Merhaba! {Traveling Istanbul}

If you’ve read my last post, Turkish de Light, then you already know that I was in Istanbul last month. It was such a vibrant city; fantastic sights, ridiculously good food (though I’ll admit, a little tough when you’re gluten-free), and incredibly friendly people. Here are a few photographs highlighting the aforementioned attributes of this ancient city.

(overlooking the Bosphorus in the morning}

Breakfasts at our hostel were the absolute perfect way to start the day. We rented a private room at the Metropolis Hostel, the cost of which included breakfast on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Bosphorus. That terrace was the perfect place to hear fellow guests’ stories of their backpacking adventures and ezan (the calls to prayer) bouncing back and forth to different mosques.

{breakfast consisting of sliced of cucumber, tomato, watermelon, and cubes of cheese alongside hard boiled eggs}

{the streets of Sultanahmet}

{one of the many street vendors, but only one of two fortune telling rabbit handlers}

{among all of the beautiful old buildings and mosques, there was a ton of more current art and street installations. This reminded me of some of Philadelphia’s mosaic art}

{I’m comfortable in knowing that I explored the number of bazaars I feel is appropriate for one (or six) trips to Istanbul. We traversed through the the Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Egyptian Bazaar and Arasta Bazaar. Though my favorite was Arasta, then Spice; this picture was taken at the Egpytian.}

{a very small area of the Basilica Cistern, constructed in the 6th century, nearly the whole of Sultanahmet sits atop these caverns} 

{One of two Medusa heads used as structural stones in the cisterns, this one lying sideways. There’s all sorts of lore regarding the use of these heads, but I think they were probably just using the building materials they had around them. – Completely unsubstantiated non-historian’s opinion.}{coffee breaks}

Speaking of coffee, one of the other souvenirs I picked up in Istanbul was a Turkish coffee pot. As soon as I figure out how to make a decent cup, I’ll be sure to share it on here.

So, I’m not really showcasing the most iconic images of Istanbul. Trust me, we took loads of pictures of giant buildings, loads! But, there are so many professional photographs of the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, etc. available online I didn’t need to add to it…except for these.

{waiting outside of the new mosque}{it’s worth mentioning that this was built in 1597}

{leaving the mosque meant getting my shoes back on and loosening my headscarf}

 {outside of Topkapi Palace, the alleys were full of old pieces of marble and granite sculptures} 

{the primary method of getting tourist goods around town}

{fisherman along the Galata bridge}

{a shot of the best travel companion a girl could ask for as we were crossing from Europe to Asia} 

{fellow cross-continental travelers}

{one of my favorite nights involved street food, a bench and watching this security guard tend to this family of stray cats}

{street traffic}

{an insanely delicious walnut stuffed fig, as soon as I find the right recipe to replicate this, I will share it here}

{alleyways and rooftops}

Can’t wait to go back.