A regular feature on LandLopers is the Interactive Travel Guide. The idea is to highlight one city or country every week and then get the best recommendations from you all. By the end of the week, we hopefully will have created the best tips not from guide books, but from real people.
To continue this social media experiment, this week I want to highlight Istanbul.
Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Istanbul’s importance has never been in question, signs of which can be seen throughout the city. One of the best areas to experience the history of Istanbul, as well as enjoy a rare moment of bucolic peace, is found at the Topkapi Palace.
Topkapi served as the capital of the Ottoman Empire and home to its Sultans for more than four centuries. Vestiges of this Imperial past can be seen throughout the complex from ornate doors to relics in the museum belonging to the Prophet Mohammad.
Since it was nearly closing time, we rushed about the Palace, glancing through Treasuries and small Museums, more interested in the intricate design and architecture than anything else. My moment of Zen was standing in a patio overlooking the Bosporus. It was gorgeous, gazing out across the intersection of continents and cultures and imagining the people who stood there before me. Throughout Istanbul, but especially at Topkapi, the city’s rich history is palpable.
Prompted by the crowds strolling to the gates like lemmings, we left with hesitation, not wanting to leave the calm, peaceful world of the palace complex behind. It may have been at that moment when I fell in love with this great quirky city.
NOW it’s your turn. Please comment and tell us your favorite thing to do, see or eat in Istanbul. If you haven’t been yet, please let us know what you would most like to do.
I have already been in Gallipoli actually and I enjoyed the staying in the old part of Troy for this time and visiting the historical monuments there. I took a private guide to visit gallipoli and troy I can say that these places are fantastic I visited these places by recommendation of my friend and even I am not so interested in historical places I was very affected by these monuments. These places are must while visiting gallipoli. I thought that these places are best attractions to see in gallipoli. You can just spend 4 hours for that. Thank you so much…
Eat. Everything.
Very solid advice
Blue Mosque, kayak in the Bosphorus, and find a really good restaurant. Any restaurant recommendations?
Avoid Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii)– for the simple reason it is 99% for tourists. If you like blue– visit the Yeni Camii and Rustempasha Camii down on Halic/Golden Horn.
I want to go in the oldest HAMAM,in the region Fanari ( the old greek houses are interessants), the region Pera and the ” sokak ” of GALATA and Karakioi. The monument “Kinsterna ” is very- very lovely !