Weekend in Istanbul

Our hotel, right across from the small Bazaar.

Just back from an amazing weekend in Istanbul! It was my first time, and I was accompanied by two girlfriends, one who had been once before. Because it was new we stuck to the major tourist attractions: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, the Spice Market, the Grand Bazaar, the Galata tower, the bridge area, a Turkish bath, the Cisterne, and the Topkapi Palace. I’ll tell you all about it but let me start by saying that is was one of my FAVORITE trips, there is a ton more to see, and I will definitely be going back! So, to get started, lets start with landing in Istanbul.

First of all we packed light and made sure we had plenty of extra room to bring back goodies. One friend actually packed a small suitcase inside an empty large. Highly recommended! We had directions from the hotel on how to take the tram to the hotel (also highly recommended). We arrived around dinner time so dropped our stuff off and did what any group of hungry women would do upon arriving in Istanbul….we went SHOPPING.

The small bazaar.

Our hotel was directly across from the small Bazaar, so we went to check it out. Shopping in Istanbul is a REAL experience! They flirt, they invite you in for tea, they do everything but propose marriage to lure you to stop for just a moment…that’s usually all it takes to get you hooked on something in the shop. We were invited in to a rug shop, and the guy wanted to educate us about rugs “for our pleasure” and give us tea. We accepted and chatted with him and looked at his rugs for about 45 minutes before we really needed to eat. He really wanted to come with us to dinner, but we said no about 8 times and went back to our hotel for dinner.

Antique rug salesman.

Hotel dinner was okay, but we should have gone and found the street a few blocks over that was one restaurant after another…we saved it for another night. Instead we found a sweets shop with CHOCOLATE baklava. Amazing, and then we spent the next hour walking up and down the streets, checking out the different tile and trinket shops. We returned around 9pm I think. It did not feel unsafe walking around, maybe because it was a busy tourist section of town.

Baklava and other Turkish delights!

The next day was Saturday and we were told that the Grand Bazaar would be closed on Sunday, so we went to the Topkapi Palace before spending the rest of the day soaking up the shopping before our opportunitiy was lost. One interesting note about Istanbul…it’s full of cats. Most look well cared for and a shop guy told us that they do take care of the kitties…but there were a LOT. Anyway, the Topkapi Palace was 20 Turkish Lira (TL) to get in…about $14.00, and then an additional 15 TL to get in the Harem area…but who could resist seeing how the Harem lived? Besides, it was my favorite part so I recommend it! Also at the Palace were some jewels, some religious relics, and some GREAT views. I’m sure there was more but that’s what I remember

Here's a scene from inside the Harem.

After the Palace we walked over, using a map, to the Spice Market. We went to the wrong market 1st and found some leeches for sale..quite a find! But then we found the right market and it was everything you would think a spice market would be: bustling, filled with great scents, and full of eye catching spices! Again lots of store owners hawking there wares and we saw everything from cheese wrapped in fur to the Turkish “viagra” being offered.

We had a great time checking it out, and then headed over to the Grand Bazaar, stopping for a Doner Kabob along the way. The walk up to the Grand Bazaar seemed more for the Turkish people, and was very busy and filled with locals. But once you enter the Grand Bazaar all the locals disappear. We spent 4 hours in the Bazaar. It is covered and there are no windows…it was kind of like being in a Casino and it was easy to lose your sense of direction…not that we were complaining! You name it and they pretty much had it, but the highlights seemed to be: colored glass globes/lanterns, ceramics of all kinds, rugs of course, jewelery, scarves and textiles, more rugs, pictures, a section for antiques, leather goods and purses, and rugs. And rugs.

There were also some cafes and after a stop for coffee and dessert we took all our bags and headed back to the hotel to drop it all off. After all that we got some dinner out on the busy street of restaurants and then of course some more chocolate baklava and walking around, and then we tried a wine/hookah place. Fun!

The next day was Sunday and we started out at the Hagia Sofia, which was within a block from our hotel so very convenient. The Hagia Sofia was a Christian Church from almost a thousand years, and then a mosque for almost another half a century. In the 1930’s it was made into a museum. It is huge and beautiful, and an interesting draw are the mosaics that were covered over when it was made into a mosque, which preserved them well. Now they are somewhat recovered and on display on the upper floor. After the Hagia Sofia we went across the street to the Blue Mosque but when we walked up the call to prayer came of the speakers and we knew we’d be unable to enter, so we tried the Cisterne. I merely stopped to change the batteries in my camera and a guy starting chatting me up (a rug salesman, of course!), he told me the mosque would be closed for another hour and insisted on walking us “for his pleasure” to the Cisterne…he would just wait outside until we were done. We took a REALLY long time. Anyway the Cisterne was a fantastic surprise! It was quite beautiful and had great descriptions along the way, as well as some interesting modern art pieces…more like performance art…let me just leave a picture for you so you’ll see what I mean! After we finished at the Cisterne there were of course some shops at the end! And then it was time to take another try at the Blue Mosque.

On our way back to the Blue Mosque we got to try some of the great street vendors. We tried the roasted chestnuts and corn. We also tried some fresh pomegranate juice and circle shaped breads.

The Blue Mosque is an active place of worship, so we went in a special entrance, removed our shoes and our friend with a scarf covered her head, but it’s not necessary. I was excited to see the inside b/c the outside is really breathtaking. The inside was large and beautiful, and all the more interesting with both the tourist and the faithful sharing the space.

We enjoyed the area of the mosque where we were allowed in, and then went out and tried a candy we had seen being made earlier in the day. It was like softened Life Savers flavors/colors all put together, yum!

After these adventures we decided to venture out towards the Bosphorus River where we were told some interesting bridges and restaurants could be found. We took a long walk to get there and what a difference a few blocks can make! Once we crossed over a bridge covering traffic to get us near the water it was like a whole differnent Istanbul! Almost every one was Turkish…a much different sight then by the Hagia Sofia, and much more crowded. We were visiting in early November and although still plenty of tour busses it was not too crowded by the tourist sights. But by the water was a tight hussle and bussle. There was a local vegetable market and hundreds of people fishing for supper (or whatever) by the side of the river and from on top of the bridge. It was just starting to get dark and the many signs for the restaurants under the bridge were lit up in all

Restaurants under the bridge and people fishing off the top.

their glory.

Unfortunately it was dark and raining by the time we made it up for the big view, but stunning under the cirumstances . But no my friend, we still did not turn in for the night! We took the tram back to our neighborhood and decided to try our hand at the Traditional Turkish Bath. Seriously. Okay so you go in and pay your money (it was 55 TL), and you are given a washcloth, a pair of underwear, and a ticket. You are directed up the stairs and given a locker and told to strip and put on a big Turkish Towel thing. So far this seems normal for a steam bath, and we wrap up and head downstair where we were directed to the steam room. The room was a huge circular 300 year old room and in the middle was a big circular marble slab were naked women are laying down.  A giant Turkish woman, who could have easily worked in a correctional institution, went for my towel. I believe I said “No, no, no”, but she just took it and pointed for me to lay down with the other naked people. I tried to relax…and almost succeeded, until she returned and took my washcloth out of the little box and soaped it up…it was all down hill from there. I was washed like a baby by her mama (if her mother’s name was Bertha in Turkish), and then had pails of warm water splashed at me. After a hair washing I was directed to the steam baths, and hid in the baths trying to figure out how I could get a towel and stop being naked in front of so many strangers. Finally, I got out and interrupted my friend Yvonne’s wash (here she is pictured out front), to ask for a towel. The lady pointed to another room where I walked in to a bunch of women staring at my wet naked self just trying to get a towel. I then went directly back up to the locker room area to get dressed and text all about my crazy experience. I have not had a nightmare. Yet. But on a  good note, my friends both really liked it!

After that we got our baklava and headed back to the hotel. The next morning my friends wanted to “look” one more time at rugs before heading home. $4,000 later we were getting a taxi from the hotel b/c we had too many things to drag it all on the tram! We spent a good hour at the airport moving rugs and goods from bag to bag trying to get under the Lufthansa weight allowance, but we made the plane with a good 10 minutes to spare before boarding! Great trip!

New things tried: Hookah, chocolate baklava, pomegranate juice, chestnuts, handmade taffy stuff.

Highlights: Cisterne, shopping, Harem section of Palace, Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque.

Recommended: YES, YES, YES!

Full Flickr Photo Stream here.