Istanbul, where East meets West

Hagar Sophia
Istanbul must be one of the most interesting cities in the world. The old part of city is steeped in history. This is the old city of Constantinople. Much of the ancient city walls of old Constantinople are still in tact.There is just so much to see and do in Istanbul. Yes, there has been some unrest in Turkey and yes, it does share a border with Syria with all of the troubles that go with that. But Istanbul is still a really great place to visit. It is a Muslim country, but the government is trying to remain secular. The ridged rules which apply in so many strict Muslim countries do not apply in Turkey. There are, of course radical groups who would like to change this, but still, it is a great place to visit. Then of course it is the only major city in the work which is on two continents. You cross over a bridge from from Europe and you are in Asia. Not too many other places in the world where you can do that.
Where East meets West

City of Mosques

The old part of town, called Sultanamet is a must see. We normally stay in Sultanamet whenever possible and we have found a really great small hotel called the Nomad Hotel. I have done another post on the food in Turkey, where I have described this quaint hotel in a bit more detail.
Once use clay pots - wait for the food of Istanbul blog
Turkish delights - You are in Istanbul after all!

Mosques, Mosques and more Mosques. This is the impression in Turkey. There are some amazing Mosques. The most spectacular being the Blue Mosque in Sultanamet. Then there is the New Mosque. New is a very relative term, as this Mosque was built between 1660 to 1665, but it is called the "New Mosque". This is also a really beautiful Mosque on the banks of the Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus. The Bosporus is a narrow strip of water which joins the Sea of Marmara and the Black sea and it is a major waterway.There are many big ships waiting there turn to pass through the narrow strip of water to get access to the Black sea. Then, of course, there are the many ferries and other boats moving between Europe and Asia.
New Mosque
Beautiful evening in Istanbul
Just turn around and you see the Blue Mosque

Hagar Sophia was built as an orthodox  Christian church by the Roman  Emperor Justinian I from 532 to 537. At the time it was an architectural marvel as it had the largest dome in the world. With the fall of the Romans and the start of the Ottoman reign, the Church was converted into a Mosque. The beautiful mosaics of the old church were, very fortunately, not destroyed by just plastered over. Today, this no longer functions as a mosque but is now a museum and the amazing mosaics have been restored.
Spice Bazaar
Local fish market. Seafood is great in Istanbul
Small streets to explore
Wonderful street cafes

Spices
Then, of Course there is the Grand Bazaar and the spice bazaar. Well worth their own posts! There are also many interesting small and winding narrow streets all over the old city which are just amazing to explore.

The food and amazing eating places in Istanbul has also already been posted. It is a great destination for food. The vib is just amazing. Hundreds of street cafe and really amazing food.During the warm summer evening, walking around the old city is an experience that will live with you forever. Istanbul is a really great place to visit and everybody should go there at least once in your life.

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