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Published: November 4th 2009
Istanbul
View from Ceylan Intercontinental Hotel
18th floor We had a short vacation this October in Istanbul. Our trip began on Friday 9 October 2009 aboard MEA flight at 8:35 am. The flight took one hour & a half. We arrived to Istanbul at 10:30 am. We waited half an hour for the transfer to the hotel because the travel agent was waiting some other travelers. On this time, Ali bought a Turkish cell line to use on our stay. We arrived to Ceylan Intercontinental hotel around 12:00.
Istanbul is an old city, you can see the remains of many ancient civilizations and their culture in harmony with Turkish culture. The old versus the new, the traditional versus the modern is a conflict a visitor often observes. The city is full of contrasts, and colorful views.
We were upgraded to the 18th floor, the club level and we had a lovely room overlooking the Bosphorus room 1824. We waited about an hour in the lobby for our room to be ready. We drinked Turkish tea and ate a strawberry cheesecake, but Turkish style from amandine café. After a quick shower we were ready to explore the city.
We took a taxi to Topkapi palace.
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Chicken Kebab... Yummy...... It is important to point out that the hotel employees give you a card with the taxi metrical plate in order to oblige him to us the meter countdown for the price. We found this a nice gesture.
We arrived to Sultanahmet Square and we met Mehmet who was trying to convince us to visit his carpet & jewelry store. After a quick conversation we promised him we would come later. He told us that Topkapi will close soon & advised us to see the Blue mosque and Ayia Sofia instead.
We were hungry so we had lunch in Turquoise restaurant in Sultanahmet or the old city .For starters we got the Turquoise all In One , an assortment of samplers of Abagannush, Acili Ezme, Mezze Istanbul, Pilaki, hummus and yoghurt. The décor of the restaurant is very pretty, with yellow walls, a lovely fireplace, and colored lanterns hanging from the wall. I ate chicken kebab and Ali took ……..
Afterwards, we went to the Blue mosque but the inside was closed for prayers. Therefore we opted to visit the Ayia Sofia museum first. The entrance to Aya Sofia is 20 Turkish Lira. Famous for its
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Blue Mosque - Inbside courtyard impressive size, remarkable architecture and beautiful mosaics Hagia Sophia is one of Istanbul's most popular attractions. It was commissioned as a cathedral in the 6th century and remained the most important church in Christianity for over 900 years. In the 15th century Mehmet II conquered the city and converted it into a mosque, adding the minarets and fountains. It functioned as such for the next 481 years until the founding of the secular Turkish Republic in 1934 when it was declared a museum.
Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest Byzantine buildings in the world, and the vast interior, with its huge soaring dome, is extraordinary. The interior contains different features from its time as a cathedral and then as a mosque, including incredible Byzantine mosaics, icons and marble columns, a mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca), and Islamic calligraphy inscriptions on the dome from the Ottoman period.
Afterwards we walked passing the square to the blue mosque. The Sultan Ahmet Camii, commonly known as the Blue Mosque, with its tiers of magnificent domes and six graceful minarets is one of the most striking and immediately distinguishable structures on the Istanbul's skyline. Constructed as an Islamic rival
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Lamp- Blue Mosque to the Hagia Sophia in 1609, it is one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture and is still used by hundreds of worshippers. The interior is splendidly decorated with thousands of blue and white Iznik tiles embellished with traditional Ottoman flower patterns, and it is this special feature that gives the mosque its name.
We finishes around 5:30 and got back to the hotel for some rest and to prepare ourselves for the Bosphorus dinner cruise I reserved through the internet from Beirut through this website:www.bosphoruscruise.com
On the voucher it was written to be ready at the lobby at 7:15-7:30 but the mini van did not came until 8:00 something you have to be used in Turkey as they all relate this to traffic.
We were taken to the ferry. We sailed up the Bosphorus, the waterway between Europe and Asia, passing under the suspension bridges and viewing Ottoman summer palaces, waterside mansions and modern villas which line the European and Asian coasts. The panoramic view of Istanbul by the Bosphorus at night and dinner will both be memorable. The only bad thing is that our table was at the end and our seats at the
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Turqoise Restaurant- Sultanahmet corner and I had a terrible headache at the beginning but after the dinner I got better.
The shows included a belly dancer, Asuk and Masuk a Turkish folklore then Anatolian dance. Later, they left the floor for dancing and we went up to the second deck. It was cold and so romantic and we sit and laughed as Dolmabahce palace, Four seasons hotel and Ciragan palace were passing in front of us.
We slept from 1 till 6 o’clock. We were tired. We had to be ready at 7:00 in the lobby for a tour to Bursa with the Karnak travel agency and they were also late and we could have gained some more sleep. We had a quick breakfast at 6:30 and we were the only one at breakfast this time.
We went by a small bus to Asian Istanbul then we took the ferry from Uskudar port to reach Yalova after 20 -25 minutes. Yalova was destructed by an earthquake in 1999 and 40.000 people died. We arrived to the land and we were ready to visit the mineral waters.
The Yalova hot springs are located in a wonderfully green setting. Yalova hot
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Turkish Mezze springs have a composition of sodium chloride, calcium sulfate and fluoride. The waters are suitable for both bathing and drinking. Yalova hot springs are known for their therapeutic qualities, especially for rheumatic diseases, digestive maladies, neurological and urological disorders and metabolic problems.
We spent 1 hour in this area and we left for Bursa. Bursa is Turkey's fourth largest city, as well as one of the most industrialized and culturally charged metropolitan centers in the country. We passed near the car factories. The city is frequently cited as Yeşil Bursa meaning Green Bursa in a reference to the parks and gardens located across its urban tissue, as well as to the vast forests in rich variety that extend in its surrounding region.
The city is synonymous with Mount Uludağ which towers behind its core and which is also a famous ski resort. The mausoleums of early Ottoman sultans are located in Bursa and the numerous edifices built throughout the Ottoman period constitute the city's main landmarks.
Bursa is also home to some of the most famous Turkish dishes, especially candied chestnuts and İskender kebap.
We made a stop at Collins outlet factory and Ali bought a
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Blue Mosque Entrance shirt because we knew it will be cold at the mountain. We took the teleferik (cable car). The cable car stopped at Kadiyayla, half-way up the mountain, before continuing to the top at Sarialan (1635 meters/5364 feet).The Uludag Great Mountain, the Mount Olympus of the ancient province of Bithynia, rises 2543 m (8343 feet) to the south of the historic center of Bursa.
We ate at Mashur restaurant where we did our own BBQ. The weather was cold and extremely nice and fresh air overwhelms you.
On the way back, we made a stop at silk house. It is a very beautiful ottoman house where they sell souvenirs and towels and soaps and ceramics. I bough shirts for my brother & my son and some souvenirs for friends and colleagues then we visited a Loukoum store where we tasted the delicious loukoum and chocolate chestnut.
We returned to the hotel at 11:00. We slept without moving ready for the next day.On Sunday we woke up at 7:30- 8:00. We had a great breakfast this time . We tried the egg omelet with mushroom, onion and cheese.
We took a taxi to Dolmabahce palace although you
can reach there 10 minutes walking from the hotel but we preferred to save our energy for later.
Dolmabahçe was built between 1843 and 1856 by Armenian architect Garabet Balyan and commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid I, the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The palace design and décor reflects the increasing influence of European cultural standards on Ottoman culture. Neo-Classic, Baroque, Rococo and Ottoman styles all blend together into glittering opulence and grandeur. The 45,000 square metre palace cost a mere five million Ottoman gold pounds, the equivalent of 35 tonnes of gold— 14 tonnes of which went into the decoration alone.
After the foundation of the Turkish Republic in Ankara, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk transferred all government functions to the youthful capital but on his visits to Istanbul Ataturk occupied only a small room at Dolmabahce Palace as his own. He stayed, welcomed his foreign guests and made a practical center for national, historical and language congress and for international conferences.
Previously, the Sultan and his family lived at Topkapı Sarayı, but as Topkapı was lacking in contemporary luxury and style, Abdülmecid decided to build Dolmabahçe. Topkapı has exquisite examples of Iznik tiles and Ottoman carving,
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Blue mosque compared to Dolmabahçe, which has lots of gold and crystal. Tourists are free to wander Topkapı at their leisure, whereas the only way to see the inside of Dolmabahçe is with a guided tour.
olmabahce palace has a great meaning for Turkish people since the supreme leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had used the palace as a residence and spent the most serious period of his illness and he passed away in this palace on 10 th of November 1938 at 9:05 am, all the clocks in the palace are stopped at this time. Later on it was converted into a museum. It is wandered with a special sense of respect.
I stayed in the queue to buy tickets. Ali was watching and taking photograph of the switching guard. We put nylon to our shoes and we were forbidden to touch anything or to take photographs. We were introduced to the English speaking guide osman who would do for us the tour 1 hour 15 minutes approximately. Our guide osman was very funny and informative. Only it was hot and we were little bit tired and thirsty at the end of the tour.
After the tour
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Boat Deck- Bosphorus cruise dinner
Ortakoy mosque behind us we rested in Dolmabhce café on the Bosphore where coffee and water had a special taste because of the view and the fresh air.
After that, we took a taxi to Taksim square. Taksim Square is the most known modern city center of Istanbul. Many hotels and restaurants are in or near the Square and on Istiklal Street. Istiklal pedestrian street has many bars, night clubs and movie theaters therefore it's always busy with young people almost for 24 hours a day.
The Square is also the meeting place to celebrate New Year's Eve, parades, public concerts and other shows. The most important monument in Taksim Square is the Independence Monument standing at the beginning of Istiklal pedestrian street.
This is also the turnaround point for the old tram which is the only vehicle permitted on Istiklal Street beside official (police and government) cars. The monument in the middle of the square was made by the Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica and opened in 1928, it describes Atatürk, founder of the Republic, as a military commander-in-chief and a statesman. Since it's opening, the monument became the center spot of official ceremonies in Istanbul.
We went to Haci
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Uskudar Port
Heading to Bursa Bekir the famous loukoum store where we bought loukoum to all family and friends. We bought also delicious chocolate from the famous Beyoglu chocolate stalls, selling tablets with hazelnuts for 3 Turksih Lira.
Then, we had our usual break at the hotel.
On the afternoon, we had a very nice taxi driver named Ali who worked for 15 years in Saudi Arabia and he speaks Arabic. We went to Kanyon mall. Kanyon is a multi-purpose complex in the Levent financial district of Istanbul, which consists of a shopping mall, a 30-floor office tower (26 floors of which rise above Büyükdere Avenue level) and a 22-floor residential block. It unites 179 residential apartments, an office tower and a 160 store retail space to undulate around a dramatic architectural “canyon”. We bough Gap shirts for the kids and we visited the local supermarket at the mall. I like to visit supermarkets when I am abroad.
We had a late lunch at Num Num restaurant. Num Num is a fast food restaurant with nice décor and music where we shared an appetizer plate, a pizza and Bolognese pasta.
We slept early preparing ourselves for Monday, our last day in
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On the Ferry Istanbul.
At 9 in the morning we were in front of The Topkapi Sarayi. Topkapi is built by Mehmet the Conqueror as a Sultan's Palace. It consists of a sprawling collection of buildings arranged around several interconnecting courtyards.
Magnificently situated on one of the seven hills of Istanbul with uninterrupted views over the Bosphorus River and the Golden Horn, it was the seat of the Ottoman Empire for almost four centuries. Home to nearly 3,000 people, it served as royal residence, harem, state administration and military barracks.
One of the most popular sections is the harem, once the quarters of about 300 women who were the sultans' wives and concubines, and their children. Visitors can view the apartments, halls and terraces of the harem, and see the lavish royal bedchamber and Imperial Hall. No expense was spared in decorating the palace and exquisitely designed rooms, intricately detailed fountains and gateways, and the splendid Treasury, housing one of the greatest collections of treasure in the world, affords insight into the opulent lifestyle of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire.
We visited the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle. This pavilion is also known as Has Oda (Hall
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BBQ at Uludag Mountain- Bursa of the Priory Chamber) and is located in the palace's third courtyard. The importance of the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle is that it contains belongings of the Prophet Mohammed, some of the Caliphs and Companions.
Some of these were brought from Egypt by Yavuz Sultan Selim and others, collected through various channels, were all placed in this Pavilion of the Topkapý Palace. Amongst the collection is the Mantel (or robe) of the Prophet Mohammed, two of the Prophet's swords, a seal and the Prophet's Holy Standard.
There are also four pieces of stone and two of brick with the embedded footprint of the prophet and part of one of his teeth which was broken in the Battle of Uhud. There is a letter written by the Prophet Mohammed to the ruler of Egypt inviting him to convert to Islam and hairs from the Prophet's beard. There are swords which belong to Caliphs and Companions and some pages of the Koran verified to be written by the Caliph Osman and Caliph Ali. The thing I liked is that there is a sheikh who read Koran the whole time and also there is an English translation for the
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Turkish Delights verses.
It was hot and humid this day and we were somehow tired. So we left without seeing the harem which I regret now. We walked to the Grand bazaar. We had some rest on a bench and I was glad contemplating the locals on the street.
The oldest and biggest enclosed bazaar in the world, also known as the Grand Bazaar, is one of the most enticing and mesmerizing attractions in Istanbul. Consisting of a vast labyrinth of 65 twisting streets crammed with more than 4,000 shops, teahouses, hamams (Turkish baths), mosques, storehouses and fountains. It is a fascinating experience to wander around the alleyways, looking and enjoying, or bargaining and purchasing.
Here you can find almost anything, from meerschaum pipes, carpets and jewelry, to Turkish delight, textiles, spices, clothing and hand-painted ceramics. Protracted bargaining over a cup of tea is an important institution. Built during the rule of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1461, the bazaar grew by covering an increasingly large area of shops and streets with roofs, arches and domes, and it became the center of trading during the Ottoman period
We wandered through the bazaar. I bought Turkish slippers.
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Cable Car - Bursa Then, we arrived to a local market or what shall I call the “Blue eye” market where I bought some blue eye accessories, bracelets and a ring. We were near the spice bazaar and we could smell the spices but we did not go.
We went to Taksim again and we had lunch at Bereket Doner. We ate pasta with yogurt, turksih shawarma, salade russe and wine leaves.
After the usual rest at the hotel mid day we took a taxi to Cevahir mall. Cevahir Shopping Centre is a modern shopping and entertainment centre located in the Şişli district of Istanbul, Turkey.Cevahir Mall is the largest shopping centre in Europe, and the sixth largest in the world.
I bought pajamas for my kids from Next then clothes for us from LC waikiki and gifts for the family. Lc waikiki is an affordable Turkish brand.
When I made shopping Ali rested in a café and tried the Turkish baklava. He ate the Burma but it different from ours. I drinked tea with choco biscuit cake.
Upon leaving the mall there was a king of bazaar at the entrance where I bough 3 small kilim (carpet) for
10 Turkish lira. This was what we did last in Istanbul.
We returned to Beirut on Tuesday and arrived at Beirut at 1:00 holding bags of chocolate and candies for my son Habib who was waiting for us in the airport.
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