Following our amazing trip to Africa, Micah, Jacob and I spent a week in Istanbul, and thus also visited Europe and Asia.

City Views

We loved how Istanbul is situated on the water with spectacular views around every bend. All the major mosques are situated atop hills. From the hills, you can always see the sparkling Bosphorus.

After a night ferry ride, we looked out on restaurants and mosques.

Turkish Bath

There’s no better way to recover from a red-eye flight than a soak in a Turkish Bath. We found a beautiful ancient bath near our lodging. The ritual consisted of:

• washing yourself by pouring water over your body using a tin saucer dipped into a flowing, warm water basin
• lying on your back on a relaxing hot stone for about 20 minutes
• sitting in a private marble room, where an attendant covered you in soapy bubble bath
• and then scrubbed down your body with an abrasive mitt
• and then gave a short massage
• washing again
• and then relaxing on soft pillows, feeling like a sultan!

Byzantine Mosaics

We were very impressed by the well-preserved Byzantine Mosaics. Here we are in the Chora Church, which was first built in the early 4th century. The spectacular mosaics, however, were added between 1310 and 1317.

Major Mosques

The Blue Mosque, with the beautiful fountain in the front, looks like it could be in Disneyland. Nearby, we walked through interactive multimedia exhibit to learn about the history of Hagia Sophia, pictured below.

One picture cannot do justice to Hagia Sophia, an ancient church-turned-mosque which is full of rich detail everywhere you look. Hagia Sophia was grand, but crowded. We also enjoyed how quiet and meditative the less-visited mosques were.

Food Glorious Food

Walking around all those mosques made us hungry. After Hagia Sophia, we walked to a recommended informal kabob shop. We feasted o hot, smokey meat on warm bread with salads – yum! We also visited the Spice Market, where shops have elegant piles of colorful spices, but it was very touristy. There are also stores selling mounds of Turkish Delight everywhere.

One meal we really enjoyed was at the Galata Kitchen, which was a simple, modern place somewhat like a cafeteria. We pointed at food behind a glass counter and shortly thereafter a feast of different mezes and mains appeared at our table to share. Istanbul also has excellent gelato, and we sampled many shops. I particularly liked what they call bitter chocolate, which isn’t very bitter at all – we call it dark chocolate.

Of course, we also enjoyed Turkish Coffee, prepared by hand. They use hot sand as the source of heat. Each morning, I strolled in our neighborhood to try new coffee shops, looking for the best cappuccino. Nearby “Addis Ababa” specialized in Ethiopian coffee. There was a chain called Espresso Lab which was very modern and trendy. And several sole proprietor shops with excellent brew.

One night we went to Asia for dinner. The old part of Istanbul is in Europe, but a short and beautiful ferry ride takes you to the Asian side of Istanbul. The people and foods are similar in both places, but the advantage of a trip to Asia is that there are very few tourists and the restaurants are more authentic. With all that water nearby, fish restaurants are popular. Here Micah is digging into a tasty fish sandwich. Afterwards, we joined the locals to stroll the local seaside promenade at sunset.

Palace

The Topkapi Palace is worth hours to visit. We started in the kitchens, learning how the sultans liked their sweet confections and coffee. Topkapi has extensive grounds, with many specialized museums. One was dedicated to the Sultan’s clocks. Another had weapons. And one featured holy relics, such as Mohammed’s footprint.

We learned “harem” only means the Sultan’s private quarters. Yet the Sultans did indeed have many wives and concubines. The quarters were stunning!

Cooking Class

Another highlight of our trip was a cooking class. After meeting our teacher, we toured local, authentic markets. I particularly liked this old pickle shop, with so many kinds of preserved veggies in jars. We also went to real spice shop and purchased some dried pepper flakes; in Turkey, these are often mild, with more pepper taste and less heat. And they sell saffron from Iran, which is supposed to be especially high quality, so we bought a few jars.

In the cooking class, we made:

• stuffed grape leaves
• fried cheese in filo roll-ups
• smokey eggplant dip
• a tabouleh with bulgar wheat, red pepper paste, and pomegranate molasses
• a semolina pudding dessert

Where We Stayed

We chose a VRBO in a central location and it worked out great. We were right next to the Galata Tower, a landmark that you can see from anywhere in Istanbul. The tower is a local hotspot for selfies, for example, the wedding photo below with the tower in the back. Every night it comes alive with throngs of people strolling, sipping coffee at local cafes, and taking photos with their phones. People would bring balloons and other props to make their photos special. It was quite the scene.

We each had our own bedroom, as well as a nice sitting room in the front for hanging out. We also had a washing machine for our clothes, and a functional kitchen to make breakfasts. One night we were tired and even made dinner at home. There were many small grocery stories nearby for finding ingredients.

The tower also has a great view from the top, a 360 panorama of all of Istanbul. And around the corner, we visited the best jazz club for a show. We were also a short walk to Istikal Avenue, a pedestrian shopping shopping street that is about a mile long. This is a favorite place for the locals to stroll on weekends and at night; it fills young people out for a walk in the the night air. A colorful nostalgic tram runs the length of the avenue.

Cats are everywhere in Istanbul. They particularly like hanging out atop shop awnings. The locals feed the cats. I guess the good news is that we didn’t see any rats.

There was also one nearby street with beautiful umbrellas.

Jewish Tour

One morning we took a Jewish tour. The guide, unfortunately, was not great. We learned we were staying in the old Jewish district, and the guide pointed out Jewish features on many buildings, as well as old synagogues. There is an excellent compact Jewish museum – and it was right near our apartment. There are still Jewish people in Istanbul and Turkey, but they are more dispersed now. Here’s one picture of an old synagogue which is now an art museum.

Conclusion

We really loved walking around and exploring Istanbul. We were there for a week. It was just the right amount of time to really get to know this historic and fun city.