Istanbul

Our day started with a visit to the Blue Mosque. Unfortunately, the guide we had pre-booked failed to materialise, so after waiting half an hour, we set off without them. The interior of this mosque is quite spectacular, and it's easy to see why it attracts so many visitors.

Following that, we walked through Beyazit Sq, past the university, and into the madness of the streets surrounding the
Grand Bazaar. The bazaar itself, as expected, was full of traders selling fake gear and tat. The Spice Bazaar was more authentic and quite pleasant by comparison!

Next, we made a detour up to the Sulemaniye Mosque. Its lovely gardens and viewpoint made a welcome break from the crowded streets around the Bazaar. We hadn't planned to go inside the mosque, so we weren't appropriately dressed. This resulted in us both borrowing the skirt and headwear loaned out by the mosque 😂 what a sight!

We then walked over Galata Bridge across Golden Horn to Beyoglu, which is known the 'new town'. We saw the Galata Tower (closed) and went up to Taksim Sq (freedom sq), where we saw the revolutionaries monument. After all that walking, we caught the tram back to our hotel for a welcome beer at the rooftop bar.

After a delicious evening meal, we paid another visit to Sultanhamet Fountain to see the Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia lit up at night.Read more