Istanbul

Istanbul City Tour

Following breakfast this morning we were picked up from the hotel and visited Topkapi Palace, the great palace of Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries, which houses an exquisite collection of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain Robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury, the Holy Mantle, and enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed were also featured.

Next, we saw the Sultan Ahmet Imperial Mosque, built in the 16th century known as the Blue Mosque, due to its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. Afterwards we went to the ancient Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races, with the three monuments; the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. We had some free time so at the suggestion of our guide we walked down to the river and Jan, Silvana and Roland had an apple tea overlooking the city and the Golden Horn River. We then walked to a really nice lunch place and had 3 to 4 courses of local food including a whole fish. It was fabulous. After lunch we went to the Spice Bazaar. The air here was filled with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron and many more conceivable herb and spice. We were given Turkish coffee and Turkish delights to try. Being a Saturday afternoon and there were a lot of people there, we were too tired to stay on. We went back to hotel. Some of the group went to the river cruise and didn't get back after midnight.

Ramada Hotel & Suites Istanbul Golden Horn

ABOUT
Istanbul, the city which divides Asia and Europe, is the only city in the world which is situated on two continents. This city of (officially) 13 million inhabitants - the largest city in Turkey - celebrates a unique culture which fuses eastern and western influences and a history stretching back as far as 5500 BC. It's a city which can easily compete with the most beautiful cities in Europe or even the world and walking around its historic streets and along mosques and bridges, you will soon see why. Be sure to spend at least 3 or 4 days here, as there is a lot to explore, especially on the European side, though don't forget to pay a visit to the lesser known AsianRead more