, the heady spices and fragrances of the marketplaces and the smell of shisha in the bars and cafés; be mesmerised by the haunting call to prayer that reverberates all over the country five times a day and dine on the culinary delights of exquisite Ottoman cuisine.
No visit to Istanbul is complete without a visit to arguably the city’s best-known and most magnificent buildings. The 17th century Blue Mosque is a supremely elegant imperial six minaret mosque named as such, because of the beautiful blue tile work that ornaments its interior while facing the Blue Mosque, sits Hagia Sophia. The original building was built by Constantine however nothing remains of this building. The building as it stands today, is the third incarnation and is widely considered to be an architectural marvel, completed in five short years. Originally built as a church, it was conquered in 1453 and renovated into a mosque before becoming a museum at the orders of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1935 – a position it still holds today. Its mosaics are some of the finest in the country.
Topkapi Palace was built between 1460 and 1478 and was the official residence of the Ottoman sultans until the middle of the 19th century. It offers a fascinating insight into the life of a sultan, particularly the Harem Section and the Sacred Relics Department.
Dominating the city’s skyline, Süleymaniye Mosque is the largest of Istanbul’s mosques and one of the city’s most grand and stunning sights. Commissioned by Süleyman I “The Magnificent”, it is covered in fine white marble and stained glass windows.
The Grand Bazaar is a maze of over 400 shops and is a great place for picking up traditional handicrafts, touristy souvenirs, leather jackets and everything in between. Be prepared to haggle hard but treat it as a light-hearted game. If you don’t want to pay their price, there will be a stall three shops down selling the same thing so don’t get too aggressive!
A visit to Istanbul’s Egyptian (Spice) Market is also a must with row upon row of stalls, bulging with dried fruit, mounds of colourful spices, dried herbs, nuts and lokum (Turkish delight). Time your visit in the late afternoon so you are at the Golden Horn for sunset. A breathtaking sight standing at the edge of the Bosphorus, the billowing smoke from the fishing boat restaurants merge with the orange glow of the setting sun to create an ethereal haze across the city. As the call to prayer rings out across the city, the domes and minarets of Istanbul’s many mosques becoming magnificent silhouettes – leaving you with a magical memory you’ll treasure forever!
