Blogs from Istanbul, Marmara, Turkey, Middle East - page 2

My second day in Istanbul. I was staying on the Asian side, so I had to take a minibus to Usküdar, then take the ferry to go across the Bosphorus until Eminönöu (European side). The ferry takes around 15 minutes, enough to take a deep breath, watch the landscape and believe it! You are in the city that belongs to 2 continents. It is better to take a ferry than going in car trough the Bosphorus bridge, it could take until 2 hours because of traffic. I loved Eminönü, from the ferry you can see the New Mosque and lost of people around (population in Istanbul is around 13 million people). I was satrving so I bought a piece of bread sold in small cars (only 1 TL) and then took my way to Galata Bridge ... read more

Hi There. At the end of August this year, we will be flying from Cape Town to Istanbul, with the intention of going to our daughter's wedding on one of the Greek Islands later in September. We have only about four days maximum to take in some of Turkey, and would be looking to spend the following 3 weeks or so on the Greek Islands and in Greece. Could anyone give us a few tips on how to get the best of our limited time in Istanbul, moving Westward toward the Mediterranean coast. We are open to hiring a car, but would like suggestions as to best mode of transport and must see places. Any input would be most welcome. Many thanks. Mike... read more

On the ferry We began our glorious hunt by taking the usual route: a ferry from Uskudar iskelesi to Kabatas station in 'new' Istanbul and a bus down the scenic route by Bosphorus, up to Tophane station where Istanbul Modern is situated in. We were in the hunt for modern and contemporary art, but the first thing we saw were about fifty to hundred police officers in riot gear. We were confused, none of this apparent police control fitted our journey's themes of purification and inner peace. At first, we deducted that we must be somewhere close to a football stadium. After all, we had read and heard rumours that Turkish football fanatics can get extremely feisty. Late... read more

I must admit that on this trip, probably my 6th or 7th to Istanbul, I didn't wander far from Sultanahmet. I stayed three days and there were a few sites I wanted to see in Sultanahmet, and a friend I wanted to visit, but mostly I just wanted to wander the streets a bit and relax and have some good food and drink. I accomplished all of this and then some. This trip to Turkey was bittersweet for me. There are many things I love about Turkey, and many things I don't. But after my experience of living in Selçuk for one year, in a relationship that was bad and ended badly, I wasn't sure I would ever want to come back. I have been to Turkey twice now since I moved from Selçuk, and both ... read more

Our first stop today was the Dolmabahçe Palace. We caught the tram to the Kabatas terminus and then walked from there to the palace entrance. We arrived just in time to slip on our plastic overshoes and join the 9.30am English speaking tour. In 1843, Sultan Abdül Mecit wanted to reinvent the Ottoman Empire in a European image. The luxurious and lavishly decorated Dolmabahçe Sarayi, completed in 1856, is the result of that ambition. The gold and crystal decorations rival those of the Palace of Versailles in France. The sheer extravagance of this palace hastened the end of the Empire and the last emperor fled from here into exile in 1922. In 1922 the sultanate was abolished and in 1923 a republic was declared. Turkey's first president, Mustafa Kemal Pasa (Atatürk - 'Father of the Turks') ... read more