Fascinating Istanbul, A DIY Photo Review

Hello fellow cruisers,

The following is a very picture heavy report on our 3 day visit to Istanbul.

We arrived on the Celebrity Constellation at 2pm on our last day of the cruise and had an overnight stay. After debarkation the next morning, we added 2 extra nights in an Istanbul hotel to be able to experience the city more in depth. Istanbul is very easy to tour independently. I am hoping that this review will aid other cruisers with their planing .

Day 1

We arrived in Istanbul in the early afternoon and captured some beautiful views of

the Hagia Sophia and...

..the Blue Mosque while sailing towards the docking area..

Our plans for the rest of the day were to walk up to the Galata Tower, seen here while sailing by. The tower is a 14th century Italian built landmark that enables sweeping views of Istanbul and the Golden Horn.

After a leisurely walk through residential areas...

....we arrived at the bottom of the tower and had to wait for a short while to climb up to the viewing area.

Some interesting impressions from up top...

Bosphorus view

The Galata Bridge

Golden Horn view

Ships in port

We walked through more residential neighborhoods to....

...the extremely busy 2-story Galata Bridge, which spans the Golden Horn. Lots of fishermen are spending their free time on the upper part of the bridge.

Fast Food sandwich boats are serving broiled fish sandwiches to hungry crowds

After crossing the bridge we explored the Spice Market.

Lots of tourist as well as locals were filling the halls. You can find mounds of colorful spices as well as dried fruit ....

and nuts

On our way back, we walked along the lower part of the bridge for a while. It houses lots of restaurants, whose waiters were eager to drum up business.

A sandwich vendor was supplying the fishermen on the upper level with snacks to keep them happy while trying to catch lunch for the next day.

How about this genius piece of engineering! Phones mounted on a tree, so you can call a cab.

Right across the busy street from the docking area, we found this beautiful rainbow staircase to.....?

Since this was our last evening on board of the Constellation, we wanted to celebrate with a special Farewell dinner in one of the ship's restaurants. It was fabulous!

Tomorrow we will disembark and spend 3 more days in Istanbul exploring the sights.

Day 2

This morning we had to leave our "home" for the last 2 weeks behind and disembark the wonderful Celebrity Constellation. We arranged a pick up with a taxi company by the pier and were at our hotel, the Albinas, in the Sultanahmet Area of Istanbul by 8 am. The hotel is very centrally located for our sightseeing adventures. We were able to walk to all the attractions within 10 to 15 minutes. Upon arrival at the Albinas we were invited for a second breakfast this morning and then set out to explore...

...Hagia Sophia. We arrived right around the 9am opening time and only very few visitors were waiting.

We purchased our tickets at one of the ticket machines, which was very easy and convenient. When we left the site, we noticed that the machines were not being utilized at all. Huge crowds were waiting to purchase their tickets at the actual ticket counter instead of just using the machine and walking right in.

In the 6th century, the Hagia Sophia was originally built as a basilica, but was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans in 1453. In 1932 it became a museum.

The cat is guarding the entrance

This dome was at one time the largest in the ancient world. You can fit Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral or the Statue of Liberty without the torch under it.

The enormous wooden plaques are inscribed with sacred names of Islam.

We ventured to the upper galleries to get a better view of the inside from an elevated point. Notice all the different colored marble wall panels

Beautiful mosaics

This leaning pillar is holding up the archways.

last look in...

When we left the site, it was getiing really crowded. So again....it pays off to be an early riser!

Our next stop is the Underground Cisterns, a vast underground reservoir dating back to the 6th century. The massive system is the size of 2 football fields and was built to meet the needs of a fast growing capital city by providing precious water in case of a shortage. It was big enough to hold 27 million gallons of water.

A forest of 336 columns which were recycled from earlier Roman ruins in and around the city, support the brick ceilings

The walking platform was built 2 decades ago to make the cisterns more accessible to visitors. While water once filled the space halfway to the ceiling, today it is just a shallow pond. Very, very scenic!!

I love your pictures but some of your descriptions leave something to be desired. Aygia Sophia was NEVER a basilica, it was a Greek Orthodox Cathedral and home of the Ecumenical Patriarch, who now resides in another area of Constantinople (what you know as Istanbul).

The Aygia Sophia, the ancient seat of the Greek Orthodox church, Άγια Σοφία in Greek. The current structure was built in the present form between 532 and 537 under the personal supervision of Emperor Justinian I. For over 900 years the Aygia Sophia was the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople and a principal setting for church councils and imperial ceremonies. In 1204 the cathedral was ruthlessly attacked, desecrated and plundered by the Crusaders, who also ousted the Patriarch of Constantinople and replaced him with a Latin bishop. Aygia Sophia remained a functioning church until May 29, 1453, when Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror entered triumphantly into the city of Constantinople. He converted it into his imperial mosque. Aygia Sophia served as the principal mosque of Istanbul for almost 500 years.

Please feel free to see my review for more detailed information and lots of pictures: http://www.pvavalides.com/cruises/greece/constantinople.html

At the far end we discovered a medusa head squeezed under pillars. Again, ancient recycling at its best

We stopped for a glass of hot apple tea in one of the many cafés around the area and then continued on to the Hippodrome, Constantinople's primary venue for chariot races in the 4th century AD

There, we first visited a small pavillion called the German Fountain, which was a gift from Emperor Wilhelm II to Istanbul. It was constructed in pieces in Germany, then shipped to Istanbul and assembled in this location.

We continued on to the Egyptian Obelisk, which was brought to Istanbul from the Temple of Karnak on the upper Nile in the 4th century A.D. What you see today is only the upper third of the original massive stone block. Just imagine its original height!

Behind the Obelisk you can see the column of Constantine, which was originally sheeted with bronze panels. They were pulled down to make weapons during the 4th crusade in the 13th century.

We had worked up an appetite by now and decided to have lunch in one of the many rooftop restaurants close to our hotel.

From the rooftop we were able to observe the never ending stream of buses making their way to the nearby tourist sights.

After lunch we walked to the Grand Bazaar. It is a covered market with over 4000 stores and an enormous variety of goods.

It is very scenic, but sometimes overwhelmingly crowded. We chose to walk through quieter areas to be able to take photos without being pushed aside and run into by fellow tourist.

In the evening we found a nice seafood restaurant with a rooftop terrace very close to our hotel.

We picked the fresh, locally caught fish we wanted to eat...

...and were served the perfectly prepared product later. It was very good, but a little pricey.

Views from the rooftop

The Blue Mosque at night as seen from the rooftop bar of our hotel when we returned after dinner.

Day 3

On our last full day in Istanbul we arrived at Topkapi Palace around 9am. The palace was built on the shores of the Bosphorus and served as a Grand Palace for the Ottoman Sultans. It is now a museum. Topkapi Palace was constructed gradually over time which results in a variety of architectural styles. It gives the visitor a good feel for the lifestyle of the Sultans, because everything is totally functional.

Beautiful park in the outer complex, which you can visit without having to pay admission.

The Middle Gate or Gate of Salutation. It is now a security checkpoint and ticket control office

We purchased Harem tickets right away and explored this section first. The Harem was not the site of a round-the-clock orgy, but a highly structured "family" ensuring the longevity of the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan was the head of the household, a role he shared with his mother. He could have up to 4 wives, with the first wife being the most influential. Also living in the Harem were several hundred concubines, female slaves, house keepers, not sexually active with the Sultan. The Sultan's mother or his first wife would select up to 4 favorites with whom the Sultan would get more "familiar". Sultans were often cautious about marriage. Many Sultans chose to have just 1 wife or no wife at all. When the Sultan died, the new Sultan's mother was the only woman who could remain in the Harem. Wifes and favorites alike had to leave, but were given a house and a nice "pension".

Beautiful, decorative tile adornes the walls and ceilings

The view of the outside world

Courtyard of the Favorites

Great view over Golden Horn towards the Galata Tower from the courtyard

Ornate wood work as seen from below

Baghdad Pavillion

Before leaving the palace, we also visited the kitchen complex and the Imperial Treasury, showcasing...

...the 86-karat, pearshaped Spoonmaker's Diamond. It is one of the biggest diamonds in the world

We also saw the famous Topkapi Dagger. No pictures allowed, so I bought postcards.

We had lunch at another wonderful rooftop restaurant with great views of the Sea of Marmaris.

Some views over the rooftops of Istanbul

In the afternoon we decided to take a Turyol cruise of the Bosphorus. We arranged for a cab to pick us up and take us to the Galata Bridge, where we boarded the ferry.

The Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent is situated immediately adjacent to the departure gates of the ferries and tour boats.

The cruise lasts about 90 minutes and we got a great overview of the buildings and sites along the first part of the Bosphorus. It took us up to the first Bosphorus Bridge, which connects the European side of Istanbul to Asia.

The tour is narrated, but for a few extra Lira the company will give you a map and headphones, so you can follow along with more indepth commentary in the language of your choosing.

Dolmabahce Palace

Bosphorus Bridge

Huge freighters are traveling to the Black Sea

Rumeli Fortress

We had another funfilled day in Istanbul and returned to Hotel Albinas in the early evening.

Day 4

We saved our last morning in Istanbul to visit the Blue Mosque

The mosque got its name from the blue and white tile adorning the walls. The interior really gleams due to the reflection of the sun peeking through the windows.

It is absolutely stunning!

The Blue Mosque is still operational and as a non muslim you can only visit between prayer times. Mosque services are strictly segregated. Men are praying on the main floor...

...while the Ladies use a screened off area in the back or in the upper galleries

The carpet gets vacuumed after prayer.

Views from the outside.

The Blue Mosque was built in only 7 years and is the only mosque in Istanbul with 6 minarets.

After visiting the Blue Mosque we returned to our hotel, packed our bags and headed towards the airport around noon for a flight to Germany. We are staying with my parents for a few days to visit with family before returning back home to the States.

We had an absolutely terrific time on this vacation!

Great review, I was there in the early 90's on a land trip.

Those grilled fish sandwiches at the docks were awesome. ;)

You brought back great memories and I need to go back someday :)

Thank you for the beautiful review. We were in Istanbul last spring and your pictures brought back some beautiful memories.

Thank you for posting all these wonderful photos. We will arrive in Istanbul in September on Celebrity Constellation and are spending 2 nights there before flying home. Your photos are making me look forward to it even more

Like barneyboy, we will also arrive Istanbul aboard the Constellation in September and will stay a few added days. Your photos have me even more excited than previously. Thanks for amazing photos!