Spots & Thoughts: Istanbul
Many people say that once you spend a couple months abroad or travel to new places, your life changes from what it formally was. In the past months since I arrived in Europe in August, I have felt that my perspective was altering, however, I didnât get that life changing feeling until I visited Istanbul. I can honestly say I feel like a different person after exploring this incredible city with such a beautiful culture and lifestyle.
I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey with one of my closest friends â it was our romantic getaway we like to say. Iâm not sure if you know this, but Turkey is one of the rare countries that spreads onto two continents â Europe and Asia. We landed on the Asia side, just outside of Istanbul, and traveled by bus into the Europe side to get to our hostel located near Taksim Square. We stayed at a little place called Levanten Hostel that was about 7 minutes from the Square, a little hard to find at first, but comfortable and affordable!
On our first night in Istanbul, we wondered around Taksim Square and on the famous Istiklal Street that was also the unfortunate target of a terrorist attack a couple weeks earlier. I know some of you are probably wondering if we ever felt scared or if our safety was ever threatened and I can honestly say that we felt extremely safe our whole time in Istanbul. Of course, we were aware that something terrible could happen at any moment, however, there were no circumstances that made us feel like we were at risk. Iâve actually felt more unsafe in some parts of Italy than in Istanbul.
We had, furthermore, already booked our trip before the attacks occurred, and like my roommates and I have been saying since the Paris attacks in November, we want to be smart, however, we donât want anyone to take away from our time in Europe. We refuse to let fear keep us from living our lives. With that said, Iâll get back to our time in the wonderful Istanbul!
On the following day, we made a list of all the must sees we wanted to accomplish and started off towards the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market! It was about a 30-minute walk from Taksim, which allowed us to really take in our surroundings, popping into little street-side stores along the way. On our walk, we crossed over the Galata Koprusu Bridge and took a quick minute to take in the New Mosque across the way. This bridge is special due to the duo layers â the upper floor for fisherman, pedestrians and cars, and the lower floor that holds restaurants that serve the freshest seafood!
I have to say the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market were one of my favorite places in Istanbul. This has a lot to do with the people that are trying to sell their merchandise to customers. Normally these people are extremely annoying â we all know the ones in New York City and even in Italy â however, the people in the Bazaar and Market made Mikaela and I feel so happy. They just keep complimenting each person that walks by and the way they speak just makes you feel some type of way. Itâs definitely hard to describe, which is why everyone must visit â youâll feel an extreme confidence boost for sure.
(Outside the Spice Market)
While in the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market, Mikaela and I picked up some timeless Istanbul pieces such as handmade Turkish Rugs (small) from Anatolia and some beautiful handmade scarves that we used as a headpiece when we entered the mosques. I may or may not have purchased some rings as well.
What was amazing about these places was the ability to negotiate down to a deal that anyone would be foolish not to take advantage of! Make sure you take out some Turkish lire before you come to these venues â the conversion is in our benefit! Also to note, the Grand Bazaar isnât open on Sundays so make sure to schedule a visit on a weekday or Saturday when you visit Istanbul.
After our visit to the Market and Bazaar, we hiked it over to the Suleymaniye Mosque to participate in prayer! Most Turkish people are part of the Muslim religion, which gave us a strong desire to participate in their faith. Muslim people are called to prayer five times a day, starting from the early hours and ending late into the night. You can actually hear the call to prayer in Arabic throughout the city, which was such mesmerizing sound.
It was such a pleasure to be able to participate in prayer at the Suleymaniye Mosque. There was such an overwhelming presence of a higher power around us, making us appreciate this faith more than if we were to just walk through the mosque. With all the negative groups that try and taint the views on this religion, I left Istanbul feeling a new found admiration and love for a religion so unlike my own.
One of the best parts of our trip to Istanbul was that we were able to make friends with people who were from the city. This friendship allowed us to explore more local areas of Istanbul that we would not have visited if we were by ourselves. Our friends showed us some amazing food after the prayer known as Kumpir aka the best baked potato youâll ever have. We, furthermore, were able to explore some secret gems like a park that overlooked the Bosphorus and the Asian side of Istanbul!
On our second full day in Istanbul, we took the metro to the Sultan Ahmet Square where we visited the Cistern, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque! While we were there, we stopped of course for some Turkish tea â we made sure to have it at least three times each day â and ran into a celebration of the annual tulip festival in the city.
There were beautiful dancers on stilts, traditional Turkish musicians, the largest Tulip carpet in the world, and even people dressed up as a pot of tulips. The garden behind the Topkapi Palace was also filled with beautiful tulips! Turkish people are very proud of their tulips and this festival honors the countries favorite flower. They actually have a little battle with the Netherlands over tulips, both cities declaring that they had the tulips first!
Once we were âtulipedâ out, we met back up with our Turkish friends and embarked over to the Asia side of Istanbul!
We took the ferry across, which allowed us to see all the important monuments located along the water such as the Maidenâs Tower. Once we arrived on this side of the city, we immediately felt such a difference in scenery. The energy was a little quicker and there was a subtle buzz of business throughout the area. One of the most important parts about our visit to the Asian Istanbul was definitely the WAFFLES! After my trip to Belgium, I wasnât sure I would love any other type of waffle, however, Istanbul changed my mind. The waffle was filled with an assortment of syrups and fruits, feeding my soul with happiness.
The Asian side of Istanbul offered a very beautiful view by the waterfront. We felt very local as we sat in the grass and looked out into the water, learning the proper way to eat sunflower seeds in Turkey and enjoying some lemon soda. Unfortunately, we werenât able to stay too long due to the sudden downpour, however, we were very glad we got to say we visited Asia while studying abroad!
All in all, our time in Istanbul was far too short for either of our liking. We woke up on the morning of our flight back to Florence with tears at the brim of our eyelids. I canât even sum up the entirety of my experience in Istanbul although I attempted to highlight some of the sights we saw. Apart from the beauty that makes up the monuments and mosques of Istanbul, the food and its people were beyond amazing.
The people in particular, not just the friends we had made in our weekend, were all so warm and welcoming to foreigners. I never felt like I stuck out in a culture that is so unlike my own. There was some sort of strange comfort being in a world so unlike my own and I really wish all of you have the opportunity to experience this feeling some point in your lives.