These are all favorites that everyone must visit in İstanbul. No hidden gems here. All popular based on multiple sources. Crammed them all in two days:
- Topkapi palace & sacred relics
- Ayasofya Grand Mosque
- Blue Mosque & Basilica cistern
- Bazaars & Turkish delights (lokum)
- FKT on Yeşilköy beach run & lighthouses
On the way to Jordan for culture & history tour.
Topkapi Palace
Under light misty rain, started a walking tour to Topkapi Palace: administrative center of the Ottoman Empire & main residence of its sultans. It was converted to museum with view of the new Beyoğlu district of İstanbul & Galata tower.
Arabesque decorations & historical artifacts filled the courtyards, corridors, rooms & Chamber of Sacred Relics:
Ayasofya Grand Mosque
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque with history dating 1500 years to sixth century AD:
Glory to God that I have been judged worthy of such a work
inside Ayasofya Grand Mosque
Eleventh century mosaic shows Constantine the Great offering the Virgin Mary the city of Constantinople & Emperor Justinian is offering her Ayasofya:
Blue Mosque
I climbed to the roof of several hotels in the area to find an aerial view of the mosque with Bosphorus straight & Asia in the background:
The mosque was as grand on the inside as the outside. Look at all the stained glass & bright arabesque dome:
More stained glass windows on the side walls:
Striped arches suggestive of a forest of date palms similar to architecture in Andalucía:
Across the street, underground was Basilica cistern from Byzantine time in sixth century:
The bases of two columns in the northwest corner reuse blocks carved with the face of Medusa.
Bazaar
I thought I knew Turkish delight until a visit to Türkiye: colors, flavors, nuts & ingredients. All with plenty of sugar. All delicious.
It was time to get lost in the bazaars. The Egyptial Bazaar:
And ward off evil spirits & ill intentions at the Grand Bazaar:
Süleymaniye Mosque commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1550s had a beautiful courtyard & grand dome:
Located on the Third Hill it commands an extensive view of the city around the Golden Horn.
FKT
Beautiful trail entirely along the sea. Dark clouds in horizon from rain all day before. Sun was about to rise. I was particularly excited to finish the trail at a lighthouse.
Fueled by a few (too many) pieces of lokums with pistachios, I took an early train from Sırkecı station to near start of trail at Florya Akvaryum station. Walked the short distance to the official start of the trail.
Few people were there at this early hour, except for cleaning crews.
Recorded 30 November 2023 8:08 on Garmin & Strava ➡️4.62km ⏩7:05/km 🔄32m42 📶11ºC. Report of other first known times.
Continued the lighthouse tour for the rest of the day. After late breakfast, took a tour boat across Bosphorus strait to the Asiatic side of İstanbul to view The Maiden’s Tower, which had a lighthouse in eighteenth century:
Back on the European side, walked in the afternoon along Bosphorus strait for geocache & Ahırkapı lighthouse:
Travel
Most areas visited during this brief trip were from popular recommendations from Trip Advisor, blogs & of course Lonely Planet guides:
An extraordinary cultural experience lies around every corner
Lonely Planet İstanbul
First-time visitors will likely be waylaid by grand old Istanbul’s glories & the lush Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines
Lonely Planet Türkiye
MCCCXXV 
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