Istanbul

A special city of the old and the new

By Michael Wilson

September 29^th, 2017

The Blue Mosque

I was staying in the old town region of Istanbul so I started my first day by heading to Sultanahmet Square. This is a bustling square full of people, surrounded by busy traffic and the sound of horns. The square is bookended by two stunning mosques. The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) was my first point of call.

The skyline is dominated by the building and it looked gorgeous bathed in the sunshine. It's a working mosque, which allows people to visit, so as I was approaching I noticed a huge line of men washing their feet in preparation of worship. I took off my shoes and entered to have my breath taken from my lungs. The sheer scale and beauty of the inside knocked me back, with the intricate ceilings the centrepiece.

Hagia Sophia Museum

Across the square lies the Hagia Sophia Museum, which was originally a Byzantine church before being converted into a mosque and finally into it's current form of a museum.

The inside isn't as pristine as the Blue Mosque and sadly when I was there the restoration work being completed required a lot of scaffolding.

Still though, exploring the building really gives you a sense of the history Istanbul possesses.

Basilica Cistern

The final part of my historical morning explore took place underground in the Basilica Cistern, which is a set of underground tunnels used as a water source, from when the Romans ruled the region.

There's still fish living in the water down there although a lot of the water has been removed while they restore certain sections.

The history of the place really hit home as I walked around the 1500 year old structures.

Galata bridge

As the sun began to set, my next stop took me toward the Galata bridge. I had heard that people fish over the side of the bridge, but well before I got to the bridge, the shorelines were stuffed with people fishing rod in hand.

This area was coming to life as the sun went down with hordes of people crossing paths on the way to their destinations. This is also a prominent area to catch one of the many commuter ferries across the Bosphorus, which is another reason for the crowds. I loved the buzz of the city in this area, it really got my adrenaline flowing.

As I finally made my way to the bridge, I realised I had underestimated just how many people fish over the edge. It's packed! The top level is full of traffic and fisherman, while the lower level houses restaurants selling the freshly caught fish. Each restaurant trying their best to get you in as you walk by. I decided to get a beer and watch the sun go down and was greeted with one of the best sunsets I've ever seen.

Cats rule this city

Istanbul is a city of cats. Everywhere you go you'll find groups of cats roaming the streets. These aren't mangy cats on their last legs, these are the healthiest cats I think I've ever seen. The entire city seems to feed them and it's not uncommon to find plates of food and water, as well as shelter, for the cats to enjoy.

I went to sit down in one park only to find all four benches in the area taken by the cats!

Time to visit Asia

Istanbul is the only city in the world to span two continents, Europe and Asia. Since finding out this fact, I've always wanted to visit the place and make sure I stepped foot on both continents.

I woke up early on my second day with the aim of getting a boat over to the Asian side of the city. Luckily, this is an easy task because the commuter ferry service in Istanbul is excellent and cheap :-)

The ferry also provides some brilliant views of the European side as you cross the Bosphorus.

The Asian side of Istanbul is isn't instantly different from the European side, which makes sense as it's divided by only a 20 minute ferry journey.

I headed straight for the marina, so my impressions of this side of the city was that it was generally more of a middle class/rich crowd with a lot more upmarket bars and restaurants to try. I can't say this is true of the whole area though as I didn't get to explore it all.

Galata Tower

After a quick pit stop back at my hotel I headed out for the evening, this time to cross the Galata Bridge and find the Galata Tower, which overlooks the northern region of the city.

I arrived just before sunset and found a huge line of people waiting to scale the tower for the views of Istanbul. I decided against the wait and instead explored the alleys of shops and bars in the area.

I found a coffee shop called Federal Coffee Company, which my first taste of just how hipster Istanbul is. As I explored further I found loads of coffee shops, vegan restaurants and bare brick interiors were everywhere! The longer I stayed in Istanbul the more I realised it's basically London with an old town full of tradition.

Istanbul at night

I mentioned earlier than Istanbul comes alive at night and on the second night this was really proven true. After another incredible sunset the bars and restaurants in the area started to fill.

The mosques dominate the Istanbul skyline and at night when they're lit, they stand out even more.

Sunrise

I'd tried to get up for sunrise on the second morning but my snooze feature failed me and I missed it. I was better on the third morning, however, and managed to get myself out for the 6:45 sun rise.

There's a brilliant metro station on the Haliç bridge so I jumped on the train and set up my tripod there. The colours in the sky were beautiful, it looked like it was on fire.

Taksim Square

It was my final day in Istanbul and I had decided to head to Taksim Square before heading to the airport. The square is at the top of what seems to be the major area for high street shops. This, of course, meant it was packed with people but it also meant there were more coffee shops and restaurants to try.

I found a coffee shop called Espresso Labs, which looked more like a Scandinavian furniture shop than it did a cafe.

I then made my way to the water via the Besiktas football stadium (I did also see the Fenerbahçe stadium on the Asian side but didn't take any photos) to the Dolmabahçe Palace, which is a former sultan's palace turned museum. As you can imagine, this is a pretty ornate building.

After exploring the hipster alleys in the region I just had time for some pizza (of course the restaurant had a chain elevator in it) before heading back to London.

I'll be back

I'm not one to try things more than once, but as I reflected on my short trip to Istanbul, I realised just how much I liked the place. There's so much variety in the city, the weather, the history, the buzz, the array of bars and restaurants to try (it looks pretty good for shopping if that's your thing) and the brilliant sunrise/sets. I'm planning on going back before long