Accommodation and food
Istanbul is an extreme hilly place with lots of cobblestone streets. We made the mistake of booking the Royan Radisson Hagia Sophia hotel closer to the river, but a hike up to the tourist spots. We couldn’t use the trams and they were always full. We ended up needing help from a local to even get the tram tickets as none of the instructions are in English. What is lovely is all the cats in the city that are fed by everyone. There is also a dispenser that you can buy cat food from.
The hotel recommended a restaurant but it was totally for tourists, even to having photos of the food to choose from. We much preferred the little corner restaurant down the road – the horror of the hotel staff. The food was prepared fresh and the fries were divine. The owner swore at all the cats and then threw food out to them when he thought no-one was looking
We walked up the steep stairs and roads to the square where all the mosques and palaces are. It was nearly sunset so the sky was a pale pink and all the buildings were lit up. It was magical to then hear the call to prayer starting in the square and then being echoed further out.
The highlight meal was at an Ottoman restaurant, Deraliye Ottoman Palace Cuisine. The restaurant was then on a side street and, although they had the pictures of each dish, were authentic dishes with an ingredients list. We ordered the tasting menu for 2 that was similar to what the Sultan would have eaten. It started with flat bread, then came a platter with 6 individual containers with different dips. There were a couple of cheeses wrapped in pasty with drizzled honey. They have an amazing range of tastes and textures in each dish. The main dishes were lamb neck, where the meet fell of the bones. There was a Goose kebab with rice and spices and an apple stuffed with rice and raisons. All delicious and very filling but there was still room for the Katmer pistachio dessert with a pomegranate sorbet that tasted more delicious than it looked.
Basilica Cistern
You enter down some stairs and arrive in muted lighting and views of this amazing cistern. In Roman times it was used as a storage place for clean water and was filled to about 6 feet. Now it is a museum with many columns and changing lights to set the mood. It is a beautiful place to wander around, although hot and humid and smells a bit dank. Several movies have been filmed here including ‘From Russia with Love’, ‘Inferno’ and a Jackie Chan movie.
Topkapi Palace
This is where the Ottoman Sultans lived with a series of buildings open to the public, including the Harem (extra cost) and places for physicians. They are all made with lovely marble and beautiful tiles. The physician buildings were covered with blue tiles and all are surrounded by lovely gardens with roses and shady trees. There are separate areas where jewelry, diamonds and warrior collections are on display.
Hagia Sophia
We arrived early to line up for the Hagia Sophia. We then need to remove our shoes and take note of where they are to retrieve later. We pass by the ladies entrance and are then stunned by the interior. This has a soaring interior dome with great colour tiles. The Ottomans took over the Christian church so now there are large sweeps of material covering some of the Coptic paintings. It is busy inside but very quiet and respectful as we move around the building looking at all the different tiles and paintings.
Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque was closed when we were there. The Sultan Ahmed Tomb was open for people to walk and see where the Sultans of old are buried. The walls are lined with blue tiles and the graves are lined up on red carpet.
Spice Market Grand Bazaar
The markets are huge and sell everything from copper coffee pots to rugs and ornate gold jewelry. We were on the hunt for the real Turkish Delight to take home. We chose a place to do some tastings and sat down to taste samples as well as juice. The tastes ranged from floral infusions, such as rose, to nut flavours. My favourite was the pistachio and we also got some hazelnut, pomegranate and chocolate. They pack it properly so we could take it home on the plane.
Mosaic Museum
The Sultanamet are used to be a palace with terraces down to the sea. When excavations were made they found some mostly intact mosaics. This was restored and pieced together in the Great Palace Mosaics museum. There are some amazing details and the colours are bright.
