Istanbul Travel

Istanbul Turkey
		The portion of Istanbul North of the Golden Horn is called Beyoglu. The photo below to the left is the main street, Istiklal Ceddesi. Below to the right is an area, in Beyoglu, called Cukurcuma. Here you will find shops with antiques and unusual old objects for sale on the street, outside the shops.

		Galata Tower was built in the mid 1300s. It, like the Four Seasons Hotel, was once a prison. The admission is 10TL. There is an elevator followed by two flights of stairs. From the top you can see across the Golden Horn and all the Mosques in Sultanahmet. There is a restaurant and nightclub at the top.
Istiklal Caddesi (avenue) looks a bit like 7th Avenue in NYC. There are rarely cars on this street but trolleys come up the middle every 15 minutes or so. Beware of confidence scams in this area. Overall we had very little trouble in Istanbul. It seems as safe or safer than your average large city.
The Basilica Cistern is a 'don't miss' in my opinion. A hour is enough time to see it entirely. Make sure you find the Medusa heads used to support the columns at the farthest end. Monday is a good day to see the Cistern and the Blue mosque as most of the museums are closed. There are many fish living in the three feet or so of water.

		Archeology Museum - Price 5TL I believe this is one of the top attractions in Istanbul. The main hall of the archeology museum is worth 3 hours or more alone. The museum is open every day except Monday from 9am to 5pm. The Istanbul Museum of Archeology is overflowing (literally into the lawn) with fantastic artifacts. You can get as close as you like to almost everything.

		Cats are everywhere in Istanbul and they all appear to be well fed. Cat statues represent the Goddess BASET. You will sometimes see them sleeping on the outdoor displays of carpet stores but the shop owners don't seem to mind.
Blue mosque - Free If you get to the Blue mosque early there will likely be no line. The inside doesn't warrant much time because it is operational and tourists are given access to very little of it. When electricity was added, wires were run from the top of the structure to just 12 feet from the floor. These take away from the beauty of the mosque and render a camera nearly useless inside. To the right is a photo I took from the helicopter. It shows just how close together the sites are. You can walk to everything in Sultanahmet.
		Haghia Sophia - 10TL This is the oldest mosque in Istanbul. It was once a Catholic Church. It has been added onto many times. This is a 'must see'. Get there early because the lines get long and it can get crowded. The Haghia Sofia is a museum and like most museums in Europe, is closed on Mondays. The hours are 9am to 5pm and you cannot enter after 4:30.
The Haghia Sofia is loaded with great work, both artistic and architectural. While there, notice the mosaics that were altered by Emperor Constantine IX to included he and his wife. This structure was first built in the 5th century AD.
		This is a medium sized mosque.
Mosaics Museum - 10TL This museum is worth going to if you are in the area. It is relatively small. There are also mosaics in the Archeology museum and the Haghia Sofia but this is a great collection.
		Dolmabahce Palace - 4TL - 20TL The Dolmabahce Palace and it's grounds are worth a visit. The only tours allowed of the Palace itself are guided and range from 45 minutes to 2 and a half hours. There is a charge of 6TL to use your camera here. Below are Turkish school children on a tour of the Palace. They love to practice their English on tourists and will often shout out to you as they pass.

		To the left is Turkish coffee. I don't know what else to say about that.
Here is my list of things you must see while you are in Istanbul. Haghia Sofia Museum of Archeology Basilica Cistern Istiklal Caddesi The Grand Bazaar Galata Tower Taksim Square There are many other very worthy things to see and do in Istanbul. These are just the ones I enjoyed the most.		Here are some recommendations. Stay in the Sultanahmet area. If the Four Seasons is in your budget I highly recommend it. If not, there are many other hotels in the area. Check tripadvisor.com. If you like to party head to Reana one night. It is almost impossible to get in after 10pm so get a dinner reservations there around 9:30 and stay to watch it turn into a lively club. Have dinner at Sarnic in Sultanahmet. It is actually in a Cistern. The surroundings are unusual, the service and food are good. Try the Turkish Baklava for desert.
Rick Culleton - Austin, Texas		Copyright Culletons.com 2008
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