In love with Istanbul forever :)

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According to what people say, this city has between 14 and 30 million inhabitants..you can choose any number you want. This was the longest and most successful trip of all I took to Istanbul. Said to be the city of 7 hills, this first capital of the Ottoman Empire is like a magnet to every person that came to visit it. At least I know that even if I saw it already, I wanna come back and stay more and more and take part to its non-stop life. Istanbul is the only city in the world that lies on 2 continents: Europe and Asia, and it divides Marmara and Black Seas by the Bosphorus pass. My first "serious" trip started one foggy day at 8 am. Unfortunately it started kind of bad (I had an ill stomach after a long 6-hour trip drinking all night in the train some 2 lira - 1 dollar wine with some friends from Czech Rep, Germany, Tadjikistan and Colombia), but the rest of the trip was great. We visited wonderful places that will stay forever in my mind and heart. That was the trip when I gained a sister: Agata Stopyra from Poland.
First important things to see for any tourist were Sultan Ahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) and Aya Sofya Camii (Saint Sophia Mosque) which apparently (-and I totally agree) are the symbols of this magnificent city. Impressions: Blue Mosque is not as blue as the name might say, is huge and at the time of my visit was full of people of all kinds. Inside was amazing - considering the fact that it was the first time I was in a mosque in my life. It was beautifully painted and even if no one couldn't understand the Arabic writings, one could appreciate it's dignity and beauty. We couldn't stay there for a long time, the tour was including other amazing places...
Next stop was at Aya Sofya Mosque, presently a museum, but before a church and then a mosque. It looked very impressive from outside...inside it was very dark and cold...it was really interesting to see Christian and Muslim elements together..in one remote corner was Virgin Mary with the Child and on the other side were 2 huge medalions with the name of Allah and Mohamed. According to Lonely Planet (because I'm very bad with historical dates..) the construction of this place was finished in 537 AD, in 1453 became a mosque and in 1953 it became a museum open to the public. The place that was the most interesting for me was "the weeping column" which, according to a legend, belonged to St. Gregory the Miracle Worker. The one that puts the finger inside the small hole and feels it wet, will be healed of many diseases. Of course the place was dry - hehehehe - too many tourists are trying that every day.. Then, we went upstairs. We had to use a very narrow and dark passage without stairs, but maybe my favourite way ever in order to go to the next floor. 😊
Next place on the list: Topkapi Palace - a real palace. Well..I don't have many things to say about this place for the simple reason that I didn't like it. The garden was cute though 😊 We entered lots of rooms containting what a museum usually has: precious things...hehehe...you know, normal ones..like diamonds, gold, silver, unique pieces of garnment or weapons..these "usual" things. The only thing that I remember was a huge diamond (a 86-carat-rock), the world's largest diamond. Its name is "The Spoonmaker's Diamond - "Kasikci'nin Elmasi). Ahh...I almost forgot the breath-taking view over the Bosphorus from the main garden outside the museum. And that was it!
One of the most beautiful palaces I have ever seen was Dolmabahce Palace. It's a museum now, but before it was the house of Atatürk, the president of Turkey some years ago. (He died in 1923). The museum is huge, absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. The ceiling is covered with gold and everywhere you can see nice paintings and pieces of furniture that look amazing....

One of the places that everybody should visit are the main street: Istiklal - tones of shops for food, clothes, books, turistic things, cafes and restaurants, embassies and the amazing church whose picture I added here. And...of course..the best..the trip on Bosphorus anytime. The trip takes about half an hour and is great. Lots of houses, some governmental buildings, the great bridge that you can see in the picture, the castle that stood against all odds in time and amazes everybody.

Ok ok ok...no more boring stories...just go there and you will see it with your own eyes.

Greets

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Photos

Galata Tower
..in a freeeeezing day!!!

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
the 4th in the world

Tea-man and shoe-polish man
Dressed in traditional clothes..using traditional ways..Istanbul life :)

Place for buying lamps and candles
you can find from huge lamps to the smallest candles - they speak English and German :P

Beautiful mosques :)
This picture was taken especially for my father :P - European side

View over the Asian side
One duck..water..Galata tower above all

Spice Bazaar
So nice, so sweet, some extremely expensive, but you can always bargain

Tiny little tram
Looks more turistic and very small, sweet and maybe useful - takes a short turn and goes back on Istiklal Street - turistic center

St. Antoine Church
Greco-Catholic church - on the main street of Istanbul

Rumeli Hisar Castle
It looks as cut out of a fantastic movie, but still, it was there - in front of our eyes...

Haydar Pasa trainstation
The train way that links Europe to the other Asian part of Turkey