Travel Highlights - Istanbul Old Town

Istanbul

Located at the junction of Europe and Asia, on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, is the only city in the world to straddle two continents. Its Old Town, New Town, and Asian side have a combined population of 14 million, making it the sixth largest city in the world. Having endured nearly a thousand years of rule by the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) in the Christian world and over five centuries by the Ottoman Empire in the Muslim world, Istanbul boasts numerous historical sites, churches, and mosques, making it a world-renowned tourist destination with a rich cultural heritage and abundant tourist resources.

To truly explore Istanbul, I think it would take at least a month. However, I suspect most travelers don't have the luxury of such a long trip for such an in-depth tour. We've condensed Istanbul's famous attractions into five days, allowing you to fully explore and experience this ancient city.

Because Istanbul is a very large city, you have to pay special attention to the location when choosing a B&B. After several studies and references, we finally chose Cosmos because it is located in the heart of the old city. It is very close to everywhere and of course the price is moderate. In general, the prices in the old city are quite expensive. Our B&B is quite comfortable, but it is also the only hotel in Türkiye that does not have breakfast.

We live on the 3rd floor and need to exercise every day when we go in and out. The circled ones are

We had breakfast at our Çanakkale hotel that morning and checked out. Our original plan was to drive to the ruins of Troy, but we were tired after visiting so many sites, and after researching the ruins, we learned they were in a state of disrepair. So, we canceled the trip and drove directly to Istanbul, arriving around 1:30 PM and returning the car. After returning the car, we took a taxi to the hotel. Driving into Istanbul is not allowed; the city is ancient, the roads are narrow, and there are lots of cars and even more people. Driving there is a nightmare. After settling in, we wandered around the area and also stopped by a restaurant I had on my short list: Şehzade Cağ Kebap.

This kebab place is incredibly popular. When we went, there was a ridiculously long line. Its Google popularity index is over 4,000, but after eating it, it was incredibly ordinary and not worth the trip. I guess their gimmick is that they slice the meat thinly and skewer it between the kebabs, and they have a New York Post ad for them on the door. The two friends in the photo were very kind and shared their desserts with us, asking us not to order them.

The next morning, I woke up bright and early to take some morning photos and explore the locations of the renowned Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The tall column on the left is the Column of Constantine, also known as the Burning Column. It is a Roman monument, built in 330 AD by Emperor Constantine the Great to commemorate the renaming of Byzantium to Nova Roma, the new capital of the Roman Empire.

Gazi Atik Ali Paşa Camii is a 15th-century Ottoman mosque located in the Çemberlitaş neighborhood of the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey. Its construction began in 1496 under the orders of Hadım Atik Ali Pasha.

The Blue Mosque is arguably Istanbul's most famous and must-see attraction. Its majestic architecture and the historical significance it represents have earned it recognition as one of Turkey's greatest and most important buildings. Besides being Turkey's most important national mosque, it's also a prominent member of the Istanbul Historic District UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to Istanbul without seeing the Blue Mosque is like not having truly been there!

Tomb of Sultan Mehmed III

Construction of the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Müzesi) began in 325 AD by Emperor Constantine the Great and was completed over 200 years later during the reign of Emperor Justinian the Great. For the next 1,000 years, Hagia Sophia remained the highest and most important church in Byzantine Christendom (Eastern Orthodox Christianity). In 1453, the Ottoman Empire breached the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, and the Byzantine Empire, which had stood for over a thousand years, vanished into the dust of history. Hagia Sophia was subsequently converted into a mosque for the Muslim world. In 1932, Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of modern Turkey, ordered the Hagia Sophia's conversion into a museum and its public opening. The Christian mosaics, previously covered by white paint, were restored. Today, Hagia Sophia has mosaic murals from the Christian world and Koranic verses from the Islamic world, making it a melting pot of ethnic groups and religions.

The Fountain Sultan Ahmed III was built in 1728 in the Tulip Period style during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III. It was the social center and gathering place of Constantinople during the Ottoman period. It is conveniently located at the entrance to the Imperial Palace and next to the Hagia Sophia.

Today's itinerary was to visit Topkapi Palace. We entered through a side entrance, but as we approached, a guard waved us off, saying it was Tuesday and the palace was being cleaned, so we had to come back tomorrow. We ended up walking back, and happened to pass the Turkish Archaeology Museum, which wasn't on our itinerary. However, our schedule was flexible and could be changed at any time, so we went in. The result was truly eye-opening.

Istanbul Archaeology Museums

Built in the late 19th century, the Istanbul Archaeology Museum is the main building of the entire museum complex. Designed by an Ottoman architect, one side of the exterior is inspired by the two sarcophagi within the building, adopting the Neoclassical style of ancient Greece, making it a renowned neoclassical architectural style. The museum primarily displays artifacts and sculptures from the Roman and Greek periods, with the most famous being the Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great and the Sarcophagus of the Lady of Mourning. The museum is divided into the Main Building, the Ancient Oriental Building, and the Tile Building, with the Main Building occupying the largest area. The museum houses rare and unique artifacts, including the historic Tabunit Sarcophagus, the Lamenting Woman Sarcophagus, and a lifelike statue of Alexander the Great, allowing visitors to step back into history. While its scale and collections may not rival those of world-renowned museums like the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, or the Vatican Museums, the Istanbul Archaeological Museum still offers some truly worthwhile exhibits.

Alexander Sarcophagus

The Archaeological Museum of Turkey is a world-class museum of ancient coffins, and its most significant treasure is the Alexander Sarcophagus. The Alexander Sarcophagus is a Greek fossil sarcophagus decorated with a bas-relief of Alexander the Great. Classical Greek sculptors created marvelous Hellenistic sculpture in the Athenian idiom in the late 4th century BC. The most significant sculptural scene depicts Alexander the Great attempting battle with the Persian King Darius III, as Darius flees the Battle of Issus in 333 BC. The Alexander Sarcophagus is one of four large carved sarcophagi discovered during excavations in 1887 at a necropolis near Sidon, Lebanon. The sarcophagus was likely created for a wealthy and influential noble or governor of the region.

Lycian Sarcophagus (Lykia Lahiti/Lycian Sarcophagus) Lydia was an ancient kingdom in western-central Asia Minor, existing from the 7th century BC to 546 BC. It may have been the first nation in the world to use coinage. The Lycian Sarcophagus pictured here is believed to have been crafted in the late 5th century BC. Its design is distinctive and avant-garde, with a sphinx carved on the lid and a centaur depicted on the coffin.

Statue of Bes: As soon as you step into the entrance of the Archaeological Museum, you will see a statue of Bes from the Roman period. It is so huge that it is difficult to ignore the existence of this short-legged god. Bes is an ancient Egyptian god. Although he looks a bit scary, with a short and fat stature, big eyes, and a thick curly beard, he has a kind face. In addition to protecting the pharaoh, Bes is also the patron saint of the family and will protect the home.

The Turkish Museum is really special, and every venue is amazing because it uses the historical background of the period to paint huge murals, and at the same time adds those lifelike sculptures, presenting a three-dimensional sense that is very shocking.