A short week in Istanbul

Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii)

Attraction | "The Blue Mosque"

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THE BLUE MOSQUE OR SULTAN AHMED MOSQUE or SULTANMET CAMII:The Blue Mosque gets its name from the decorative tiles inside the mosque, prior to my visit I thought that it was from the grey blue stone from which it is built. This mosque was built between 1610 and 1617 and is the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets. It can be seen rising up on the hill as you enter Istanbul from the Bosporus and is one of the many mosques seen on the skyline of the city at dusk. As you enter the mosque, covered as you need to be out of respect and shoe less, you are immediately aware of how much light is coming through the 260 windows. The wonderful blue tiles – 20,000 of them are decorated w...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 28, 2025

Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii)
Sultanahmet
Istanbul, Turkey
0212 458 0776

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Orient Express Hotel

Hotel | "Orient Express but not the Train"

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The Orient Express Hotel , Hudavendigar Cad No: 34-34110www.orientexpresshotel.comThis hotel is part of the Sirkeci group which is a group of hotels and restaurants in Istanbul. Sirkeci is also an area of the old part of Istanbul and The Sirkeci Railway Station was the terminus of the famous Orient Express train and was just round the corner from the hotel.The hotel is in the old part of Istanbul and right on the street with the tram line along the street. We were slightly worried as we were driven along the tramline then the taxi stopped outside the hotel door on the tramline. We discovered that the trams do stop in traffic bit we were decidedly panicky as we were droppe...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 21, 2025

Orient Express Hotel
34 HUDAVENDIGAR ST
Istanbul, Turkey 34410
90 212 5207160

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Sufi Music Concert

Attraction | "Whirling Dervishes"

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The event I am reviewing takes place in Istanbul TurkeySufi Music concert and Sema Ceremony – Sirkeci Train station – Event Hall IstanbulTuesday and Saturday 7.30 – 8.30 pmSETTING THE SCENE:When I was a child my mother would always say we were rushing around like ‘whirling dervishes’ and I had always thought they were mini Twisters or cyclones. As I grew up I had decided in my brain that ‘whirling dervishes’ were armed swordsmen who fought by whirling their weapons but i’d not really thought much more deeply about who or what they were until we saw an advert for ‘Whirling Dervishes’ near our hotel in Istanbul. They were advertising a ‘Sufi Music concert and Sema Ceremon...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 23, 2025

Sufi Music Concert
Sirkeci Train Station, Event Hall
Istanbul, Turkey

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Hagia Sophia

Attraction | "Church, Mosque then Museum"

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THE HAGIA SOPHIA:This wonderful building was known as the Church of the Holy Wisdom, but is also known as Hagia Sophia in Greek and Aya Sofya in Turkish. The Hagia Sophia was a Byzantine church then later it became an Ottoman mosque. Today this is a museum and the building of the Hagia Sophia is accepted by many as one of the great buildings of the world.This beautiful building faces the blue Mosque across the square and it has had a very up and down history. It was first built in 60AD and was burned in 404 and destroyed in 532 in the Nike riots. It was rebuilt between 532 and 537 as a church with a dome supported by 107 pillars. One of these pillars is known as the sweating ...Read More

THE HAGIA SOPHIA:

This wonderful building was known as the Church of the Holy Wisdom, but is also known as Hagia Sophia in Greek and Aya Sofya in Turkish. The Hagia Sophia was a Byzantine church then later it became an Ottoman mosque. Today this is a museum and the building of the Hagia Sophia is accepted by many as one of the great buildings of the world.

This beautiful building faces the blue Mosque across the square and it has had a very up and down history. It was first built in 60AD and was burned in 404 and destroyed in 532 in the Nike riots. It was rebuilt between 532 and 537 as a church with a dome supported by 107 pillars. One of these pillars is known as the sweating Pillar and if you put your finger in this hole it feels damp and it is meant to bring you good luck which we had to try of course.

The Church was converted into a mosque in 1453 by Mehmet the Conqueror. It has since been renovated and restored and finally in 1934 it was closed as a religious building and is now a museum with no religious ties but there is still evidence inside of both mosque and church features. Gradually the Christian paintings on the walls are being uncovered and restored mainly on the upper levels. The Christian murals were of course covered when the building was converted to a mosque. It is strange to see both Islamic and Christian art within one building but nice to know that there is at least one place in the world that the two can co-exist in harmony.

A 1993 there was a UNESCO mission to Turkey and at this time it was noted that there was falling plaster, dirty marble facings, broken windows, decorative paintings damaged by moisture, and ill-maintained lead roofing. All these things without being repaired could lead to the Hagia Sophia falling into total disrepair. Since this time a programme of cleaning, roofing and restoration has been undertaken.

Unfortunately when we visited there was evidence of this restoration and repair work with huge scaffolding dominating the central interior which did rather spoil the interior’s beauty .A lot of the walls and decorative work was covered up so we were not able to enjoy these.

Entrance to this museum was 15 Turkish lira per person when we were there. The museum is open from Tue-Sun 9am-4:30pm and you are allowed to take photographs inside but of course our photos were limited because of all the restoration work taking place at the time.

Because this is one of the most famous buildings in the world it is somewhere that you really must visit if you go to Istanbul. It certainly is a really beautiful building which we appreciated most from outside because of all the restoration work taking place.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 23, 2025

Hagia Sophia
Sultanahmet Square
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 528 4500

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Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi)

Attraction | "A Very Grand Bazaar Indeed!"

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THE GRAND BAZAAR OR KAPALICARSI:This is one of the largest covered markets in the world, it has over 4000 shops in 64 streets and 25000 people work in there. As well as the shops there are two mosques, twenty two gates and four fountains. It is a shopper’s idea of heaven but it is also very easy to get lost in there as you wander from one temptation to the next. You get lured into one shop to look at carpets then sit and enjoy a coffee before haggling with another shop keeper over a Turkish tea set or leather handbag. The shop keepers were not in the least aggressive; indeed rather than hassle you then joked and chatted in a cheerful banter which made the entire experience a pl...Read More

THE GRAND BAZAAR OR KAPALICARSI:

This is one of the largest covered markets in the world, it has over 4000 shops in 64 streets and 25000 people work in there. As well as the shops there are two mosques, twenty two gates and four fountains. It is a shopper’s idea of heaven but it is also very easy to get lost in there as you wander from one temptation to the next.

You get lured into one shop to look at carpets then sit and enjoy a coffee before haggling with another shop keeper over a Turkish tea set or leather handbag. The shop keepers were not in the least aggressive; indeed rather than hassle you then joked and chatted in a cheerful banter which made the entire experience a pleasure.

We went in expecting to be hassled and pressured as we had been in Tunisia and Morocco but this was quite different and because they were so pleasant we actually spent more as we did not feel uncomfortable at all while we looked, touched, smelled and admired different items while chatting to the various shop keepers.

The carpets were quite pricey so you would have to actually want a Turkish carpet before buying one rather than thinking it is so cheap I’ll have it as a souvenir. The cushion covers were good value and very nice in a kind of kilim weave – I bought several. The leather goods were also not really cheap but again I didn’t really want a handbag so they may have been really good quality but I don’t spend big money on things like that. We had a lovely time not buying very much but enjoyed the whole atmosphere of the place.

There was a huge array of goods for sale throughout the market but many are grouped in the same place. the carpet shops in one area, the jewellery in another, the leather goods in another and so on.There are still shops and stalls beside each other selling different goods but we did find that some were in specialist areas. This meant it was easy to avoid the pots and pans area as they were of no interest to us and we not especially interesting to look at.
This market has been operating since 1461 and it was greatly enlarged in the 16th century. unfortunately an earth quake destroyed a large part of the bazaar and it had to be renovated and rebuilt in 1894. I think the fact that local people use the market is nice as it could so easily become just a tourist attraction.

The bazaar is open from Mondays to Saturday from 9am till 7pm, it is closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays. I would certainly recommend a visit to the Grand Bazaar, we liked it so much we went back twice and my husband does NOT like shopping at all so that has to be a good advertisement for it.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 23, 2025

Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi)
Kalpakcilarbasi Street
Istanbul, Turkey

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YENI CAMII or New Mosque

Attraction | "The "Not So New Really" Mosque"

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YENI CAMII:the name means New Mosque but as it was built in the 1600s it is really no longer that new. It is a very attractive mosque right by the side of the Bosporus by the Galata Bridge.This mosque is similar in style to other mosques in Istanbul with a number of rounded domes and then two tall minarets sticking up into the air, the number of minarets varies but this is the style of mosque seen in Istanbul it seemed to me. Building began beside the Bosporus on the sight of a former slum area in 1597. There were many problems during the building, water seepage, the death of the Sultan and money problems but after 40 years it was finally completed. It is not as well known as t...Read More

YENI CAMII:

the name means New Mosque but as it was built in the 1600s it is really no longer that new. It is a very attractive mosque right by the side of the Bosporus by the Galata Bridge.

This mosque is similar in style to other mosques in Istanbul with a number of rounded domes and then two tall minarets sticking up into the air, the number of minarets varies but this is the style of mosque seen in Istanbul it seemed to me. Building began beside the Bosporus on the sight of a former slum area in 1597. There were many problems during the building, water seepage, the death of the Sultan and money problems but after 40 years it was finally completed. It is not as well known as the Blue Mosque or the Suleymaniye Mosque but it is part of the water front skyline and is right near the Galata Bridge so someone arriving by boat would see this Mosque’s silhouette most clearly.

The Mosque was part of a larger project which included a hospital, school and public bath as well as the Spice market. We arrived unfortunately,just before prayer time so we did not spend too long inside.

Outside on the steps were several street vendors selling bird food and Mary Poppin’s song kept on coming into my head no matter how hard I tried to think of other things. Also on the steps was a man with a bucket of water and brush cleaning off the pigeon poos – obviously the street vendors were keeping him in work too.

As you entered the mosque courtyard there was the usual water feature for washing prior to prayer which looked like a small building or summer house and then you went in towards the door where you collected a bag for your shoes (re-cycled supermarket bags) and put on your head covering or borrowed a wrap if your shoulders or legs were uncovered and entered the mosque. It was very similar to other mosques in Istanbul with highly decorated inner domes and carpeted floor with a slight odour of feet pervading.

I always feel slightly awkward in mosques prayer time and always do my best to cover up and not walk where I’m not welcome etc. However this feeling of discomfort does take away slightly from the beauty of these buildings. I am not religious but I do find there is an aura in churches and mosques, you speak quietly and look around in wonder because that is how they make you feel – in awe.

This is a very attractive mosque both inside and outside and well worth a visit if only to pop your head in to have a look. It is a landmark that you cannot miss if you walk along the river front in Istanbul and it is a integral part of the area around it with stalls in the adjoining tunnel that leads under the road between the mosque and the Galata Bridge as well as the Spice market behind it. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 23, 2025

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A Boat Trip on the Bosporus

Attraction | "From Europe to Asia Down the Bosporus"

View of the Bosporus Photo - Istanbul, Turkey

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THE BOSPORUS:We had planned a boat trip on the Bosporus and tried to select a day when the weather was warmer. The ferry called the Eminonu – Kavaklar Bosporus Special Touristic Excursion leaves from the Bogaz Hatti dock at Eminonu every day at 10.35. However if you want a good seat then it is advisable to get there at least half an hour early as everyone just rushes on and the seats with views are limited. Indeed even if you get a good seat people seem to walk almost on top of you when they want to take a photo. The trip is a real bargain at 12.50 Turkish lira per person return for a trip which takes an hour and three quarters each way.This is a ferry which carries passengers not just tourists...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 23, 2025

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Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir

Attraction | "Turkish Delight"

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Before we went for our city break to Istanbul we did a lot of research as to what we would like to see and do. A lot of the things were obvious like the Blue Mosque, The Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi palace but there were other places such as the Misir Çarsisi or Egyptian Spice Market and the Original Turkish delight Shop or the cafe of Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir which is in the same area as the Egyptian Spice market so a perfect place for a coffee after a walk through the market.We walked on through this market area and on a couple of streets to further to Hamidiye caddesi 81 where we visited the original Turkish delight shop of Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir. Initially we thought we would just h...Read More

Before we went for our city break to Istanbul we did a lot of research as to what we would like to see and do. A lot of the things were obvious like the Blue Mosque, The Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi palace but there were other places such as the Misir Çarsisi or Egyptian Spice Market and the Original Turkish delight Shop or the cafe of Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir which is in the same area as the Egyptian Spice market so a perfect place for a coffee after a walk through the market.

We walked on through this market area and on a couple of streets to further to Hamidiye caddesi 81 where we visited the original Turkish delight shop of Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir. Initially we thought we would just have to buy some Turkish delight as there were only three tables inside and it was too cold to sit outside but the owner welcomed us in and invited us upstairs to sit.

It was tiny upstairs with very low ceilings which was interesting as my husband and son-in-law are both over six feet tall but daughter and I at just over five feet only had to bend a little. We were not sure what to order apart from coffees as there was so much choice and so the helpful owner said he would bring a plate with a variety of the wonderful Turkish pastries. He also brought us a plate of Turkish delight samples on the house to try before bringing us our drinks.

I had tried Turkish coffee before and not enjoyed the thick mixture so I joined my daughter and asked for hot chocolate, the other two had tiny cups of thick Turkish coffee. After eating a plate of baklava type pastries and Turkish delight (I did have to resort to putting some in a paper napkin to take away with us so we did not offend our host), we felt just a bit icky from the sweetness. We asked for the bill and they brought us ANOTHER small plate of Turkish delight which I had to decant into my napkin in my bag as none of us could face any more. It was an interesting experience and we felt very well looked after by the owner and his staff.

The story goes that Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir made the original for the sultan I who was fed up with hard sweets causing him to break his teeth and so Ali Muhiddin came from Anatolia to create this sweet for the Sultan in the 1700s and it was instantly popular with the Sultan and has been made in Turkey ever since. I’m not sure how true this is but it is a nice story.

This was a lovely cosy cafe and the owner and his staff were so attentive and generous that you could not help but feel special. The bills was quite reasonable anyway but with the two 'free' plates of Turkish Delight it was great value.

it was nice to enjoy our drinks and sweet pastries in a cafe that had an interesting history too. I would definitely recommend a visit to this little cafe. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 23, 2025

Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir
Hamidiye Caddesi 81
Istanbul, Turkey

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Topkapi Palace (Topkapı Sarayı)

Attraction | "Do you Want to See John The Baptist's Arm?"

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TOPKAPI PALACE:We planned to get to the Palace as it opened in order to avoid the crowds so we headed on turning left out of our hotel towards Gulhane Parki and then on up the drive towards the Palace entrance. The tickets were 20Turkish Lira for the Palace and another 15 Turkish Lira for the Harem. We were there early so we headed straight for the Harem as queues build up quickly as numbers allowed to enter are limited.Originally the Palace was built for Mehmet the conqueror not long after he took over the city of Constantinople in 1459. The Palace is a huge complex of several courts and living quarters and in its heyday it held a population of over 3,000 people from servants to con...Read More

TOPKAPI PALACE:
We planned to get to the Palace as it opened in order to avoid the crowds so we headed on turning left out of our hotel towards Gulhane Parki and then on up the drive towards the Palace entrance. The tickets were 20Turkish Lira for the Palace and another 15 Turkish Lira for the Harem. We were there early so we headed straight for the Harem as queues build up quickly as numbers allowed to enter are limited.

Originally the Palace was built for Mehmet the conqueror not long after he took over the city of Constantinople in 1459. The Palace is a huge complex of several courts and living quarters and in its heyday it held a population of over 3,000 people from servants to concubines to officials and royalty. It was the last word in luxury and opulence and was the home for the sultans for over 300 years. It was really an entire city within a city and allowed the Sultan’s family some privacy within these walls. Originally the Palace was named Yeni Sarayi (New palace) and the name change to Topkapi Palace came in the 19th century and it was named after a gate which no longer exists.

The Palace has had parts destroyed by fire and other parts added over the years and covers a huge area of about 700,000 sq metres from the Gulhane Park to the Sea of Marmara on a high promontory. The Harem was where the Sultan’s mother, wives, concubines and children lived and of course the eunuchs who guarded the women. There are many rooms connected by corridors and courtyards within this complex. Many of the rooms were beautifully tiled and highly decorated and I particularly liked the Privy Chamber of Ahmed III which had walls covered in paintings of flowers and fruit and may have been a dining room – it is called the fruit room (Yemis Odasi) today .The Sultan and the Queen mother’s baths were also rather spectacular with golden grills and in the Turkish style with hot and cold bath areas. There are many other areas of interest in the Harem from the Golden corridor or road so called as the Sultan was supposed to have thrown down coins for the concubines on festival days. It is well worth a visit even if you do have to pay extra as it does give an idea of how the women lived and many rooms are beautifully decorated in an Ottoman style which is quite different from our style of this era. As you go through the Harem you are taken from room to room and eventually end up back in the main Palace through the Aviary or Harem Gate.

You could spend a whole day in the Palace but being unable to take in too much historical information in one go we chose a few buildings that we thought would be of interest to us and visited them.

The place that we found most fascinating was the Privy Chamber where there was the most incredible collection of sacred relics including; the staff of Moses presumably the one used to part the Red Sea, locks from the Kabah in Mecca, Joseph’s turban (not sure if this was Jesus’ dad or the one with the many coloured coat!), swords from the first four Caliphs and a carpet that belonged to the daughter of Mohammed and also John The Baptist’s arm encased in a metal sleeve. The most prized relics for Muslims are those that belonged to Mohammed; his cloak, his sword, one of his teeth, his battle sabres, an autographed letter and several phials containing hair from his beard. These items were considered so sacred that even the sultan and his family only visited them on the 15th day of Ramadan each year but luckily although Muslims still make this visit as a pilgrimage it is possible for anyone to see these items whenever the Palace is open. It is hard to believe that some of these are actually what they are believed to be but if they really are then, amazing and weird pieces of biblical and religious history is there for all to experience.
Another building that held a bit of a macabre interest for us was The Circumcision Room. This room was built in 1640 as a room for the circumcision of the Princes as circumcision is a rite of passage in the Muslim faith. Today it is of course empty apart from the decorative tiles which cover the outside walls and interior. They are recycled antique tiles from other palaces and are extremely beautiful. Inside the room is symmetrical with stained glass windows and fountains in the window bays. I am not sure whether the young princes would have appreciated the decor at the time but it was very beautiful.

The gardens in the Palace were once again full of spring bulbs and colourful. Some of the trees were interesting as they were hollow. Apparently they had been affected by a fungus which hollowed out the trunk but the trees are still alive but it does make them look a bit odd or very intriguing if you are a young child as it is somewhere good to hide.

We spent about four hours in the Palace and walked for miles in and out of the various room, kiosk and buildings. There really was a lot to see but it is hard to do it justice so I have picked on a few areas that most interested us to share with you.

If you are in Istanbul then this is somewhere you should visit.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 23, 2025

Topkapi Palace (Topkapı Sarayı)
Sultanahmet Square
Istanbul, Turkey
90 212 5224422

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IgoUgo

Istanbul Journals

A short week in Istanbul

Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii)

Orient Express Hotel

Sufi Music Concert

Hagia Sophia

Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi)

YENI CAMII or New Mosque

A Boat Trip on the Bosporus

Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir

Topkapi Palace (Topkapı Sarayı)

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