3days in Constantinople (Istanbul)

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We took the first flight from Athens (Greece) at 14th of June early in the morning. After 1h and 15min flight we were at Istanbul's international airport.
There is a bus every half an hour to Taksim Sq. Search for Havas sign. Once we settled our stuff in the hotel (very nice hotel by the way) we hit the road to see the city with a great history!

One thing that someone first notices in this city is that taxis are moving in an insane way, no turning signals, no stopping at red lights, no priority to pedestrians, no nothing! Be careful!

We visited several places and we used all kinds of transportation (at least we've tried). Note that Istanbul is not famous for its good transportation. Following are some of the places we've visited

- Aya Sofia
What to say about Aya Sofia? We were tongue-tied.. Constantinople biggest attraction!

- Blue Mosque
Ottomans tried to build a huge mosque bigger than Aya Sofia but they've failed.. Entrance is free but you have to get in without your shoes.. The blue mosque is nice from outside but a bit smelly from inside..

- Basilica Cistern
Emperor Justinianus built this cistern in the 6th century. Nice attraction but a bit expensive.

- Hippodrome
Nice attraction but you have to read some historical facts first.

All the above are close together and you can visit them by foot

- Baloukli
A greek place with great history. The best way to reach Baloukli is to get a taxi.

- Orthodox Patriarchate
Another greek place with great history.

- Chora Monastery
The finest examples of Byzantine mosaics that have remained to the present day are the ones found in the Chora Monastery.

Take the way on foot from Chora Monastery to Orthodox Patriarchate. It's quite long but worth the try. You will walk through some city's poor & downgrading neighbourhoods. People are nice and friendly, kids are playing in the neighbourhood, little houses close together..

- Kapalı Çarşı (grand bazaar)
Huge building full of goodies. If you like to buy something don't pay the price without a bargain. Not all things are in good quality so pay attention!

- Spice Bazaar
Once you enter you will scent a huge mixture of eastern spices.

After the Spice Bazaar you can walk across the Galata bridge. You can try your fishing skills if you like 😉

- Galata tower
One of the points with the best panoramic view of the city. You have to pay 10YTL to enter (too expensive in my opinion).

- Dolmabahçe Palace
Great luxury building! There is an english guided tour available. Prepare for a 2 hours tour.

- Taksim Sq.
Nice place with many thing to do. Walk the pedestrianized street. Many options for kebab, desserts, ice creams, shopping, etc..

To sum up the food was great! Traditional sweets also! Try kebab yogurtlu and kazan-dibi as dessert!
Be careful of crazy taxi drivers. Except driving mad some of them are trying to overcharge you.
In my opinion three days are not enough to see the whole city but it's a good chance to have an overall understanding of Costantinople.


See ya!

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