Istanbul: a place where Asia meets Europe.

Once, Susan Moody said, “Istanbul, the constant beating of the wave of the east against the rock of the west”. This phrase could prepare a visitor to figure out how it’s to be in Istanbul, a city that reclines on the Bosporus strait with one foot on Europe and other on Asia, the meeting place of two cultures, you’ll perceive a western atmosphere with a middle east touch, modern and traditional, liberal and yet conservative, where minarets effortlessly coexists with European progressiveness, a place where women wearing veils enjoy snacks in cafes and men find time to go to a mosque and watch a football match. It’s clear that Istanbul is part of an Islamic country but is neither willing nor able to forget its European Greek roots.

View of Istanbul 

What to expect.

Istanbul is a transcontinental city, picturesque, vibrant, and full of energy. It has beautiful landmarks like Hagia Sophia, Galata Tower and The Blue Mosque, even the areas far away from the tourist attractions are nicely decorated, parks, gardens, the Sea of Marmara, the bridges, the sunsets. It’s a city that hardly disappoint since its perfect balancing act between natural beauty and astonishing buildings.

Hagia Sophia 

A fresco of Jesus inside the former St Sophia Cathedral

A Piece of advice

Though Istanbulites are open and friendly and always willing to help visitors doing their best to speak English, I would recommend travelers to learn some Turkish words, it’d be useful to connect with people and have a better experience.

You can use these simple words to show interest for Turkey and also cultural appreciation:

Merhaba (hello)

Güle,  Güle (good bye)

Tesekcür ederim (thank you)

 Evet (yes)

 Hayir (no)

 Trust me, these words and a big smile will open doors and would make your visit nicer.

Istanbul card

When it comes to getting around the city, the first thing I’d say to any traveler is buy an Istanbul card (available to purchase at the airport), you can use it to pay for the rides in the subway, tram, ferry and buses. The cost of the card is 6 ₺ (Liras) and each ride costs 2.50 ₺ The fare from the airport to the city center by taxi is about 40 €, by bus you pay less than 4 € (it depends on the place where you´re going).

Galata Tower one of the symbols of Istanbul

Landmarks in Istanbul

A great place to start your visit is Hagia Sophia, it was build in Ad 537 and it is worth a visit for its Byzantine architecture (it was considered one of the most beautiful buildings of Europe at the time it was built), it has also a historical relevance, Hagia Sophia has been a witness of Istanbul’s history, in the past was an orthodox cathedral, after the Ottoman invasion a mosque and nowadays, a museum (tickets for adults: 30 ₺). From Hagia Sophia you can walk to Topkapi Palace (5 minutes), it was the residence of Sultans and today it is a museum (tickets for adults: 72 ₺), it won’t take more than one hour and a half visit both places.

Walk across Galata bridge

After the museums tour you to take the tram till Eminonu station and cross by foot the Galata Bridge (Galata Koprusu in Turkish), the view of the city is fantastic from this place (make sure you have time to contemplate a sunset from the bridge).Keep walking to Galata Tower,  it’s the perfect place for a selfie, then find the way to Taksim square using your ability to communicate with Istanbulites (speaking Turkish or letting a pantomime of gesticulation do its job) and be prepared to see lots of people and experience the energy of Istanbul, you can explore the streets near the square and do a little glass shopping or just people watch. From this place you can go everywhere in the city, Taksim is a commercial and transport intersection like Piccadilly Circus in London or Times Square in New York City.

View of Eminonu from Karakoy

Where to eat

For lunch or dinner I recommend Hanzade Terrace Restaurant (Emin Sinan Mah. Piyer Loti Cad. No: 35, Sultanahmet), it is budget friendly restaurant (25 euros for a three-course dinner) with a great view and delicious food (fresh fish highly recommended and also the ZibritKebabi which is grilled chicken) the staff are really friendly and I’m quite sure you won’t regret visit this place.

Another cool place to explore is Kadikoy, it's consider the cultural center of the Anatolian side of the city. You can get there by ferry from the Eminonu pier.  This district is in the Asian part of Istanbul, you will find many cafes, restaurants (like Siya Sofrasi, CaferagaMahallesi, Gunesli BahceSk. No: 43 for traditional Turkish food, in my opinion a little bit overpriced) and bookstores. People said that Kadikoy is cheap but based on my experience, I could say that it is even more expensive than Karakoy or Fener, at least when it comes to restaurants. Keep in mind that many Turkish students prefer to live in Kadikoy because rents are cheaper than in the European side (where most of the universities are located), in light of it, I guess you can find cheap eats too!

Turkish flag in a park near Topkapi palace

Final words

Istanbul is a cosmopolitan city, cheaper than many big European capitals, it’s a good public transport, beautiful places to visit, restaurants, many educational institutions, using your common sense it’s safe and people are friendly and helpful. So my piece of advice is don’t give it a second thought, buy the tickets, learn some Turkish words and enjoy Istanbul!

 

 

---

Photo gallery