Straddling two continents, Europe and Asia, and sharing both their cultures, Istanbul is a melting pot of East meets West. One of the oldest cities in the world, Istanbul is a city steeped in history and reminders of an era gone by are just about everywhere. Istanbul has had a tumultuous history since its birth in around 660BC and has served as the capital of four great empires , Roman, Byzantine, Latin and finally it was the seat of the last caliphate of the Ottoman Empire.
With its history of being an important stop along the Silk Road, Istanbul has become home over the years to an eclectic population. In 2010 Istanbul was named the European Capital of Culture and it is no wonder why...

Just the historical aspect of a visit could be enough to keep you enchanted with the city but there is so much more.

With buildings like the Hagia Sophia - once a church during the Byzantine era then a mosque during Ottoman times, now a museum, this beautiful building is not only an architectural marvel but also a great reflection of the two different cultures that once ruled the city. During Ottoman rule the church was converted to a mosque but recent restoration shows perfectly preserved murals and paintings underneath layers of plaster. The building has always been special and is now even more so with ancient history coming alive. But it is the dome of the building that is most spectacular, the size and the way that is was constructed back in the 360BC. Emperor Constantine commissioned the building and Justinian was responsible for a renovation in 537BC. In 1935 once Turkey had become a republic under Ataturk, the building was declared a museum.

Top Kapi Palace - The Palace of Felicity, a glance into the splendour and excess of a time gone by. 2140 years after the establishment of the city, it was conquered by Sultan Mehmet .This was to mark the beginning of centuries of Ottoman rule from the late 15th to the middle of the 19th century. The transformation of an impoverished, nomadic society had begun and Top Kapi was the central point. Top Kapi was home to the Sultans, their wives and their harems until 1853. A tour through the palace will give you an idea of what life must have been like back then but as for me, I was left in awe at the many gifts received by the families over the years, the weapons collection, the porcelain collection, the clock collection, the treasury with its authentic collection of jewellery, and as for the Emerald collection, I have never seen stones that size before in my life. In fact it was just so mind boggling that if one were to calculate the value of all the items in the palace and then realise it was just a portion of the wealth at the time it would make you realise how it was that the Ottoman Empire gained its reputation for 'excess'. The Islamic history collection is even more awe inspiring, after the conquest of Egypt in the 16th century many Sacred Relics were brought here including the bow and swords of the Prophet  Mohammed, his cloak , his seal and an original letter from him. The swords of many important Islamic fighters of the time, including Hamsa can be found here. Be prepared to plane for a few hours and then end up spending an entire day wandering around.

Dolme Bahce Palace - This became the new home of the Sultans after 1853 and is one of the worlds most glamorous palaces. This palace has special meaning for the Turkish people as it is the place where the supreme leader General Ataturk died on the 10th November 1938 at 9:05am. All clocks in the palace are stopped on this time.
 
Sultan Ahmet or Blue Mosque - Built by the Sultan to rival the Hagia Sophia the mosque is nick named The Blue Mosque because of the distinctive, handmade, Iznik tiles used throughout the building. Iznik is a small village outside of Istanbul which had a flourishing ceramic industry during the Ottoman empire. Today Iznik ceramicware is very difficult to come by and is very expensive.
There is also the Sulaimanye Mosque and the eerie subterranian Sunken Palace with its 9700sqm underground cavern with 360 illuminated pillars. So, as I was saying the historical aspect of Istanbul is simply breathtaking but what about the shopping, the nightlife, the culture.

A visit to a hammam is a MUST, yes the hotels offer perfectly luxurious and clean hammams but a visit to an old, authentic hammam is a different experience altogether. I visited the Cagaloglu Hamami near the Hagia Sophia and boy was this an experience. There's nothing quite like being pummeled by a maseusse the size of a rugby player to wake you up and keep you alert. It smells musty and old, and the thought of lying naked in front of other women while being thoroughly soaped and sudsed can make you think twice, but a visit to this hammam, which is one of the "1000 things to do before you die" was definitely a memorable experience. My husband on the other hand had a slightly different opinion. Though I must add that modern Turks frown on the idea as something only Turks without baths and tourists would do.

The Grand Bazaar and the Spice market is another 'other worldly' experience. Be prepared to haggle and bargain and get completely stressed. And don't be surprised when a vendor who was talking you to quite efficiently in English suddenly can't understand you anymore when you offer him a price that he doesn't like. My hubby was offered a leather jacket for 500TL which he declined and the seller followed us at least a block by which time the price had dropped to 50TL. So yes, the bazaar is crazy, colourful and chaotic but it is definitely a great experience. Beautiful amber jewellery and Turkish tea cups and leather items can be found to bring home as trinkets or gifts. Both the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar can be quite expensive so be careful when shopping here.

And of course, there are the many Turkish carpet shops...now this was thrilling. We were invited into the inner sanctum of one of these glorious shops where the carpet merchant unrolled so many carpets for us to look at that to leave without buying any felt a little embarassing. Perhaps, this is the objective. You also get offered a little glass of that Turkish tyrant, Raki. All I can say is, after a few of these you will be saying: "I can't remember the question, but the answer is raki" This stuff is potent so go easy with it, similar to the Greek drink ouzo, it is just as deadly. The merchant will explain the differences between silk and wool carpets, how they're made by hand and how the value differs depending on how many knots its takes to  create a pattern. He will tell you about hand knotted and flat woven types, the entire experience is quite enriching, whether you buy or not. Hand-knotted rugs can take years to complete and if you look at the back of the carpet you will find a few imperfections. This is a quick way to determine if the rug was made commercially or not, as commercially made rugs will be smooth and perfect at the back. The difference between them is the price, hand knotted rugs can be extremely expensive.

Most of  the "touristy places" are on the tram line or you could even take a bus, we did and it was pretty simple to get around. Warning: if you're inclined to use the taxis, remember this city has more than 15 million citizens so just imagine the number of vehicles on the road that the driver has to avoid. The taxi drivers are something else, I have never been in a taxi anywhere in the world where the driver is in a hurry to get you to your destination, until I went to Istanbul. These drivers are crazy.

Other things to buy or try:
1. Turkish delights from Haci Bekir, close to the Grand Bazaar. Buy some to bring home but indulge in the kaymakli lokum (turkish delight stuffed with clotted cream. This shop has been here since the 1700's.
2. Turkish coffee from Mehmet Efendi, the oldest  and largest coffee company in Turkey.
3. Visit the leather district of Zeytinburnu, if you love leather then you just have to visit. Slightly outside of Istanbul, but a scenic drive away by taxi, get a look at the old walls of Constantinople along the way. This area has rows and rows of shops selling stunning leather and fur items from jackets to pants to bags to shoes, at a fraction of the price. Derimod has quite a large selection o choose from.
4. Stroll around Taksim Square,  and enjoy a 'hooka' at one of the many cafes that line the streets. Or try some of the Turkish baklava at the very first shop on the left ( the name evades me) but this stuff was heavenly. If you're eating at one of the many restaurants make sure you get a table on the tp floor, you get a great view of the square and the open air is a relief from the heat.
5. Take a walk around the old city, don't be surprised if you feel yourself transported to another time and place as old timers sit on the pavements playing back gammon and drinking tea.
6. Most places offer a small glass of refereshing Turkish tea, I accepted everywhere we went as there are so many different flavours. Loved this.
7. Enjoy a 'doner' ( a Turkish type of schwarma) or a bagel from the vendors pushing their carts.
8. There are many different types of locals, the traditional  type clothed from head to foot with their heads covered and then the fashion forward dressed in the latest designer labels. Shopping is a treat and the pure cotton items you can buy are stunning yet affordable. Gonul Paksoy is a favourite Turkish designer and her stuff is simply stunning and has quite an authentic feel. Or try Haremlique or Fey. Istanbul has all of the regular shops like Levis, Guess etc and quite a few shopping centres but if you're looking for something you're not going to find anywhere else, then visit the native Istanbul stores.
9. Take a cruise on the Bosphorous - this way you get a great view of the majesty of the city with all the mansions lining the water  including the Dolme Bahce palace. If you have half a day available you should do the full cruise which goes all the way to the Black Sea and has 5 stops along the way.
10. See a whirling dervishes recital at Galata Mevlevi temple or Hodjapasha Cultural Centre. These performances are at specific times so you would be wise to book in advance or get your hotel to do it for you. Or even better, buy a ticket to Konya, the burial place of the great poet and Sufi thinker, 00000000000Rumi and watch the dervishes perform in the hometown of their founder.
 
Being so full of history Istanbul has loads to offer so if you're short on time, decide what it is that you most want to see and do and stick to those because once you get there you suddenly realise that there is so much more.

Istanbul is relatively cheap for South Africans, with the exchange rate being  1Turkish Lira= R4.90, so definitely value for money.
We stayed at The Lares Park hotel which is conveniently situated close to Taksim square and close to the bus route. I especially loved the little tea room right across the road and we made sure we had tea there every evening, its crammed with stuff you might want to bring home. Don't make the mistake I did, my frustrated husband had to go shopping in the middle of the night for a new suitcase just for the loads of not necessary things I bought. But, the people are friendly and inviting, extremely helpful and would be happy to show you around their city. Yes, there is much poverty but there is also an air of just being happy and content.
I thoroughly enjoyed Istanbul and that visit has made me want to visit Pamukkale, the World heritage site, for their salt deposits, Ankara for its rich heritage and Bodrum for its beaches.

 

This small taste of Turkey was a pleasant surprise and I can't wait for more.