We were on vacation in Istanbul a few weeks back. On our last day we wanted to pack in as much as we could and in the process clocked up 33,000 steps - which is our highest amount ever in a day. So I thought I'd provide a tour of what we went and saw.
Our first stop was the mosque of Suleymaniye the Great, which was only around 15mins walk from our hotel. We got there fairly early. I have to say it was really impressive, inside and out with beautiful gardens and also to tomb of Suleymaniye as well. Such a beautiful place. It dates from the 1550s.
The mosque sits fairly high up in that part of the town offering great views out over the rooftops towards Galata, another area of the city on the European side.
From there we made our way down through some of the markets heading towards Galata.
We crossed the Golden Horn via the Golden Horn Metro Bridge, which carries the metro over the golden horn. Its a stunning modern bridge with nice views up and down the water. Construction of the bridge was finished in 2014.
Our destination was the Galata Tower, built around 1350 which has seen some history - watch tower, wars, prison, etc.
The tower stands in a prominent position offering 360 degree views of the city, which was the main draw for us.
From there we headed back towards Sultanahmet, this time crossing back via the Galata bridge, which was built in 1994.
This time our destination was the New Mosque which sits down on the waterfront next to the Egyptian/Spice bazaar. The pic above shows its beautiful courtyard. I love the name 'new mosque' considering it was built in the 1660s !!!
From the new mosque we made our way to the Theodosius Cistern, heading further back in time to this fantastic water reservoir built by the Romans between 428 and 443. This is a lot smaller than the incredible Basilica Cistern, but has an ace up its sleeve to attract the tourists !
An amazing light/animation show. It only lasts about 15minutes, but what a setting to have it in !!!
From the cistern, it was a short walk to the Blue Mosque for the second visit there during our vacation. The inside is exquisite. It was built in the early 1600s.
From there it was another short walk to the Hagia Sophia, the main attraction to Istanbul for me. Originally a Christian Cathedral of epic proportions, it is now a mosque. The inside of this mosque is therefore quite different from that of the Blue Mosque as can be seen by comparing the two pics above. Again it was our second visit to this mosque during our visit - what a completely stunning place ! And incredibly it was built back in 537 AD.
From there we made our way to Gulhane Park Gardens, with our destination being the Column of the Goths. The park was very nice, and quite popular with tourists and locals - with lots of cool statues and fun things dotted around the park.
I was keen to see the column, being a fan of Roman history, as not much of Roman Istanbul remains these days. The column was erected as a memorial to a victory over the Goths, and is around 1700+ years old (they are not quite sure of the date).
From the park, it was down to the water front, passing this lovely Turkish flag.
The city spans both Europe and Asia, with the water between them being a major transport route and integral part of life in the city. It was lovely to see all the boats and ferries making their way at pretty much all times of the day.
We walked back along the waterfront, passing the old Eminonu Train Station. It was about early evening and we were getting pretty tired at this point.
So we found a bar and took a beer stop !
At this point my wifes watch was telling us we'd done 31,165 steps - and it bloomin felt like it. We were knackered - but not done !
After a few beers we made our way to our last stop of the day - dinner, in a lovely Turkish restaurant ! After a fine feed, we went back to our hotel, clocking in over 33,000 steps in total. Both absolutely shattered - but what a day. A walk of epic proportions taking in sites across the city, from different cultures and different time points. It was awesome - what a perfect way to enjoy a last day on a city break !
