💎 Hidden gems remaining: 4
Provided that Istanbul has had 5 names during history (all of which are still valid), it is a no-brainer that it must be a very important city indeed. In the last century, it has got another – sixth – name, namely The Meeting Point of the World, thanks to its huge newly built airport (it's gigantic!).
Important buildings and tall skyscreapers are found here. You will stumble upon a mosque every step you take. Mobile grilled-corn markets everywhere inbetween.
Our airplane landed at the New Atatürk Airport, so the change was sudden (without gradients), also known as cultural . This time, there was no random COVID-19 testing as we had already provided our EU-Covid Certificates and Turkish HES-codes. Walking to our accommodation was not an option as it was like 9 hours of strenuous hiking away. So we chose the second option of public tranport that droped us somewhere in Taksim, where our room was supposed to be placed.
Queen Garden
Finding our accommodation was not as easy as following the navigation. Remember, we were not in EU anymore, so we could not use mobile data. With loaded backpacks our journey began. We were travelling in circles, always returning to the main Taksim square. Finally we found the room and realised that we were in need of a local SIM card.
After we settled down and refreshed a tad, we went for a hunt for the best SIM deal. Also a necessity was finding an exchange office to get some old-fashioned paper money (it is otherwise better to pay with cards as the exchange rate is way higher).
A meeting point of all larger streets in this area, the square with a park is an ideal place to spend half of your day. Besides many small kiosks and mobile grilled-corn markets, you can also walk along famous Beyoglu street, even at night, when Christmas lights illuminate it.
Taksim square
Should you need a scarf to cover your knees before entering a mosque, this is not a place to go. But if you are looking for anything else, you will indeed find it here. Do not forget to bargain for the price; it's a part of Turkish culture. If you plan to replanish your clothes supply, remember to pack another bag! (Or, if you forget, you can buy one here as well 😉)
Grand Bazaar
"Another mosque," you will say. And indeed it is. While under rennovation, the exterior is more interesting than the interior (unless you are a construction worker – then you might find the scaffolding interesting 🤷🏼). It is still worth to visit it, if not else, to learn about their culture and religion.
A Park with the Blue Mosque in the background
Hagia Sophia's interior
Unlike the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia is not under construction and can be entered. We were stunned by its glorious turquoisish carpets in combination with candle-like lights. Make sure to bring long trousers (male) or something else (female); your knees and shoulders must be covered. As per tradition, shoes are not allowed inside.
Or as we like to call it – Mini. It is what it says it is – miniturised Turkey. Among turists it is not so commonly visited but in our opinion a must see for anyone. Models are made with exceptional sense of detail and provide great insight upfront your trans-Turkey journey.
Be aware there is no student discount and credit cards are not accepted so make sure you have enough cash on you – ticket is not expensive otherwise.
A holistic view of Miniatürk
Turkish equivalent of Alpine cable car
Istanbul Technik Üniversität
Public transport is exceptional. All you need is an Istanbulkart which theoretically you could buy at any biletmatik. In practice, this doesn't hold water (they are all sold-out). You could walk around the square for ages to find a kisok that sells them or just go to this kiosk directly.
Whenever possible, opt for a metro (or Murambay) as they are more reliable than buses. Speaking of buses, D32 does not exist. Should Google Maps recommend you to take it, just walk to that bus stop, then find a bus in a direction you need to go. At first possible occasion, change to a Metro (luckily, bus stops where Metros and busses meet are labelled well). Istanbulkart can only be topped up with cash.
One more thing: all public transport in Istanbul is free on public holidays. Thank you, new mayor!
A few times we toasted the sandwiches we got on a pan. A pan can be a toaster, you know. But even more uses can be found for a teapot! Want to cook pasta? No problem, teapot is your friend! (Water can be drained so easily!) Pancakes? No need for a ladle – just pour it in the pan 😘.
One evening, we ate turkish meat dishes at Babel Ocakbasi Nevizade. Unfortunatelly, we were too full as we ate two (toasted) sandwiches each just prior to that. We still ate it all.
Home-teapotted pasta
Mixed Kebap
Poisonous? No worries, purple flour is safe to eat (at least they sell it in local shops). Pancakes. Teapot is always your friend.