There is definitely a buzz surrounding Istanbul at the moment, with many travelers proclaiming the Turkish capital the trendiest hotspot in the world. However, the city’s appeal goes back many thousands of years, with ancient temples and traditions proving equally as seductive as the hip new bars, restaurants and art galleries. This rich contrast of East and West, old and new, makes Istanbul one of the most exciting and exotic cities you could ever wish to visit.
Here’s our pick of the essential sights for your next trip to Istanbul.
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace is a magnificent Ottoman relic that gives you a real insight into Turkey’s past. This was where the sultans lived with their families and servants for over 400 years, amassing a breathtaking collection of gold, silver, diamonds, emeralds and rubies, which you can view at the Palace Treasury. The highlights here are the famous Topkapi Dagger, which features three enormous emeralds, and the 86-carat Spoonmaker’s Diamond, which is the fifth largest in the world. The palace’s extensive living and sleeping quarters are decorated with beautiful tiled mosaics and set in established gardens overlooking the Bosphorus Strait. Don’t miss the priceless collection of Chinese celadon porcelain in the Palace Kitchen, which also showcases the huge pots and pans used by cooking staff back in the day.
Aya Sofya
If you’re interested in art, architecture or history, you will love Aya Sofya. This fascinating building reigned as the greatest Christian church in the world for 1000 years, before being captured and transformed into a mosque during the Conquest of Constantinople. It continued as a Muslim monument for nearly 500 years before finally becoming a museum in 1934. You might not think it looks like much from the outside, but once you step inside the faded pink walls, Aya Sofya’s stunning beauty becomes apparent. Visitors find themselves standing awestruck under a soaring 30m-wide domed ceiling that seems to be held up by nothing, due to a clever design where the supporting pillars are concealed inside the walls. After marveling at Aya Sofya’s grandeur, you might also want to check out the nearby Blue Mosque, which features spectacular minarets and stained glass windows.
Grand Bazaar
Once your Istanbul flights are booked, keen shoppers make a beeline for the vast 500-year old covered marketplace that is Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. Prepare to get gloriously lost in the twisted labyrinth of lanes and alleyways, which attract up to 400,000 visitors every day. The Grand Bazaar is a wonderful place to shop for everything from jewellery to carpets, spices to antiques, furniture, prayer beads and silks, with over 4000 shops and a wonderfully frenetic atmosphere. Bargaining and bantering is all part of the game, as hundreds of shopkeepers try to lure you into their stores with cups of apple tea; make sure you take time to breathe and look up, as the ceiling is covered in beautiful mosaics.
Guest post submitted by Madeleine Clague+ who is looking forward to her next overseas adventure