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It never would have even crossed my mind to visit Istanbul until I bumped into an old friend at a wedding whose husband's family is from Turkey. They had visited Istanbul and spent the entire evening telling me stories about how wonderful it is. In hindsight I'm sure one of the major reasons they found it enjoyable was that my friend's husband is fluent in Turkish and already had a working knowledge of the city. It was a bit tougher for us because we didn't have those advantages, but we managed to make a good trip out of it after a somewhat bumpy start (see my tourist trap warning section).
Istanbul is a city with incredibly rich history, amazingly beautiful historical sites, and other very interesting features. One great thing about Istanbul is that it is very inexpensive, especially now that tourism to that part of the world is down quite dramatically. The food was also absolutely terrific (see my restaurant section for specific recommendations).
In addition to what you find on Virtual Tourist I highly recommend that you visit Tom Brosnahan's excellent web site about Turkey, including Istanbul.
- Pros:Lots of beautiful historic sites; Easy to get around on foot or by tram
- Cons:Incredibly annoying, pesky, and pushy salesmen
- In a nutshell:Might take some getting used to, but definitely worth seeing
Reviews (41)
Suleymaniye Mosque
Things to Do
(21)
The Suleymaniye Mosque is the largest mosque in Istanbul and was built between 1550-1557 by Sultan Suleyman I - "Sulyman... more travel advice
Bascilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi)...
Things to Do
(21)
The cistern's roof is held up by 336 columns, each over 26 feet high. Two columns rest on Medusa head bases in a corner... more travel advice
Public toilets
Warnings Or Dangers
(4)
Although most modern areas of Istanbul have sit-down public toilets like those you would see all over the world, it is... more travel advice
Turkish Lira - Pay close attention!
Warnings Or Dangers
(4)
The first thing you'll notice about the Turkish Lira (TL) is that it has a lot of zeros on it. That's because inflation... more travel advice
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AcornMan
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.”
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Comments (24)
Hi David, Great info on your Istanbul page. Cheers, Karl
As a turkish person, I'm sorry for your failed trip. I don't understand why tourists are sticking to this area of Sultanahmet. There are so many other wonderful places to see. Try Bebek, Kanlica, Hidiv Kasri or Fethi Pasa Korusu, Yildiz Parki etc.
great intro for our planned trip this fall, and best from a fellow NY resident. Going directly to the Brosnahan site. How long did you spend in Istanbul? Thanks for sharing. N.
Hotel Antique is now a contender! Thanks for directing me to this tip!
After living for 4 month now in Istanbul, my trick (when I am alone) is just to make a hand sign, not speaking! As soon as you speak, they talk to you... if they do not know if you are german, english or whatever they are helpless :-)
Glad you enjoyed Istanbul, its a favorite of mine. Like your motto too! an extra 5pts if you know why one Madusa head is sideways and the other not...
Great tips here. Hope to go to Istanbul next year. Re the tips on tour guides we used the same "techniques" with Indian salesmen in Hong Kong. Sounds rude but is better than being constantly harrassed. Tricia
I share all what you have said but am deeply hurt by the tour guide comments. The reason they cant enter places is bc they ornt tour guides. We Official guides have full privileges to museums and sites.
I am hoping to visit in a few months and this has been exceptionally helpful - thanks!
Great page, I like it a lot. The photos are very nice. Greetings from summer Warszawa.
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