Istanbul Overview

 Of all the cities we visited on this trip to europe, Istanbul was one of the highlights. We flew in to IST, which is the new airport in Istanbul. It was gorgeous! We felt like we were in a fancy Vegas casino for some reason!

 Istanbul has two airports, and then there is one that closed down, so figuring out which one we were actually going through was a bit confusing at first. But just know that IST is the main international airport and it's about a 45 min- an hour drive from Sultanahmet, which is where we stayed. 

Our flight came in super late at night so we got a transfer to our hotel that the hotel was helpful in setting up. We weren't comfortable with geting a random cab at  It was about 50€ and worth every penny, because it was essentially a limo, complete with led twinkly lights!

We stayed at the Sultan Tughra hotel which was a small boutique hotel in the older part of town. We picked it because of its kitschy Ottoman Empire theme. The room exceeded our expectations on kitsch, complete with mirrors on the ceiling! 

Hotel Lobby

Our Room

The staff here was outstanding and helped us with everything we could possibly need. They also had free breakfast with made- to-order omlettes.

Istanbul is definitely a walking city...if you're a walker. Not a lot of sidewalks in some areas though, and you have to watch your back for cars coming through some of the narrow streets, but it was fine for us. 

We didn't have oodles of time here as it was originally going to be a long layover that we extended a couple days, but it was enough to get a feel for the city. Lot's and lots of mosques!

Nuruosmani Mosque

Column of Constantine

Istanbul University

We went to the Grand Bazaar, which is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. We were slightly unimpressed. It was huge, but mostly filled with the same kinds of product. There was a much smaller one called the Arasta Bazaar that we found to be more quaint and had better stuff. 

Arasta Bazaar

There are about 70 cisterns in Istanbul, with the main one being the Basilica Cistern. We opted instead to go to the Theodosius Cistern because...well...because  we stumbled upon it as we were walking somewhere else. It had a beautiful light show inside that lasted maybe 10 minutes. It was small, but we felt like we got our cistern fix. 

One of the major attractions in Istanbul is Topkapi Palace, which served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire and was the main residence of its sultans from 1440-1856.It was huge and amazing and we spent hours marveling at the exhibits!

Our next stop was the Blue Mosque. We had to wait until afternoon prayers were over to go inside. 

All women have to cover their head and shoulders, and no shorts were allowed, but something would be provided in case you forgot.

Inside it was very peaceful and beautiful. Entrance was free.