Day 91: Topkapi Palace & Sultanahmet

Sultanahmet is a neighbourhood in the district of Fatih, and it contains most of the major tourist spots in Istanbul. We started at the free Gülhane Park where tulips and other flowers were at full bloom. Our understanding is they switch out the flowers throughout the year depending on the season. Next we walked to the Topkapi Palace, which was the administrative center for the Ottoman Empire. Included in this park was the Hagia Irene mosque, Hagia Sophia mosque, and the Fountain Sultan Ahmed III. Finally, we viewed the beautiful Blue Mosque from a distance. The holidays made these locations very crowded and it was mayhem!

It was time to head to Izmir so we hopped on a 3 hour ferry to Bandırma (it was super fast crossing the Marmara Sea) and took a 5 hour train to Izmir. There was a wonderful cafe cat at the ferry and after feeding him some treats, he made himself at home in Mary’s lap. 10/10 good snuggle cat.

Spots:
Gülhane Park
Topkapi Palace
Hagia Irene mosque
Hagia Sophia mosque
Fountain Sultan Ahmed III
Blue Mosque
BandirmaRead more