October 2022:
I flew to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines from Manchester. The flight time was about 4 hours and we landed at Istanbul’s fancy new international airport that opened in 2018. The new airport is huge: it takes 20 minutes just to taxi to the gates and then, depending on which gate you dock at, it can be a long walk to passport control. Passport control is pretty efficient, however, and reasonably friendly…
The airport is around 45km from the city centre and, because traffic is dreadful in Istanbul, it can easily take around 1hr30 to get to your destination. Getting to the Sabiha Gokcen airport takes around 1hr20. The two airports are 85km apart and the journey is mostly motorway but it can easily jam-up. There are plans to build a rail link between the two airports…
Wherever you’re going, book a taxi in advance. You should get instructions via email or SMS on how to find your taxi once you’ve cleared customs. For one of my journeys I received a neat little video via SMS, which was short but very clear.
At the International Airport it’s exit 13, which is clearly signed. At Sabiha Gokcen it’s pillar 13 – again, you can’t miss it. Then look out for someone waving a sign – e.g. “SAW” or “Q7” – they will check your name, confirm destination and lead you to your taxi. This process can take around 15 minutes as it gets busy, seems chaotic but does work. Note that because of security restrictions there’ll be no one to meet you as you clear customs and head out into the arrivals hall.
If you don’t want to get a taxi, there are coaches and you can pay by card on boarding – see: https://www.hava.ist/en/
Note, too, that on arrival at the airport for a departure you have to go through security before you can enter the terminal. If you love queuing, then Istanbul’s airports are the places for you…
Hagia Sophia:
Construction of the first church on this site began in 532 but numerous earthquakes over the years necessitated rebuilding. When Sultan Mehmed II subsequently conquered Constantinople in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was rebuilt as a mosque. Intriguingly some Christian imagery still remains. The mosque has been rebuilt and added to over the centuries, as you can see from the less than cohesive design. In 1934 the Hagia Sophia became a museum and then reverted to being a mosque in 2020. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. Hagia is pronounced as in “higher”
Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque):
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque was built between 1609 and 1617 and is also known as the “Blue Mosque” because of the blue tiles used to decorate the walls of its interior. Restoration of the mosque began in 2017 and is due to be completed by 2024. In the meantime you can’t see much of its glorious interior…
Süleymaniye Mosque:
The Süleymaniye Mosque sits atop one of the hills in the old city, from where you can get great views over Istanbul. It was completed in 1557 but ravaged by fire in 1660 and subsequently rebuilt. It suffered further extensive fire damage during WWI and wasn’t fully restored until 1956
Eminönü New Mosque:
The New Queen Mother Mosque (Yeni Valide Camii), commonly called the New Mosque (Yeni Cami), looks over the ferry docks in Eminönü, at the southern end of the Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn. It is absolutely glorious inside. It might not be as grand or as imposing as either the Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque but it is a real gem. It was built between 1597 and 1663. Building stopped 1603 following the death of Sultan Mehmet III and didn’t recommence until 1660. The Egyptian Spice Bazaar is nearby, which is another treat…
Other Mosques:
Topkapi Palace:
Topkapı Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was the residence of the Ottoman sultans and the administrative centre of the empire. Built between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople. In the early 1850s, the palace was regarded as inadequate and so the sultans moved to the glitzy Dolmabahçe Palace. However, the royal treasures, holy relics and imperial archives remained at Topkapı. Following the demise of the Ottoman monarchy in 1922, Topkapı Palace was converted into a museum in 1924…
It is a big place to visit and queuing up to get tickets and through security can take a while. My guide said she would do the “quick tour” taking 3 hours – normally she would take 5 hours…
Yerebatan Basilica Cistern:
It was built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in 542 and known as the Basilica Cistern as there used to be a basilica at the same location. In Turkish, it is known as the Yerebatan Sarayı or “Subterranean Palace”. It is capable of holding almost 80,000 cubic meters of water, meeting the water needs of the Byzantine palaces and other residents in the area. Recent renovations have incorporated atmospheric lighting of different colours – which is quite neat. Red lighting shown here but it switches to green, purple and normal. There are also some modern “artworks” – like the hand…
Grand Bazaar:
The Grand Bazaar was built around 1460, has around around 3,600 different shops spread along around 60 streets. Numbers and dates vary by website but it is big and one of the oldest such markets in the world. Bizarrely, it is closed on Sundays. It is undergoing refurbishment, which will hopefully brighten it up and make it less shabby. A lot of the shops sell tourist stuff but there are also some selling genuine craft ware…
Egyptian Spice Bazaar:
The Spice Bazaar dates from around 1664 and built as part of the Yeni Camii complex. It is open on Sundays. It is clean, bright and colourful…
Dolmabahçe Palace:
The Dolmabahçe Palace was built between 1843-56 and was designed to impress. The Ottoman Empire was in decline and the Sultans wanted to break with tradition and so the design is a mixture of Baroque, Rococo, Neo-Classic and Ottoman…
The Bosphorus (or Bosporos):
Street Scenes:
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