"Guzelim Istanbul" a Istanbul Travel Page by Minashka

I must start with the sentence that Istanbul is one of my favourite cities in the world! I fell in love with it the first time I saw it in 1996 and I’ve gone back 7 times since. Every time I discover something new for myself in this city of wonders. This is where Europe meets Asia, which makes Istanbul even more magnificent! The grandioso mosques with their slim minarets, the mighty bridges over the Bosphorus, the noise of the street vendors from in and around the Grand Bazaar, the wealth of Dolmabahce Palace seen from afar, muezzin’s voice calling to prayer, the smell of the fish caught right in front of you when crossing the bridge, yelling and cheering of the crazy football fans and of course the magical air of the city will make you want to come back to this beauty over and over again! Unfortunately I did not have a digital camera with me on any of the trips, that's why I don't have the photos that would somehow capture the gorgeous view of the city...

If you wanna do shopping – go to Istanbul, if you wanna see history – go to Istanbul, if you wanna see culture – go to Istanbul, if you wanna see amazing architecture – go to Istanbul and lastly, if you wanna feel the hospitality – you’ve got to go Istanbul! This city has so much to offer. I love shopping in Istanbul, I absolutely enjoy walking around the town, I never get tired of sightseeing and it gives me so much pleasure to chat with the locals. Though it is an advantage that I speak Turkish, but believe me, even if you speak none, you’ll be able to get around easily. Istanbul is a well-known tourist destination so I am not going to go into description of the already famous sights of the city. But of course I recommend visiting the Grand Bazaar or the Covered Market as they call it, walking across the bridges, having patience at the queue for Dolmabahce Palace, seeing all the mosques, touring the Topkapi Palace and its surroundings, and checking out the night life on Taksim.

I love Turkish people. They are very patriotic, friendly, hospitable and generous. Of course people in rural areas are usually much nicer than those in urban areas. So don’t judge Turks by merely interacting with the inhabitants of such a cosmopolitan city like Istanbul. Though I was never refused any help from anyone, I still found people outside the city to be a lot more hospitable and sincere. One thing I don’t like about that nation is that almost everyone in Turkey smokes. I think the cab driver was shocked when I asked him not to smoke ;-) Apparently that is not acceptable. Also be careful if you are offered a tour of the city by one of the locals because you may think it’s only a nice gesture but at the end you may be asked for money. Other than that, there is no harm in these people, at least based on my own experience. But what really amazes me about Turkish people though is that almost all of them have beautiful voice. You may be sitting in a restaurant and all of a sudden someone from the next table starts singing with a wonderful voice. Well I have the fondest memories of Turkey and its people are a big part of it!