How many times have I arrived into Istanbul – I think it is 6-7 and now there is a new humungous airport which has been opened since April this year. The old Ataturk is now superfluous and will be a developers dream and someones back pocket will be full. It might have been easier to get through customs and collect your bag from one of the 24 carousels but the distance to travel into Istanbul cancelled out any time saved. I was dreaming of the roof top bar for a glass of cold white wine. The bar at Vault hotel overlooks the Golden Horn, the Ottoman Palace Topkapi and Mosques of Hagia Sophia and Suleymaniye which glow in the evening after dark. My group was waiting. Most arrived earlier in the day directly from New Zealand and had already introduced themselves. They obviously had no trouble as all were busy chatting with a glass of wine in hand and making themselves comfortable.
Sadly it was the last night we could use my favourite bar since the ‘Lancombe’ company usurped us for the next 3 days – using the space for their little !!!conference. Coming in from a chilly UK to the heat of Istanbul was a bit of a shock and it took some getting used to.
For more than 1.500 years Istanbul formerly Constantinople was the capital of two empires, first the Byzantine and later the Ottoman. It was beautified accordingly with magnificent monuments and became a metropolis where diverse cultures, nations and religions mingle. Only when you walk along its historic streets, do you see with your own eyes the architectural masterpieces of Byzantine and Ottoman Empires in their original setting, that you start enjoy the Istanbuls unique location.
For my group as first time visitors Istanbul is all about the treasures of Sultanahmet and the old part of the city is a precious UNESCO World heritage site.
We visit: The magnificent Blue Mosque built in 1616, it portrays the brilliance of the famous architect Mimar Sinan, the most respected architect of the Ottoman period. Although his student produced this masterpiece, he designed many mosques including my favourite visit to the beautiful Suleymaniye Mosque – it is a fitting tribute to both the sultan and the architect. Suleyman was the longest reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Hagia Sophia, previously a church, mosque and now museum, perfectly combines significant artifacts of two of the world’s biggest religions and under the layers you will find a rich history.
A few unbelievable old Ottoman wooden houses are still around. The wiring dangling on the outside looks very dodgy and are certainly in need of repair. Underneath this ancient and modern city there are even more antiquities. The cisterns beneath the city contained the drinking and bathing water for the vast number of inhabitants. The Basilica Cistern was built with artifacts from the Byzantium period and over 336 marble columns hold up the roof and provided an enormous water storage under the road.
Istanbul is tantalizing. Once a major trade city on the silk road, it has an eclectic mix of foods, spices and other goods; centrally located for trade from the Byzantium times that has continued into today. Street vendors sell chargrilled corn on the cob, roasted chestnuts and the round bread called sinet. Even cups of tea – the Turkish drink many small glasses of tea every day. The Spice Bazaar known as Valide Bazaar and the huge grand bazaar are still sited beside the entrance to the golden horn and the sea routes have been a source of local and exotic spices and herbs for hundreds of years.
There is no shortage of breathtaking views from the city. Obviously my favorite was only available for one night this year. But, as the cliché goes, Istanbul is where east meets west, or vice versa. This unique location combined with its history and occupants of different cultural backgrounds make this city a true melting pot. Their tolerance of the many cats and dogs which the Istanbulians !! feed is amazing, even providing little cat houses on the streets. Security was everywhere and noticeable but I must say Sultanahmet without cruise ships visits is a much more enjoyable place.
We enjoyed authentic Ottoman food, typical Turkish food with its delicious mezzo and meat or fish dishes. Ate in restaurants that embraced Ottoman cuisine to local Turkish – jam packed with the locals in a street of restaurants. Our dinner turned out to be a hilarious night with music and dancing. Ending our four days on the last night at the smart, trendy architecturally stunning ‘Murver’ over looking the sea of Marama. As if we hadn’t had enough we had to top it off with the sweetness of Baclava like you have never seen before and delicious Turkish delight.
I can’t say we partook of the night life which I just have to believe is amazing and so much fun. Istanbul is tough in the mid 30 degree temperatures but no pain no gain and this is one city that is a marvellous adventure and certainly on list of life time of memories.