Istanbul, Turkey - be spontaneous for 3 days

Why Istanbul is a Good Idea:

Yes, a city that was one of the most important cities in history is indeed fascinating. But what stands out most about Istanbul is its enjoyable & calm atmosphere. Surprising for the most populous city in Europe. Most impressive are the numerous mosques that stick out from the city skyline, looking like giant jellyfish floating on hills. Crossing back and forth over the Bosphorus is fun too. For foodies, Istanbul is full of cafes and cool Turkish food, though I suggest doing your research first. Full of tourist fare, it's not the easiest just to stumble upon an authentic place to eat.

Istanbul is just exotic enough to make you feel you are experiencing something new.

*I travelled in April and it was great because there were few crowds. It was rainy but it didn't interfere at all - it was rather atmospheric. You should definitely go.

What I did in Istanbul:

Hagia Sofia

This famous grand mosque was a grand church for most of its life. Built between 532 and 537 AD as an Orthodox Church for the Byzantine empire, it was the world's largest cathedral for nearly 1000 years. In 1435 it was converted into a Mosque by the Ottomans. When the Republic of Turkey was founded in the 30s it became a museum, until 2020 when it again became a mosque. Though most of the Christian relics were removed or plastered over, still some were recovered and remain on display. The structure is really awe inspiring - I visited it twice. It's free to visit, and open 24 hours - so you may want to check it out in the evening when there are fewer people.

Crossing the Bosphorus

Süleymaniye Mosque

The best looking mosque in the city, with the most impressive exterior, courtyard, grounds, and view. It was built in 1550 in the time of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, designed by the architect Mimar Sinan. It sits right in front of Istanbul University, which is a pretty important university in Turkey. Though most of the University grounds are closed off to visitors, from what I saw, seems it would be fun to do an exchange program there if I could.

Topkapi Palace

The palace wasn't originally at the top of my list of places to explore - I've seen plenty of European palaces. But Topkapi palace is different - it showcases Ottoman glamour. It was the residence of the Sultans, and the administration center of the Ottoman empire from the 1460s to 1856. Then the Ottomans moved to Dolmabahçe Palace, deciding they prefer European chic.

There is so much to see here you could easily spend the whole day. We focused on the buildings - the architecture, interior decor, and tile work, rather than the museum displays. We bought a ticket that included the Harem apartments, and Hagia Irene, which were worthwhile.

Egyptian Spice Market

Instead of going to the Grand Bazaar, which is a maze of tourist shops that you can't get out of, I suggest popping into the Egyptian spice market. It's a similar very small version of the market, so you can see what Bazaars were like. And outside the doors on the right from the main hallway you can get great Turkish coffee from Mehmet Effendi (follow the coffee smell).

Food:

Simit - there are everywhere in street carts and yummy

Turkish Coffee - at Memet Effendi

As for restaurants, I expected it to be easier to stumble upon good places. It wasn't. So I'll give you some ideas of where we ate that were decent and authentic, in case you are nearby and hungry. Nothing was stellar though.

Sultanamet is very touristy, so you need to know where to go.

Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta

We had an Iftar dinner with lots of Turkish families. Turkish meatballs, bean salad, soup, and yogurt. It was a fun experience.

Balkan Lokanasti sirkeci 2

A simple Turkish diner. We had just soups, which were good, but the restaurant was full and the people next to us said the food was good.

Karakoy Lokantasi

The atmostphere was really great in this modern Turkish restaurant. The food was decent, but not stellar.

Manti and Eggplant with meat.

Transportation:

We flew into IST, and then you can take an official cab, by meter, for around $30 in traffic. Make sure your cabby turned on the meter. It takes about an hour. I was told the locals use the app BiTaksi. Going back to the airport, we closed a fixed price through the hotel for around $30 also, and left super early to avoid traffic.

In the city, you can walk around. But we took the tram twice and the metro once. You can buy a 3 pass card at the station (covers the ferry too), or buy an Istanbulkart and add money to it if you are planning more trips.

Shopping:

Clothes - there seemed to be a bunch of Turkish brands around. I only popped into ADL which I recommend - mid range stuff that looks chic.

I bought a Turkish coffee pot too. They call it a Cezve, we call it a Finjan.