Turkey:  Part 1, what to do in Istanbul… 

If you’re too afraid to travel to exotic places and feel you need to take baby steps then Turkey is the place for you. A country with a very rich history, this city was the heartbeat of the Ottoman and Byzantine empires. Often called the bridge between the East and the West, Turkey is a land that shows its traditional past with flashes of modernity. I was only able to spend about three days in the capital and wish I had at least a week. I spent a total of 10 days in Turkey in the summer of 2015 then went off to 2 other countries afterwards.

The first must see place in Istanbul is the Grand Bazaar. The market of all markets can boast nearly 4,000 vendors over 60 streets selling everything imaginable. Prepare to enjoy getting lost in a labyrinth of shops as you wander from section to section. One of the funniest things you see is a sign displaying “genuine fake Rolexes” or other name brands. For a joke, I thought about spending $40 for “Armani” blue jeans, “Gucci” shirt, and a “Rolex” watch and taking a photo then making a meme out of it titled “the only time I can afford to wear these brands!”

One of the coolest sections to visit and photograph is the food/spice market. There you will encounter a kaleidoscope of colors and scents. Every spice imaginable is there, and I particularly like saffron. Tea from every region of the world can be found here. Your senses will go wild. The vendors will try to woo you into their stalls so prepare for the attention. Once you walk by the candy/sweets sections you will see a rainbow of colors of the various types of Turkish delights.

Once you are in the Old City section you can’t miss the Sultan Ahmed (aka Blue Mosque). From the outside, it’s a series of domes upon domes with the occasional minaret reaching for the sky. The Blue Mosque got its nickname due to the amount of blue tiles used. This is the only mosque with six minarets and was built with over 21,000 hand made tiles from the 16th century. Once inside, the grandness and magnitude of its size is apparent. The other thing you notice is the attention to detail of the designs as well as the calligraphy. Since one of my close friends is an architect, I always appreciate the structure and building designs too. As a visitor, I wish I could of attended when prayer was in session and see how the faithful practice their rituals.

The next must see place is the famous Hagia Sophia and one of my favorite World Heritage Sites in Turkey.  Built in the 5th century by Emporer Justinianus, this structure was built as a church but was later converted to a mosque during the Ottoman reign and then finally converted to a museum. The only words to describe this architectural treasure are immense and inspiring. Just looking at it from the outside you realize how big the inside will be. As soon as you get past the entrance corridors you walk into the main space and get lost in all the domes and calligraphy painted on the walls. After enjoying the view from the ground floor take a little walk to the second level to see traces of the Hagia Sophia’s Christian past with biblical images still on the wall. The view from the top is amazing and make sure you bring your wide lens too.

Another must see site is Topkapi Palace.  Created in the 15th century, Topkapi Palace was the administrative, educational, and art center of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years. Come visit the many courtyards and bask in the opulence being shown off here. For a little extra, you need to pay for an extra ticket to visit the harem. One of the best views of Turkey is from Topkapi Palace. It’s here where you can where you can see the sea divide between Asia and Europe! Whenever I visit royal palaces I always think of the comedian Mel Brooke’s line “its good to be the King baby”.

One relic of the old Roman past you may want to visit is the Basilica Cistern. It was constructed in the 6th century during the reign of Emporer Justinianus, the most prosperous period of the East Roman Empire. The marbled columns are mostly in Ionic and Corinthian style. The cistern is dark underground and a lot of well placed lights show the beauty of its design. Look closely in the water and you will see fish swimming by too! Make sure you go to the very end and you can see the column with the head of the mythical Medusa and don’t forget to throw a coin in for good luck.

Another fun thing to do is experience a famous Turkish bath house. I attended the one called the Cemberlitas Hamami and was a 10 minute walk from the Blue Mosque. Once you walk downstairs past the entrance you are greeted by the receptionist and are given a menu of what type of service you want. Since this was my first time I decided to splurge and get the Turkish bath with a massage afterwards. The sexes are segregated so no need to worry.

Once you pay you are given a token with a number on it and then go the changing rooms where the attendant gives you a towel and a large cloth you wrap around your waist to your knees. After you change, you go downstairs and shower then go into the washroom. Essentially, the room is circular with faucets along the wall. In the middle is an open space where you can lay down and relax. The heat is immense and you feel it as soon as you enter. Next to the faucets are bowls to fill up with water and pour over yourself if the heat gets to be too much for you. Eventually, an attendant walks in and takes your token and then gives you a soapy scrub down! The attendant is wearing a special glove that acts as sponge/loofa and manages to take a layer of dead skin off too. The whole process is about 15 minutes and its awkward at first but leaves you relaxed and refreshed.

After relaxing a bit after the scrub down it was time for the hour massage. Afterwards, I took a quick shower to rinse off and that was it. Be sure to have some lower denominations of money with you since the locker room attendants, massage therapists, and scrubbers will be waiting for a tip before you exit.   The Turkish bath is a fun experience and its something you have to do in Istanbul.

Happy traveling!!