As I sailed under the Bosphorus Bridge that connects Asia and Europe, all I could think of was how this was yet another beautiful place this world had to offer. Istanbul is truly an unforgettable cultural experience. It wasn’t just the exquisite Turkish carpets that were certainly out of my budget, nor the charming Turks that offered delicious apple tea everywhere I went that did it for me, it was the historical sites.
My first stop was the Blue Mosque, with its infamous blue tiles surrounding the walls of the interior. This was my first time going into a mosque and I didn’t know what to expect. I covered my head and removed my shoes, seeing that it was a place of worship I said a quick prayer and moved along taking in the beautiful interior. Next stop was the breathtaking Hagia Sophia, which I later learnt was originally built as a Christian church but later became a museum and then a mosque. It was one of the only places I had ever seen that had a fusion of Christian and Islamic elements on the top of the dome and I walked around looking up at the ceiling, in awe of the fine detail and mosaics.
You can’t go to Istanbul without stopping at the Grand Bazaar which is in the heart of Istanbul’s Old City. I am not much of a shopper and I didn’t even see a fraction of this massive old market that reminded me of the Souq. There was everything you could imagine, from jewelry, to clothes, shoes, spices, gold, whatever you were looking for, you could find in there. I walked in and immediately found a tea shop:) where the shop keeper was trying to sell me a love potion which he called love tea. I can’t confirm or deny whether I purchased this tea but he swore that before I walked in he had had some tea and he was already feeling the effects, ah the charming Turks!
Lovely Istanbul, it certainly didn’t disappoint and I would love to visit again one day.
