Turkish Delight - Layover in Istanbul, Turkey

Posted on: 25 August 2017 :: Photo Credits: Pradip Gatkine, Alap Kshirsagar ::

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Preface

One of the best travel hacks while flying from India to the USA is taking a side-trip to explore new destinations during layovers. Usually, there is no additional charge for breaking the journey for a couple of days. So, you get to visit a new place without explicitly paying for the airfare. We (I and Pradip) decided to apply this hack for visiting Istanbul in Turkey, the place where west meets east!
P.S. Thanks a lot Pradip for awesome planning and clicks!

Some tips based on our experience during this trip:

Those who have a US visa are eligible for Turkish e-visa which can be obtained online and there is no need to visit any consulate/embassy.
Do carry some Turkish currency (Lira) to avoid getting stuck or having to exchange currency at the airport. The exchange rates are much better inside the city.
Try to get accommodation in Sultanahmet District. There are many tourist attractions nearby. This neighborhood is vibrant and well connected to all parts of the city.
Buy ‘Istanbulkart’. It enables you to pay for all types of public transports (including ferry across Bosphorus Trait that connects Asian and European parts of Istanbul) and will save a lot of hassle.
Buy a ‘Museum pass’ to avoid standing in long ques! It will be cheaper and real time-saver even if you plan to visit only 3-4 attractions (out of 12 included in the Museum Pass)
Turkish Bath is a must-have experience in Istanbul. Just make sure to check opening hours before going and avoid the baths in shady areas.

Day : 1
Location: Istanbul

“Oh no! The ATM machine swallowed my credit card,” Pradip exclaimed, looking angrily at the dumb machine. Our flight had arrived at Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport at 10.30AM and after collecting our luggage, we were trying to withdraw Turkish Lira from an ATM machine nearby. The ATM machine displayed some error and refused to return the card. We frantically searched for someone to help us get back the credit card. One of the security officers suggested us to call the customer care number printed on that machine. But we didn’t have a Turkish sim card. And we didn’t have Turkish Lira to buy the sim card. We were stuck in a vicious circle.
After roaming around on the airport for an hour, we stumbled across a currency exchange booth operated by the same company which owned the ATM machine. Their receptionist agreed to check the machine and give back our card, but on one condition only: the name on the card had to match exactly with the name on passport. She took another hour and a half to retrieve the card (as if it was on Mars!). Alas, the name on card didn’t match ‘exactly’ with the name on Pradip’s passport as the passport had his name followed by his father’s name in the ‘Given name’ field. She adamantly refused to give back the card even after we repeatedly explained the situation.
This entire episode had wasted our 3 precious hours in Istanbul. We decided to ditch the card and leave the airport ASAP. We bought some Turkish Lira using dollar bills and boarded the Metro towards Sultanahmet, the city center. Being a fan of Turkish TV series, I was amazed at the first look of Istanbul. Everything in Istanbul, including the architecture, clothing styles, shops etc., had a beautiful blend of modernity and tradition.
We got down at the Sultanahmet Metro Station and walked to our lodge. After freshening up, it was 5 PM when we finally began sightseeing. Our first destination was Sultan Ahmed Mosque, popularly known as the Blue Mosque. It’s exterior looked spectacular!

The interior of the Mosque was divided into two areas: prayer area and tourist area. The domes were decorated with colorful paintings, glass windows, and huge chandeliers.

We exited the Mosque from North-West side and walked into the Blue Archaeological Park. With Blue Mosque on one side and Hagia Sophia Museum on the other, this park provides one of the best views in Istanbul. We sat there, enjoying the view and treating ourselves with the phenomenal Turkish Ice-cream. The ice cream vendor had a funny way of handing over the ice-cream. Something similar to this video: Turkish Ice-cream Show ). Apparently, Turkish ice-cream vendors are famous for playing funny tricks with their customers: P

As the sun started to set, we walked towards seafront through the Arasta Bazar. This small bazaar (shopping street) had a variety of shops selling sweets, rugs, carpets and other handmade items.

The blue expanse of Sea of Marmara was soothing to the eyes. Soaking in the evening sea breeze, we walked along the entire 3km stretch of Kennedy Caddesi (Kennedy Avenue) towards Galata Bridge. In the north direction, we could sight the famous Bosphorous Bridge, the bridge that connects Europe and Asia.

It was already 8 PM when we reached the metro station near Galata Bridge. Our next planned destination was Galata Tower, a restored 5th-century tower with a top-floor restaurant offering spectacular views of the city. But we managed to goof-up navigation on google maps and reached the base of the tower at 9 PM. Unfortunately, the last permitted entry was at 8.45PM. So, we only got to see the tower from outside. Tired and disappointed, we searched online for a Turkish Sauna to rejuvenate ourselves. Luckily, there was one historical Turkish bath called ‘Aga Hamami (4.1/5 reviews on Google Maps) about 20mins walk towards the north of Galata Tower. The closing time was shown to be 10 PM. We literally ran on the streets of Beyoglu and reached the location at 9.45PM. Alas! The last permitted entry was at 9.30PM (the bath itself takes 30mins, so the closing time was shown as '10 PM'). Cursing our luck, we returned to Sultanahmet square.

Our disappointment was reduced after watching the lovely color-changing fountain near Blue Mosque with beautifully lit-up Hagia Sophia museum at the backdrop. The iconic Blue Mosque looked stunning with its six minarets piercing the night sky. To top it all, a full-moon appeared behind the minarets.

Day : 2
Location: Istanbul

Our second and last day in Istanbul began with a re-visit to the Blue Mosque (yes, it’s worth it!). One interesting fact about the Mosques in Istanbul is that there are restrictions on types of clothing allowed inside the Mosque, but admissible attire can be borrowed free of charge from the office. This saves a lot of hassle for the tourists who are unaware of clothing restrictions.

After spending around an hour inside the Blue Mosque, we moved towards the historic headquarters of the Ottoman Empire ‘Topkapi Palace’. Our ‘self-guided’ tour of entire Topkapi Palace took almost 3hrs. This huge palace complex consists of four courts and a Harem (domestic spaces reserved for women). The first courtyard is a spacious park. The second courtyard has Imperial Council Chamber (Divan), palace kitchen and porcelain collections and outer treasury. The third courtyard contains audience chamber, inner treasure, and library. The fourth courtyard has the circumcision room, several kiosks, and terraces. It offers stunning views of the Sea of Marmara on one side and Sultanahmet district on the other side.

Between Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia museum, two of the most visited places in Istanbul, there is a small Byzantine Orthodox Church from 4th century known as ‘Hagia Irene’. None of the other tourists looked interested in this place. The young female gatekeepers stationed outside this church-turned-into-museum were standing idly under the scorching sun rays. We decided to take pity on them and visit this old building. I was taken aback by the interior. It looked so similar to the ‘Iron Throne Room’ from Game of Thrones! (but it is not the actual shooting location)

Before heading towards Hagia Sophia Museum, we had lunch at a local street restaurant. The only vegetarian option was Vegetable Testi Kebab, a Turkish dish slowly cooked in a clay pot. The waiter brought the clay pot beside our table and set it on fire! After a few minutes of theatrics, he broke it open and served us. Testi Kebab was really ‘tasty’ and the complementary ‘Turkish tea’ was refreshing.

Thanks to our ‘Museum pass’, we did not have to wait in a long queue outside Hagia Sophia Museum. Outside the building, there were remnants of the theodosian Hagia Sophia from the 5th century. The info board read: “The church built by the Emperor Theodosios II (408-450) on a basilica plan covered by a wooden roof was opened for worship in 415. It was destroyed by a fire during the Nike revolt against the Emperor Justinian (527-565) A Lamb relief, which represents the Twelve Apostles of Christ and decorates the monumental entrance of the building and other remnants, was discovered during the archaeological excavations carried under the direction of A.M. Schneider of the German Archaeological Institute in Istanbul in 1935. The 3rd Hagia Sophia which stands today is a domed basilica with a nave and two aisles. This building was constructed in almost six years. 1000 master workmen and 10000 unskilled workers were engaged in the construction process.”

The most striking things in Hagia Sophia were the ‘Mosaics’! These decorative arts were created throughout the centuries. Some notable ones are - VI. Leon Mosaic (Emperor Leon in a prayer position below the feet of Christ), Apse Mosaic (Virgin Mary on a throne with baby Jesus in her lap), Deisis Mosaic (John the Baptist on the right, Virgin Mary on the left and Jesus Christ in the middle), Komnenos Mosaic (Emperor II Ioannes Komnenos, his wife Hungarian origin Eirene and their son II Aleksios), Zoe Mosaic (Emperor IX. Konstantinos Monomakhos (1042-1055), Empress Zoe and Jesus Christ in the middle)

We also got to see the ‘legendary’ devout cat of Hagia Sophia. Apparently, the cat is named ‘Gli’ and has lived at Hagia Sophia for almost 7 years. It liked being photographed by tourists! Adjacent to Hagia Sophia Museum, we visited the 5 tombs of Ottoman Sultans and their family members.

The next destination on our list was Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the World. Wikipedia: The Grand Bazaar is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls in the world. We window-shopped through the crowded streets of Grand Bazaar for about an hour. There were a variety of shops selling jewelry, furniture, carpets, leather goods, clothes, spices and Turkish delights. It was like walking in Alibaba’s caves. The sweet-shop traders were trying to lure tourists into their shops by offering Turkish Delights. We steered clear of them.

The 2nd biggest mosque of the city ‘Suleymaniye Mosque’ is about 10min walk from Grand Bazaar. We decided to visit it. But we messed up navigation again and spent almost an hour walking around the Istanbul University’s campus. Finally, we reached Suleymaniye Mosque around 4 PM. The Mosque looked very similar to Blue Mosque (at least I couldn’t find much of a difference). The only advantage was that there were fewer tourists around and we could sit inside the Mosque in peace.

This completed our tour of the Sultanahmet District. We still had about 7 hours to spend in the city. We boarded a ferry across Bosphorus Strait towards Uskudar, the Asian part of Istanbul. It was a refreshing 20min ride and that too across two continents! The views on both sides of the shore were spectacular. But there was nothing much to do in Uskudar. So, we returned back to Beyoglu District, which is on the European side of Istanbul, via Bosphorus bridge.

The main attraction in Beyoglu was the Taksim Square. This popular square was bustling with local families, street artists, and tourists. It was also the time of Beyoglu Festival and a huge area near the square was covered with Turkish flags, garlands, and colorful shops. A music band was performing live in front of a cheerful crowd.

After spending about an hour in Taksim Square, we decided to visit Galata Tower (which we had missed yesterday). But the next couple of hours were like a repeat telecast from last night. Events unfolded in almost the same sequence as last night: we goofed up navigation, reached Galata Tower at 8.50PM, doors were closed, wasted 15 minutes deciding what to do next, ran towards Aga Hamami, reached there at 9.35PM, last permitted entry was at 9.30PM, disappointment! But we were adamant about having the Turkish bath experience tonight. Unfortunately, most of the popular baths in this neighborhood were closed or expensive (except for a few shady ones, which we decided to avoid). So, we returned to Sultanahmet District in the hope of finding a good, cheap and open Turkish bath. And finally, we found one..’Gedikpasa Hamam’, just 10mins walk from Sultanahmet metro station. Their name-board read ‘Since 1475’. The price was decently cheap (15$ per person). We were the last customers, so entire bathhouse was vacant. It had individual changing rooms/lockers, dry sauna, swimming pool, multiple rooms with hot water taps, showers and a massage room. The whole experience was very rejuvenating. I would highly recommend it!

This marked the end of our Istanbul trip. But one last nightmare awaited us! Our flight from Ataturk airport was at 6.45 AM. We had planned to check-out from hotel at midnight and leave for the airport. We managed to reach Sultanahmet metro station on-time to board the last metro till Aksaray. From there, we were supposed to take a 40min bus to the airport (as per Google Maps). We waited near a deserted bus stop close to Yenikapi metro station. But even after waiting for 1 hour, there was no sign of any bus. A couple of local taxis stopped in front of us and the hooligan-type drivers tried to persuade us into giving 70-80$ for the trip to the airport (we didn’t even have enough Turkish Lira to pay them). To make things worse, Pradip found that he had lost his wallet in the Metro. So, he had to block all the cards. Finally, we managed to book an Uber and safely reached the airport to board our flight towards New York.
This short ‘Turkish Delight’ layover turned out to be pretty eventful.