Merhaba dear all

We shall be visiting Turkey for the holidays next week in shaa ALLAH.

We shall stay in Istanbul for a couple of weeks then go to Oylat, a beautiful resort over the mountains in Inigol Bursa.

In Istanbul we are planning to visit Sultan Ahmet, Agya Sofia, Top kapi saray, Eyup Sultan, Merkiz afendi, Fatih street, together of course with Dolmabahca palace, Istklal street, Misir Bazar and the grand Bazar.

Have anyone any other suggestions were should we go other than those places and see other land marks of the gorges city. Especially as it is this year the European cultural capital.

Thanks a lot in advance  

go to the islands, especially Büyükada is amaizing - you can climb untill the top, sea the sea from top, resting there and get down by walking or by fayton..I love it

 oh yes elenagabriela I totally agree with you.

 I ´ve been there twice. It is beatiful.

thanks

Thanks for the information about the Islands.  I will soon be there too. I usually stay with friends, but they live quite a distance from Sultanahmet, so I´ve decided to stay in a hotel for a week before moving on.

Has anyone ever walked along the outer walls of the city?  Where is the best place to start?

Thanks.

begin with eminönü to sultanahmet but by walking...

better than train..

u will come here to see our cities..

u should not be far away from what u see

begin with touching and smeeling of istanbul´s air...

yes Istanbul`s air..nothing compare to it..and nothing compare to colours and sounds from there...

Sapphire Residans in Levent, İstanbul with its 261m height is called 8th hill of İstanbul (İstanbul is known as Seven Hill). It´s expected that Sapphire Residans will be one of the places to be visited by the tourist who wants to see İstanbul from a different angle.

Quoted from: here

I would spend a day like this if I were you:

-Bosporus Tour from Eminonu (Bosporus Line Ferry): (it is almost a day..it wont be back before 17:00 I think..)

-Fantastic view all the way.. see all the yalis..

-Go all the way till Anadolu kavagi-last stop-(Dont get off in sariyer..Its borek is oily..it will make you fat!!!)

-Dont eat first..But be energetic and climb to the castle at the top..A fantastic view!! it really is..But you will go through a cafe before arriving..have a turkish coffe first there to catch your breath..watch the view..walk down...and eat something... fish of course..may be calamari..(I love fried muscles )

-And come back to Eminonu..

(well if you feel adventurous, you can get off at Sariyer and go to sadberk hanim museum..(http://www.sadberkhanimmuzesi.org.tr/english/main/frame_corporate.html)

But check the timings carefully..it says museum closes at 17:00..and comingt back to eminonu from sariyer might be a nightmare at that time..

 Long time no see my hairy  but how come you become a man who love fried muscles?  hairy....wa ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaa

its  mussel

You just fry it Ninja and it is yummy

before frying

After frying :

yazzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

I like grilled ones. Do you have that?

How about this? My dinner tonight, yes, I am the cook! Come on and try, canim!

Back to this thread.

The seaside along the bosphorus is really a good choice. There is a castle and I was told it was a prison. Just downhill next to the carpark, there is a tea house. (Can´t remember the name but I got the picture.) Tea there and cheese rolls (anyone help with the proper name?) are excellent. Openair tables, sea breeze, serene and comfy. Spend  half a day there and walk along the sea. Don´t miss it.

Thanks TheH, I´m going to do it!  Lots more information here:

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Sights/Bosphorus/ferry.html

  I will be there on time

 Thanks TH although it seems hardwork but i am sure it is worth a try.

btw what do you or anybody else in TC think about visiting the Basilica cistern?

and where is it exaclty located? some told me it is near Aya Sofia , but i am not sure where exactly. any advice please.

thanks a milion

 thanks ninja. I love tea houses. this will definitly be on my list to visit in shaa ALLAH

 thanks duskahvesi. I remember once we walked from the eminönü to the grand bazar . but not to Sultanahmet. this i´ll try this time in shaa ALLAH

 I think it is one of the must see sights. It is worth visiting and very close to the Aya Sofia. If you exit the Aya Sofia and face towards the Blue Mosque, it is just across the road to your right. Cross the tram tracks and you will see an obelisk nearby. The entrance building is probably only 20 metres after you go down this sidestreet. It is entered through a small single storey building. There are steps leading down to the cistern after you have paid the entrance fee. A pathway leads around the cistern and returns before you go up the stairs back through a souvenir shop to the exit.

 Rica ederim.

I just found out that my suggestion is almost the same as theH. Only that I would prefer getting on a bus from Kabatas heading Bebek and hop off anywhere along the coastal road where you can see the Fortress (the name is Rumeli Hisari: European Fortress). A stroll along the waterfront is a good alternative for climbing up the fortress in the hot and shinny weather. The cheese roll is called sicarata borek. Don´t miss it. Really fresh and can´t resist to order more.

Basillica Cistern is very nice especially in summer time, where you can feel the cool air underground. There is a cafe inside which is good for a rest and let you have more time to stay for taking desirable pictures. Note that tripods are not allowed.

Have fun!

Dear TC friends

I´ve just returned from my trip. It was magnificent. Thank you "duskahvesi", "TH" "ninja, "peacetrain", and "Henry". I took your advices when planning my trip.

Thanks again

Hedef

 Hi Hedef,

I´m very happy you had a magnificent trip. What do you suggest now as the places you must see in Istanbul. I have my own opinion, but I am curious about which places you enjoyed the most.

Well Henry thank you for asking.
I am very interested in the work of mimar Sinan so I visited some of the mosques that he had built and tried to study their historical backgrounds. We started by visiting Şehzade mosque because it was near our hotel. This camii is the first great work of mimar Sinan built in the year 1544-1548 for the son of Sultan Süleyman, şehzade (prince) Mehmed who died at the age of 21.
Mihrimah mosque was built also by mimar Sinan for the daughter of Sultan Süleyman at the year 1560.
Unfortunately the master piece of mimar Sinan which is the Süleymanniye Camii was closed for reconstruction and maintenance so we couldn´t enter inside we only visited the tombs located outside.
One of the advices that I´ve been given was just walking. So I took it seriously and we walked for hours although sometimes the sun was very hot (btw this summer Istanbul was very hot and humid). But capturing the sense of the city and its magic makes you forget the weather because you will be amazed by the sites, the people, the buildings, the history and the sea.
Thank you duskahvesi for your suggestions. We walked from eminönü to sultanahmet the historical sites were great and I Loved looking at the carpet shops along the sides.
I also went to the Basilica cistern it was just as you described it Henry and ninja. I took lots of pictures. There is also a corner down there where you could take pictures wearing the sultan´s costumes.
We also went to the Yildiz Park. A beautiful and huge garden with hills and duck ponds and we had tea in its lovely restaurant.
One could have a great time in Istanbul even only just sitting on a bench and watching the Bosporus.
We had a great time returned with beautiful and nice memories.
Our last couple of weeks we spent them in Oylat a resort in Inegól (Bursa). It is simply heaven on earth. Words cannot describe it. Pictures may give an idea but you must visit it to capture the magic of the place.
At the end Henry my suggestion is: visiting and walking through every street and corner in Istanbul will be a great experience, having tea or eating a fish sandwich in a small restaurant will enrich your memories.
I myself hated taking history lessons in school but I find myself absorbed by the historical sites of the city and want to read about the history of every corner I go to.
I could write pages and pages about my trip filled with all the 500 pictures I took.

Hedef, Thank you for taking the time to share what you enjoyed about Istanbul with us.