What is the best cure to heartbreak? I am sure we all have been through at least one during our lives. Some of us know how to get through it easier and faster than others. My friend is one of the others. I am, honestly said, a very cold person. I don’t let things get to me. Maybe it is because I have moved a lot during my childhood that I learned not to get too attached to other people. People always leave whether we want it or not and there is no possible way we can stop them. And why would we? My philosophy is simple; I don’t need anyone who doesn’t need me so if you want to walk out of my life then please do so I don’t need you anyways. But back to my friend, she is going through some serious heartbreak right now and it really got to her. I have never seen her like that. In my eyes she was always this strong and independent girl who didn’t need anyone to make her happy. Now she is just lying in her bed the whole day crying her eyes out. Besides food the best way to deal with heartbreak is to travel, to escape the town for a little while. I, being a great friend, started immediately hitting up places we could travel for Valentine’s Day. London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Prague and all those other gorgeous European capitals started popping up on my screen. It’s a hard decision not just because we have been to the most of them but also because they are all so interesting in their own way that it is hard to choose just one of them to go to. Then, suddenly, a special offer appeared on my screen. The offer was for Istanbul, the capital of Turkey. A big, bright smile came across my face. I instantly remembered my trip to Istanbul in 2007. That trip was one of the best I had ever taken.
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. Istanbul is a transcontinental city where east meets west. Its commercial and historical center lies in Europe, while a third of its population lives in Asia. I wasn’t so sure about going for a holiday to Istanbul because of all the stories you hear from other people like getting robbed in the middle of the street or ripped off anywhere you go. Upon deciding between Amsterdam and Istanbul my mom and me decided that we wanted an adventure, something new and unfamiliar to us and that’s how Istanbul won the fight against Amsterdam. From the very moment we landed on Turkish ground I fell in love with the city. It was nothing like I imagined it to be. I thought it would be very dirty with a lot of conservative people being shocked that I or any other female from our tourist group are not wearing headscarves. I imagined people to be very unfriendly towards tourists and not ready to help them but luckily I was proven wrong. Istanbul is so fascinating. It combines history with future, old with new, tradition with modern and all that in a completely new way. People from Istanbul, at least most of them, are very friendly and open minded, ready to help you with anything you need. What was a little problem though, was their lack of English skills or any other foreign language. I don’t think they speak any other language besides Turkish and if they do, they only know the basics so they can sell you their stuff. Furthermore, Istanbul is a very clean city. Every half an hour you can see someone walking around with a broom cleaning the streets. Rome in comparison is a very dirty city. The city offers much more than what it looks like on the first sight and it is really impossible to see everything there is to it in just a week. But here is a top 8 of must-sees/ do’s while staying in Istanbul:
1) Hagia Sophia - For Istanbul, Hagia Sophia is iconic. Hagia Sophia was initially built as a Christian basilica in the 4th century, but was destroyed twice before the current structure was erected in the 6th century under the auspices of Justinian I, who ordered a larger church than the ones that had been planned initially. Eight centuries later, the Ottomans conquered the town, and transformed it in a muslin mosque. Finally, in 1935, Ataturk (founder of modern Turkey) transformed it in a cultural museum. Today, the enormous dome (a tribute to the wonders of Byzantine architecture and engineering) and the magnificent mosaics highlight this museum.
2) Blue Mosque - Unlike the Hagia Sophia, the 17th-century Blue Mosque remains a functioning house of worship. Both its exterior and interior are visually striking. It consists of 21,000 blue ceramic tiles. The beauty of it is shown best while standing inside looking at the sunshine trying to find its way through the numerous windows. That’s when the real magic starts because the huge mosque suddenly seems blue! But there is one thing to keep in mind. The mosque is closed during prayer times and on Fridays. Also, shoes need to be taken off while entering the mosque and any revealing clothes are to be avoided.
3) Grand Baazar - This lengthy, covered marketplace houses thousands of tiny shops selling food, clothing, jewelry, and more. The Grand Bazaar is exotic, colorful, vibrant and a complete opposite of the dull and same-old-same-old shopping malls around Europe and the States. For bargain lovers, it's a dream come true! You get to gown to half price or even less. The vendors could seem upset by you trying to lower the price but as soon as you start walking away from them they will call you back and give it to you for the price you want. You will find everything there; you name it, gold, leather, carpets, antiques, furniture, lighting, clothes, shoes, etc.
4) Topkapi Palace – It was initially the residence of the Sultan and the royal family. In the 17th and 18th centuries, however, the Palace was overshadowed as the preferred residence of the royals by newer palaces on the Bosporus, and finally in the 19th century the Sultan Abdül Mecid I decided to move his residence officially to Dolmabahçe. In 1924, the complex was converted to a museum by the Republic. The interior of the palace is simply breathtaking just like the Sultan treasures including an 86-carat diamond (the diamond is truly stunning, I don’t know which woman would want it on her engagement ring ;)) and the jeweled dagger. Also to explore is Topkapi’s storied harem.
5) Taksim square - Taksim square is probably the most important square in Istanbul and the heart of the city. It is impressive for its size and it holds numerous restaurants where you can eat traditional Turkish foods, shops, religious buildings and cultural centers. The square, the name of which means division or divided, comes from the statue of the same name.
6) Dolmabahce Palace - It was the residence of the last Sultans. It was built in the 1840s and 1850s for Sultan Abdül Mecid I, who got tired of residing in Topkapi Palace and decided to move to another palace on the shores of the Bosporus. The palace itself is very influenced by European styles especially the Baroque style. Its interior design amazes the eyes. Dolmabahce was used by the royal family as its official residence until the proclamation of the Republic in 1923, when it became the Presidential Summer Palace and a residence for Turkey’s first President, Kemal Atatürk. It was here that he died in 1923. It is now a museum that is open to the public.
7) Egyptian (Spice) Market – The name „Egyptian Market“ is due to the fact that most of the spices were imported through Egypt. It is the most exotic and colorful market in Istanbul and the second largest after the Grand Bazaar, filled with the smell of spice and different foods (sweets, vegetables, fruits). The smell inside the market is simply unbelievable. It’s like an orgasm for the nose.
8) Wine & dine – Turkey is a country famous for its food. It would be a sin not to eat in Istanbul. I personally wasn’t too amazed by the original Turkish kebab or some other dishes that I ate at a typical Turkish restaurant. But Turkish sweets are a completely different story. Turkish delight (lokum) is a must have. There is a wide variety of color and flavor including rose-hips, pistachios, walnuts and gum mastic. It is found on every corner and even the sellers offer it to you for free to taste it. Turkish desserts are very fatly because they are full of sugar. But they are amazingly delicious. Another Turkish must have is their tea. While waiting at the Grand Bazaar or any other market for the seller to find what you are looking for you will be offered tea. It is for free and it is not polite to reject. As well as the delight, tea varies in flavors. My personal favorite is apple tea. It can’t be compared to any other tea I drank there. To me, it’s a piece of heaven on earth.
I hope this little “travel guide” somehow gave you the perspective on what to see and do in Istanbul. It is really a fascinating city. And don’t listen to people who tell you differently! You will never know until you come and experience it by yourself. It is worth the trip, I pinky promise.
I and my friend really might end up going there again even though we have both visited Istanbul. As they say „ If you visited Istanbul once, you will come again. “ :D
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