Turkey is where the three continents of the old world - Asia, Africa and Europe – are closest to each other. Only three percent of the country is in the European part and the rest are in the Anatolian Peninsula. The total area is 780 000 sq. kilometers, with population of 70 million. About 99 % of the Turkish population is Muslim, although as a whole it is a very liberal and loosely practiced version of the religion. On 4 to 7 May 2013 me and my wife Travel to Istanbul Turkey. I had the great opportunity to visit Istanbul, We started from Sharjah International Airport at 20:45 and arriving Istanbul Sabiha Airport at 00:15.After 45 minutes we reached the Hotel End Suites from airport
Our first day was started with a Half day visit of ‘’ Blue Mosque’’ and “Topkapi palace”
Blue Mosque was constructed in Ottoman period of Muslim era. It is an absolutely fantastic palace. It was a memorable palace which I can never forget. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Sultan Ahmed (April 18, 1590 – November 22, 1617) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1617. Ottoman Empire (1301-1922) The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) has one main dome, six minarets, and eight secondary domes The architect was Sedefkar Mehmed Agha, Inside At its lower levels and at every pier, the interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles, The blue of the paintwork, which gives the mosque its name, was not the colour of the decorations originally; they were painted blue during later restorations. During the last renovation, completed in 1990, the darker blue color of the interior decorations painted as its original light colours. The floor is covered by carpets, as in all mosques. Next to the mihrab (niche aligned towards Mecca) opposite the main entrance, there is a marble minber (pulpit) with exquisite marble work. On the other side is the sultan's loge (box) in the form of a balcony. The 260 windows flood with light the interior space, which is covered by a dome 23.5 m in diameter and 43 m high
Topkapi palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign, It was not only the residence of the Ottoman sultans, but also the administrative and educational centre of the state. Topkapý Palace was converted into a museum on 3 April 1924, on the order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. They kept Prophet (SAW)'s beard, his sword, his tooth holder, his footprint and even the Prophet Musa (PBUH)'s famous stick there. If you want to visit Istanbul first read about the history of it. It has been home to Sultans for 400 years and is full of examples of Ottoman style architecture. There are large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts as well as other Ottoman treasures and jewellery.
Taksim: At evening we went to Taksim. We visited Taksim Square two or three times —it is the heart of a bustling, sparkling nightlife in Istanbul. The streets are always packed, the streetlights and store and restaurant lights make for a wondrous spectacle, and the range of natives and foreigners all-coming together on a few connected streets was impressive. That is part of modern, Islamic Turkey. When I visited on afternoon for a people-watching stroll through the Square, I saw a Burger King on my left, Gap store on my right, and Term humming towards me. It is one of the most crowded places of Istanbul even in mid night.
Bosphorus cruise : The next day 5th of May we enjoyed Ferry around the Bosphorus A truly relaxing way of getting across one of the world’s busiest waterways is to take one of the half-hourly commuter ferry services up the Bosphorus from Eminönü. Every visitor to Istanbul wants to—and should—take a Bosphorus cruise day-trip up the 32 km (20-mile)-long strait which joins the Sea of Marmara to the south with the Black Sea to the north of Istanbul, we enjoyed one of Istanbul’s best possible sightseeing boat tours along the two continents of Europe and Asia. We enjoyed 2 hour sightseeing cruise on Istanbul’s Bosphorus. We saw European Side, Dolmabahçe Palace, Çirağan Palace, Rumeli Fortress, the Bosphorus Bridge, Asian Side and more. 2 hours boat ride ends in the same place by the Galata Bridge area on the Golden Horn.
Ulus Park: Located at Ulus, on the left while coasting to Ortaköy, one of the most prestigious residence areas. Once we enter, we find the Ulus Cafe, a highly recommendable place and a very good place to relax after a busy day sightseeing . There are sweet playing areas for the children. This is a small park set on a steep hill with many stairs. As we climb up each little stair, we notice how the view of Bosphorus grows to include a vast amount of space in our eyes Artificial cascades and wide green areas for taking through people’s dogs are also available within the park. Sunset Grill and Ulus29 are among the most famous restaurants located within the park exhibiting a dazzling panorama. We spend some time at Ulus29 cafe and had delicious pizza.
Princes' Islands: The third day was the last and more incredible tour to The Prince Islands or Adalar as they are officially named; are a chain of nine islands off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, in the Sea of Marmara. As there is no traffic on the Islands, the only transport being horse and cart, they are incredibly peaceful compared with the city of Istanbul. They are just a short ferry ride from Istanbul the trip will last for 55 minutes maximum. After landed the Island Horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the main transportation means on the islands. There are several small hotels where people stay for the weekend. Some of the historical buildings are Aya Yorgi Church and Monastery from 6th century. We saw so many restaurants near the beach side. At 6:00pm the freey start again to return Istanbul While on our ferry to the princes' islands in Marmara Sea close to Istanbul-Turkey, we started noticing the friendly birds coming close to us! or maybe they were starved! We throw small pieces of biscuit while we're on the running ferry and these birds were sniping them, sometimes they did not give us time to throw, they took the food directly from our hands
General Information
Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country, located mostly on Anatolia in Western Asia and on East Thrace in Southeastern Europe.
Weather:
Average Air Temperature in Turkey (Istanbul) in Degrees Celsius
Jan = 5
Feb = 6
Mar = 7
Apr = 12
May = 16
Jun = 21
Jul = 23
Aug = 23
Sep = 20
Oct = 16
Nov = 12
Dec = 8
Official Name: Republic of Turkey
Capital: Ankara
Area: 780,580 sq. km.
Currency: New Turkish Lira (TRY) 1 EUR = 1.77209 TRY / 1.00 TRY = 2.00 AED
Official language: Turkish
Time zone: GMT +2
Dialing Code: +90
Internet top-level domain (TLD): .tr
Emergency services: 112
Religions: 99% Muslim, 1% other
Government: Parliamentary Republic
President: Abdullah Gül
Population: ~68 million
Main International Airports: for the capital city: Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) and Istanbul Atatürk International Airport (IST); for the Mediterranean coast: Antalya International Airport (AYT); for the Aegean coast: Dalaman International Airport (DLM)
Business hours:
Shops: Monday-Saturday (09:00-21:00)
Offices: Monday-Friday (09:00-17:00)
Banks: Monday-Friday (09:00-15:00)
Food: The main course is usually meat or fish. Turks always eat bread with their meal and main courses are usually served with rice. Typically, çoban salatası, a salad made of tomato, cucumber, parsley and onion, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, will be offered as a side dish. Lamb is the most popular meat and prepared in a variety of ways, including “şiş kebap” (grilled cubes of seasoned meat on a skewer). “Köfte”, which are like small lamb meatballs and are well worth trying. Those who prefer something hot and spicy should try “Adana kebap”, which is made of minced lamb but with the addition of hot peppers and spices formed around a flat skewer. There are numerous variations and regional specialities of kebap. Somewhat rich but very tasty, is the İskender or Bursa kebab, named respectively after Alexander the Great and the town in which it originated. It consists of slices of döner meat laid over small bites of a freshly cooked flat bread and covered with tomato sauce and hot butter all served with yoghurt. Turks are traditionally fond of stews called sulu yemek or ev yemeği (home cooked) and therefore there are many restaurants offering these foods which are usually displayed in the entrance of the restaurant in large glass displays making it easier to choose.
Location: Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
Straddling two continents, Europe and Asia, and bordering the volatile Middle East, Turkey has an unrivalled history stretching back thousands of years. From the ancient Hittites to the Ottomans, dozens of civilizations have made Turkey their home, leaving behind them a dazzling historical and archaeological heritage.
Turkey is a rapidly developing modern state. Born from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, the country was transformed by its far-sighted and ambitious first leader Kemal Ataturk. Since his death, the republic has maintained its Western orientation and European aspirations, despite the often-strong counter-current of traditionalism and Islam.
I had a great time with my wife in Istanbul; we were so excited to visit those new places.
Story written by -
Amit
:)
Our first day was started with a Half day visit of ‘’ Blue Mosque’’ and “Topkapi palace”
Blue Mosque was constructed in Ottoman period of Muslim era. It is an absolutely fantastic palace. It was a memorable palace which I can never forget. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Sultan Ahmed (April 18, 1590 – November 22, 1617) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1617. Ottoman Empire (1301-1922) The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) has one main dome, six minarets, and eight secondary domes The architect was Sedefkar Mehmed Agha, Inside At its lower levels and at every pier, the interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles, The blue of the paintwork, which gives the mosque its name, was not the colour of the decorations originally; they were painted blue during later restorations. During the last renovation, completed in 1990, the darker blue color of the interior decorations painted as its original light colours. The floor is covered by carpets, as in all mosques. Next to the mihrab (niche aligned towards Mecca) opposite the main entrance, there is a marble minber (pulpit) with exquisite marble work. On the other side is the sultan's loge (box) in the form of a balcony. The 260 windows flood with light the interior space, which is covered by a dome 23.5 m in diameter and 43 m high
Topkapi palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign, It was not only the residence of the Ottoman sultans, but also the administrative and educational centre of the state. Topkapý Palace was converted into a museum on 3 April 1924, on the order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. They kept Prophet (SAW)'s beard, his sword, his tooth holder, his footprint and even the Prophet Musa (PBUH)'s famous stick there. If you want to visit Istanbul first read about the history of it. It has been home to Sultans for 400 years and is full of examples of Ottoman style architecture. There are large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts as well as other Ottoman treasures and jewellery.
Taksim: At evening we went to Taksim. We visited Taksim Square two or three times —it is the heart of a bustling, sparkling nightlife in Istanbul. The streets are always packed, the streetlights and store and restaurant lights make for a wondrous spectacle, and the range of natives and foreigners all-coming together on a few connected streets was impressive. That is part of modern, Islamic Turkey. When I visited on afternoon for a people-watching stroll through the Square, I saw a Burger King on my left, Gap store on my right, and Term humming towards me. It is one of the most crowded places of Istanbul even in mid night.
Bosphorus cruise : The next day 5th of May we enjoyed Ferry around the Bosphorus A truly relaxing way of getting across one of the world’s busiest waterways is to take one of the half-hourly commuter ferry services up the Bosphorus from Eminönü. Every visitor to Istanbul wants to—and should—take a Bosphorus cruise day-trip up the 32 km (20-mile)-long strait which joins the Sea of Marmara to the south with the Black Sea to the north of Istanbul, we enjoyed one of Istanbul’s best possible sightseeing boat tours along the two continents of Europe and Asia. We enjoyed 2 hour sightseeing cruise on Istanbul’s Bosphorus. We saw European Side, Dolmabahçe Palace, Çirağan Palace, Rumeli Fortress, the Bosphorus Bridge, Asian Side and more. 2 hours boat ride ends in the same place by the Galata Bridge area on the Golden Horn.
Ulus Park: Located at Ulus, on the left while coasting to Ortaköy, one of the most prestigious residence areas. Once we enter, we find the Ulus Cafe, a highly recommendable place and a very good place to relax after a busy day sightseeing . There are sweet playing areas for the children. This is a small park set on a steep hill with many stairs. As we climb up each little stair, we notice how the view of Bosphorus grows to include a vast amount of space in our eyes Artificial cascades and wide green areas for taking through people’s dogs are also available within the park. Sunset Grill and Ulus29 are among the most famous restaurants located within the park exhibiting a dazzling panorama. We spend some time at Ulus29 cafe and had delicious pizza.
Princes' Islands: The third day was the last and more incredible tour to The Prince Islands or Adalar as they are officially named; are a chain of nine islands off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, in the Sea of Marmara. As there is no traffic on the Islands, the only transport being horse and cart, they are incredibly peaceful compared with the city of Istanbul. They are just a short ferry ride from Istanbul the trip will last for 55 minutes maximum. After landed the Island Horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the main transportation means on the islands. There are several small hotels where people stay for the weekend. Some of the historical buildings are Aya Yorgi Church and Monastery from 6th century. We saw so many restaurants near the beach side. At 6:00pm the freey start again to return Istanbul While on our ferry to the princes' islands in Marmara Sea close to Istanbul-Turkey, we started noticing the friendly birds coming close to us! or maybe they were starved! We throw small pieces of biscuit while we're on the running ferry and these birds were sniping them, sometimes they did not give us time to throw, they took the food directly from our hands
General Information
Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country, located mostly on Anatolia in Western Asia and on East Thrace in Southeastern Europe.
Weather:
Average Air Temperature in Turkey (Istanbul) in Degrees Celsius
Jan = 5
Feb = 6
Mar = 7
Apr = 12
May = 16
Jun = 21
Jul = 23
Aug = 23
Sep = 20
Oct = 16
Nov = 12
Dec = 8
Official Name: Republic of Turkey
Capital: Ankara
Area: 780,580 sq. km.
Currency: New Turkish Lira (TRY) 1 EUR = 1.77209 TRY / 1.00 TRY = 2.00 AED
Official language: Turkish
Time zone: GMT +2
Dialing Code: +90
Internet top-level domain (TLD): .tr
Emergency services: 112
Religions: 99% Muslim, 1% other
Government: Parliamentary Republic
President: Abdullah Gül
Population: ~68 million
Main International Airports: for the capital city: Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) and Istanbul Atatürk International Airport (IST); for the Mediterranean coast: Antalya International Airport (AYT); for the Aegean coast: Dalaman International Airport (DLM)
Business hours:
Shops: Monday-Saturday (09:00-21:00)
Offices: Monday-Friday (09:00-17:00)
Banks: Monday-Friday (09:00-15:00)
Food: The main course is usually meat or fish. Turks always eat bread with their meal and main courses are usually served with rice. Typically, çoban salatası, a salad made of tomato, cucumber, parsley and onion, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, will be offered as a side dish. Lamb is the most popular meat and prepared in a variety of ways, including “şiş kebap” (grilled cubes of seasoned meat on a skewer). “Köfte”, which are like small lamb meatballs and are well worth trying. Those who prefer something hot and spicy should try “Adana kebap”, which is made of minced lamb but with the addition of hot peppers and spices formed around a flat skewer. There are numerous variations and regional specialities of kebap. Somewhat rich but very tasty, is the İskender or Bursa kebab, named respectively after Alexander the Great and the town in which it originated. It consists of slices of döner meat laid over small bites of a freshly cooked flat bread and covered with tomato sauce and hot butter all served with yoghurt. Turks are traditionally fond of stews called sulu yemek or ev yemeği (home cooked) and therefore there are many restaurants offering these foods which are usually displayed in the entrance of the restaurant in large glass displays making it easier to choose.
Location: Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
Straddling two continents, Europe and Asia, and bordering the volatile Middle East, Turkey has an unrivalled history stretching back thousands of years. From the ancient Hittites to the Ottomans, dozens of civilizations have made Turkey their home, leaving behind them a dazzling historical and archaeological heritage.
Turkey is a rapidly developing modern state. Born from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, the country was transformed by its far-sighted and ambitious first leader Kemal Ataturk. Since his death, the republic has maintained its Western orientation and European aspirations, despite the often-strong counter-current of traditionalism and Islam.
I had a great time with my wife in Istanbul; we were so excited to visit those new places.
Story written by -
Amit
:)
Blue Mosque
