Istanbul is world famous for glorious historical sites in the old city of Sultanahmet like the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace to name a few. Once you’ve seen them, what’s next? A completely different experience awaits with this Istanbul itinerary Asian side, based at Hotel Suadiye* on the Asian side of the city. Istanbul itinerary…
Uskudar, set on the edge of the Bosphorus opposite the hipper and more popular Beşiktaş neighbourhood, is often dismissed as being too conservative and suburban. Yet once upon a time it was a vibrant and exciting city. It was founded in the 7th century BC by Greek colonists who gave it the name Chrysopolis. Whether…
While the country known as Turkey has a history going back hundreds of years, had it not been for the Turks’ decisive victory during the Turkish War of Independence in a key action in the province of Kütahya, led by Mustafa Kemal Pasha (now famously known as Atatürk, father of the Turks) in 1922, the…
Serefiye Cistern (Şerefiye Sarnıcı in Turkish) was built on the orders of Emperor Theodosius II who ruled Constantinople from 428 to 443 AD. It was constructed as a water depot to distribute supply to the inhabitants of Istanbul, then known as Constantinople. Fresh water was drawn from Belgrade Forest and its surrounds and reached the…
I’m Lisa Morrow and I was born on the 24th of July, coincidentally the same date in 1923 when the Turkish War of Independence ended. I’m considerably younger than that event but I am a Leo I love celebrating my birthday. It’s never the presents I remember but the people I was with and what…
I’d love to start this post by writing that I go to my local Istanbul street market in Göztepe every Monday but I can’t. My husband’s the one who goes. He’s known to the vendors as the Turkish looking foreigner (his mother was Italian) who buys the food for his family, rejects any apples, strawberries…
South of the Golden Horn, west of the Bosphorus and north of the Sea of Marmara, Eminonu has long been the meeting point of traders, sailors and people looking for a bargain. Back in Ottoman times, it was home to the Empire’s official Customs Office and numerous private customs houses. It’s believed that the name…
It’s hard to believe now, but the Yerebatan Basilica Cistern, once the major water supply of Constantinople, was lost to Istanbul until the 16th century. As recorded by Ogier de Busbecq, a visitor to the city heard rumours of locals fishing from their basements and went to see. The visitor, French scholar Petrius Phyllius, found…
Located on the Asian side of Istanbul, the neighbourhood of Salacak runs along the edge of the Bosphorus from Uskudar all the way to Harem. Frequented by courting couples and curious tourists drawn by the myth of Kız Kulesi, Leander or the Maiden’s tower built fifty metres from the shore, the area’s name has a much…
As a long-time resident of Istanbul, readers often ask me to recommend ‘must sees’ when they’re planning their first trip to this wonderful city. While I love to seek out lesser known sights I always tell people to see the main sights first. Sultanahmet, home to the old city, offers a huge range of fascinating…