Istanbul Essentials - Time to be a Tourist
There comes a time in any holiday, be it city break, or more extended travel, where you can no longer avoid your destination's most famous attractions. For us, this occurred near to the end of our time in Istanbul. We had eaten the food, drunk the wine and wandered the streets of this amazing city, but now was the time for us to hit up its most iconic landmarks.
Glancing across Istanbul's skyline you can’t fail but to be impressed by its myriad clusters of pointed minarets, and elegant mosque domes. We wanted a better vantage point, so we decided to make for the closest of the city's main attractions namely, the Galata Tower.
The Galata Tower
The Galata Tower dominates the Beyoğlu district. It’s prominently visible for miles and miles around. Indeed on our day trip to the Princes Islands it was a good hour plus on the ferry before we had lost sight of it. Making our way to the tram carriage turned ticket office, we handed over the 175 Turkish Lira each (£8.24 or $9.85) and got in line for the tower.
The Galata Tower seemed to always be busy. We have heard that it's less crowded when it opens (9am) in the morning, but we were too lazy to test this theory. The queue spiralled around the bottom of the tower but moved quickly. Once inside, there is a lift to take you up to the top floors. The lift impressed us very much, as up to this point Istanbul had been a constant leg workout, climbing hills, stairs, and steep cobbled streets. Disembarking from the lift we were greeted by a huge model panorama of Istanbul. The city's highlights picked out and floating above the rest of the diorama. Up a final set of stairs (Istanbul will always make you work for it) waited the main event.
At the top of the tower the 360 degree balcony affords unrivalled views of the city. You may have to jostle for space amongst the throng of selfie snapping tourists (no judgement here we were also snapping selfies), but the views were well worth it. We had a clear day and could see all across the city's rooftops, right out across the Bosphorus. Pictures taken and selfies snapped, we descended the tower. The way down is via stairs (optional, you could ride the lift down), and contains a history of the district and its Venetian influences, as well as changing temporary exhibitions. We don’t want to just repeat Wikipedia so we won’t go into the history here, but can report that the small exhibitions were interesting without ever being overwhelming. The Galata Tower, even if it was a little pricey, is well worth a visit. The magnificent views alone justify the price of entry.
The Hagia Sophia
Crossing the Galata Bridge, we moved on. Next up was the big one. If you think of Istanbul, the defining image in many people's minds will be the Hagia Sophia.
Having been built by the Eastern Roman Empire, this colossal monument to faith, started as a Christian cathedral, and is now a grand mosque. The Hagia Sophia is one of the most iconic destinations of the city. Entry is free (score for the backpacker budget), but there was a long line. Luckily the queue moved very quickly and with a swift purchase of a head shawl for Ellie (as a girl you need to cover your hair and not be wearing shorts or short skirts, men need to have covered shoulders and again no shorts) costing 10 Turkish Lira (47p or $0.56) we were soon inside this mammoth building. Upon entry you are asked to remove your shoes, this is done inside an impressive cavernous corridor with a huge vaulted ceiling. Shoes stowed, we crossed the threshold and entered the central dome of the mosque.
Pictures really don’t give you a sense of scale. The rich blue, black and gold dome soars overhead, reaching up to 180 feet high at its peak. Old paintings and frescoes from when the mosque was a Christian cathedral sit alongside stunning Islamic calligraphy. Layers of chandeliers drop down like bejewelled halos casting a golden light throughout the space. The plush carpet, atmospheric light and overall scale lent the Hagia Sophia an air of tranquil serenity brought about by sheer awe. Again, you’ve seen pictures of the place and our photos alongside this, but you really cannot get a sense of the scale and beauty of the building. We hate to use the phrase but it really is a “must see” whilst in Istanbul.
The Blue Mosque
Across the square from the Hagia Sophia lies the Blue Mosque. We visited whilst it was still being heavily renovated. This had the advantage of there being no line to get in, but the disadvantage of most of the interior being screened away behind scaffolding. Again, this is a place of worship so entry is free, but you will need to dress appropriately and remove your shoes. The glimpses between scaffolding offered hints of what an impressive building this is, or at least will be when the renovation is completed. If we find ourselves in Istanbul in future, we will definitely be giving this another go. We’d still recommend having a look as it’s not far from the Hagia Sophia (literally 5 minutes from the entrance) and again, it was free.
Even despite the scaffolding, you can see that the Blue Mosque is an incredible building.
The Grand Bazaar
After the Blue Mosque we headed to the Grand Bazaar.
John has very fond childhood memories of the Grand Bazaar. He visited as a gobby little 10 year old and clearly remembers “haggling” over a Nike tracksuit of questionable authenticity (I’m not saying it was fake but it did fall apart three days later). Older, but not necessarily much wiser (and not in pursuit of a Nike tracksuit) we entered the maze-like warren that is the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. With over 4000 shops, the Grand Bazaar truly lives up to its name. One of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, the Grand Bazaar sprawls out in all directions. Corridors of shops interconnecting with each other. Tea shops, water fountains and every variety of jewellers and souvenir shops vie for space amongst the ancient arches. We feel that no matter what you set out for, you’d probably be able to find it for sale somewhere within the labyrinth. We however were at the start of our backpacking trip and, as previously mentioned, had no spare space in our bags, therefore there would be no room for impulse purchases. The evil eye charms, mosaic tiles and spices would all have to wait. Even if you’re like us and not there to buy anything, the Grand Bazaar really should not be missed.
As a bonus, if you exit the Grand Bazaar to the north and head down the hill towards the Galata Bridge, you will find yourself in a fascinating outdoor market district. Groups of sellers, each specialising in one trade or goods, ply their wares on the street. Despite lacking the impressive architecture of the Grand Bazaar, we found this area to be almost as fascinating, to wander through.
Being A Tourist in Istanbul
This article was called the tourist day, but this is not meant sneeringly after all, we are tourists! Sometimes places become popular with tourists for a reason and the Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, The Grand Bazaar and the Galata Tower were all “touristy” with the usual trappings of touts, unwanted offers tour guides and the ever present tourist tat shops, however this did not override the wonder of each place. With the exception of the Galata Tower, all the places we have listed are free of entry, and a good chunk of the accommodation of the city will be within walking distance of them. As we mentioned previously, we don’t like the term “must see” but at the same time, these places are so important, beautiful and rooted in the identity of Istanbul that no visit to the city should be without a trip to admire them.
Thanks for reading.
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
Obligatory Galata Tower selfie!
*Prices correct at time of writing - August 2022
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