Istanbul - an eternally vibrant picture, as if painted with watercolors. Looking from the Galata Bridge, the city appears before us as a combination of colors and shapes of various shades and styles. Buildings of various colors and eras peacefully coexist on the hills on both sides of the Bosphorus, creating a whimsical mosaic. The elegant clock tower in neobaroque style in front of the Dolmabahçe Palace harmoniously blends with the domes and minarets of mosques on the opposite shore. Forms and colors smoothly flow into each other, and this eclecticism over the centuries has become the signature style and business card of Istanbul.
The old quarter of Bebek with its steep streets, the Istiklal Avenue in the Beyoğlu district with buildings in the art nouveau style, once serving as consulates, the Galata Tower, which has survived since the time of the Republic of Genoa, the sultan's palaces, the Grand Bazaar, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Bosphorus itself - all this is just a small part of the vast and fascinating Istanbul. This cosmopolitan city is always ready to reveal to you the face that seems most interesting, as long as you know where and how to look for it...
How to feel the atmosphere of Istanbul if you only have a few days?
- Mingle with the colorful crowd in Eminönü Square, and in the narrow streets of the Egyptian Bazaar, bargain with local vendors who loudly invite you to peek into their shops and are ready to argue even over a box of Turkish delight... The ability to bargain will come in handy throughout your stay in Istanbul.
- Stand between the two shores of the Bosphorus to simultaneously see the European and Asian land while the sea waters carry you on a boat. Pleasure boats depart every hour along the Bosphorus, choose any and admire Istanbul from the water.
- Get lost in the Grand Bazaar. It's not difficult at all, and to visit there means to truly visit Istanbul. Carpets, hookahs, gold, copper coffee pots - at some point, all the stalls start to seem absolutely identical, and you lose your orientation, as if in a continuous déjà vu.
- Remember the taste and aroma of Turkish coffee, as well as enjoy the ritual of its preparation. The consumption of coffee itself should be as leisurely as possible.
- Dine somewhere on the banks of the Bosphorus amidst the reflections of the water and the colorful lights of the Bosphorus Bridge... It doesn't matter if it's seafood, which is truly magnificent here, the main thing is the unique atmosphere and views that will stay with you forever. Restaurants on the waterfront in the old Istanbul district of Bebek are highly recommended.
- Visit famous landmarks such as Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Gulhane Park next to them, the Hippodrome Square, the Suleymaniye Mosque, and so on.
The city houses early Christian churches, converted into mosques after the conquest of Constantinople in the 15th century, as well as many mosques and palaces, which became examples of Ottoman architecture. Istanbul is boundless and multifaceted to unimaginable limits. And it's not surprising - as one of the most important cities in human history, today's Istanbul carries the legacy and spirit of Byzantium, Constantinople, and Tsargrad simultaneously.
- Be sure to visit the Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus coast, which perhaps is the pinnacle of the fusion of European architectural trends with Ottoman ornamentation, oriental spirit, and way of life. The beautiful garden with huge magnolias and white gates opening to the waters of the Bosphorus only complement the grandeur of the palace, which occupies an area of 110,000 square meters, housing 285 rooms, 46 halls, and so on. The luxury inside must be seen to be believed, not described in words.
- See the Bulgarian Church of St. Stephen on the Golden Horn shore, built on the site donated by Stefan Bogoridi. Besides being a Bulgarian church, it is notable for its construction. Erected in the late 19th century during the height of the fashion for construction using iron elements, which later turned out to be not very suitable for this purpose, today the Church of St. Stephen is one of the few surviving iron churches in the world. Also interesting is the nearby Church of St. George - the residence of the Ecumenical Patriarch, another fragment of the spirit of Tsargrad and a piece of our history.
- Taste the local culinary "symbols" - gözleme, baklava, kadaif, İmam bayıldı, and many other delicacies. It's not difficult, just temporarily forget about diets and restrictions. And although many recipes have long become part of our cuisine, it's a completely different matter - to taste a masterfully prepared dish of local Turkish cuisine in an authentic restaurant in the midst of Istanbul.
- Spending more time in traffic jams than anywhere else, while resourceful street vendors try to sell you all sorts of goods right through the window... Putting aside the comedic scenes with the vendors, pre-planning your city movements is a very important point if you don't want to spend days in Istanbul stuck in traffic, which really takes away time. Traffic jams and the local driving style are also part of the city's charm, but it's better to study them less. It's much more pleasant to contemplate the city and the lights of the Bosphorus from a height.
Try not to miss any details - prices, nuances, and any other specific facts that will help you immerse yourself fully in the atmosphere of Istanbul.