My memories from the initial visit are very vague. But I remember that I was fascinated and wanted to go back. The subsequent visits were also all very enjoyable. Interestingly, every time when I was going back home, I wanted to stay longer as I felt that I hadn’t seen and done enough.
That’s why I started my current travel across Turkey in Istanbul. I spent a week there and managed to see many new things. I had seen the most famous sites before, but I visited all of them again in addition to many other, for me, new sites.
So, to try and answer the question why I like Istanbul, I can divide my answer in three parts:
- History and historic sites
- Shopping
- Food
HISTORY AND HISTORIC SITES
History is everywhere in Istanbul. Clearly, I’m referring to the old part of the city. Residential areas are of no interest, the same as in every other city.
The most famous sites, like Hagia Sophia, are the focal point and attract most interest. Surely, this nearly 1500 years old temple, with a fascinating history, is of immense value for the world’s patrimony.
But, what I like in Istanbul is that you find fascinating historic structures everywhere. They may be less famous than the most famous ones and, perhaps, they may be completely overlooked. But their significance and historic value is not less important.
The area between the Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque is full of less known structures and monuments. You may pass by and not pay much attention, because you are totally captivated by the main sites.
One of them, very close to the Blue Mosque, is the German Fountain. It was constructed in the gazebo style to commemorate the second anniversary of the German Emperor Wilhelm II’s visit to Istanbul in 1898. The fountain is beautiful and in many other cities it would be a prime attraction. In Istanbul, you may or may not notice it.
Or, when I went to see the Fatih and Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosques, I came across the Dülgerzade Mosque, in Fevzi Pasha street.
Of course, I immediately noticed that it was an old mosque. But only after I had approached the entrance, I saw a sign showing that this small mosque was from 1482. You won’t find this more than 500 years old mosque in your usual tourist guides.
Another example, in that same part of the city, is the Kizilminare Mosque. It caught my eye because it was built in 1521. That was the year in which Suleiman the Magnificent conquered Belgrade. Southern parts of Serbia were already under the Ottoman rule, but Belgrade resisted until 1521.
It is also a very small, nearly 500 years old mosque. You could easily pass by and not think much of it, while it certainly has a significant historic value.
It’s like that all over Istanbul. Beautiful wooden Ottoman era houses, in the photo below, are in a historic area near the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque, in Sultan Selim street.
I was in that part of Istanbul for the first time. I visited the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque and I also wanted to see the Fethiye Mosque. The Fethiye Mosque is famous because it was the Pammakaristos Church before the Ottomans converted into a mosque, the same as it happened to Hagia Sophia and many other former Byzantine churches.
Unfortunately, the mosque was under restoration, it was completely covered in scaffolding and it wasn’t possible to see anything. Well, I’ll go back to see it next time.
That area is approximately half an hour away from the most central part of old Istanbul. Still, it was like being in a completely different city. It was glaringly obvious that it’s a very traditional area, with a lot of people dressed in a traditional attire.
Even shops look different there. You can see the modest women clothing in this retail outlet, in line with tradition and religious beliefs.
But when you go back to Fevzi Pasha street, it’s already a different world. Shops display more modern and not so religiously constrained clothes.
When you walk along various parts of the city, you come across many other magnificent Ottoman historic sites.
The Şehzade Mosque in the photo below, from 1543, is on the way to the historic area that I’ve described above. I didn’t see any foreign tourists at this particular mosque, while it’s as beautiful and historically significant as the very popular Blue Mosque. And that’s precisely why I like Istanbul.
We get captivated by the most popular structures and we overlook smaller and less famous ones. Maybe, that’s also because there is so much to see in the city and we can’t process it all during one visit.
The Valens Aqueduct is close to Şehzade Mosque. Built in the 4th century, it was a major water-providing system in Constantinople. Again, as it’s not in the central area, I suspect that not many people see it, perhaps only if they happen to travel on the road that passes under the aqueduct. But even then, they may not notice it.
Historic monuments and sites like this one are everywhere.
SHOPPING
When I say shopping, I don’t necessarily mean that you have to buy anything. Although, several times in the past I went to Istanbul with a big empty suitcase and returned back home completely loaded. I still have a lot of stuff that I bought at that time. Well, it means that I don’t have to do any shopping for a long time.
I mentioned in my previous post that the best area to stay in Istanbul was Beyoğlu, especially anywhere near Istiklal street.
Istiklal street is the main pedestrian street in Istanbul. All shops and restaurants are open until midnight. In the old part of Istanbul, most businesses close at 6pm and that area is pretty dead afterwards.
That’s why I always choose to stay in Beyoğlu. I usually explore the old part of Istanbul all day, then I come back to this lively area for the evening.
The street is very interesting, colourful and full of life all day long. Every day after dinner, I go for a walk along this street. Images and sounds are mesmerising. It can get very busy sometimes, with too many people, but that’s also part of its unique charm.
But the real shopping is in the Grand Bazaar and Bazaar Quarter. Everything else pales compared to this part of the city.
Here, the abundance and variety of goods on offer is astonishing. There are a lot of fake designer goods on offer too, much cheaper than the real stuff. Çadırcılar street, next to the Grand Bazaar, is where you will find a lot of fake merchandise.
But what I like about Istanbul, and Turkey in general, is that the country has a very strong textile industry. It means that you can also find a lot of good quality and very reasonably priced clothes. You just need to have a bit of patience and you can find everything you want. You may even be tempted to buy things that you don’t need and don’t want.
In my opinion, this is the best and most interesting part of the city, where you can go for an endless walk. As I said, you don’t need to buy anything, the experience of seeing all that around you is more than enough.
That area is divided and in different sections you can buy different things. There are whole streets dedicated to just one item, such as underwear or socks or kids clothes. There are sections where you can only buy food items.
Certainly, these colourful displays look very attractive and are very different from how such items are sold in supermarkets across western Europe.
The abundance and variety of everything on offer is mind blowing. And that’s exactly why I like Istanbul. I like the smells, colours and images that every time stimulate my imagination.
Normally, I buy cashew nuts, walnuts and almonds in these markets. I also bought dry figs and apricots in the past. They were always delicious.
FOOD
One more reason why I like Istanbul is food. Turkish food is similar to Serbian food. Or, if I say it differently, Serbia was part of the Ottoman empire for nearly 500 years, thus many Turkish dishes are exactly the same as Serbian dishes. So, I am very familiar with the Turkish cuisine and its flavours.
Another reason is that food in Istanbul is good. There is almost no concept of fast food, the way it exists in western European countries, where big corporations dominate the food market with their inedible ultra-processed products that they are passing for food. Turkish people eat properly cooked food.
What I normally do and what I did during my latest stay in Istanbul, I go to the Turkish fast food type restaurants. These restaurants offer home-made cooked food. The food is already prepared, you choose what you want, you pay and eat. It’s fast, cheap and delicious and you eat healthy food.
I came across the Balkan Lokantsi self-service on my way to the Topkapi Palace. This restaurant is in Ankara street. It was very busy when I went there to eat, which means that the food is fresh as it rotates quickly.
Another place where I went was the Beyoğlu Halk Lokantasi restaurant. This place was almost opposite of my hotel, in Meşrutiyet street. But this place no longer exists. It was the same type of a self-service restaurant. The food was excellent.
However, my favourite place is the Ehlitat Lokantasi, in Balo street. It is always busy and you can choose from a big variety of meals. I strongly recommend this place, you will eat well and for little money.
In reality, what I like is to eat in places where Turkish people eat. I know that the food is good, as otherwise I am sure that Turks wouldn’t eat there. I avoid touristic restaurants.
I would also like to mention one more place. That’s because I go there every time when I’m in Istanbul. It is the Çiğdem Patisserie, very close to Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, in Divan Yolu street.
I usually go there to have Turkish coffee and something to eat. I went there during my first visit to Istanbul in 2002 and every time since then. It’s an excellent place where you can stop and have a rest.
SOME OTHER REASONS WHY I LIKE ISTANBUL
Right now, Turkey is a very good value for money. Turkey was affordable in the past too but, for people coming from western European countries, now it’s cheap.
Unfortunately for Turkish people, Turkish lira has lost a lot of value against main currencies over the past several years. Last time when I was in Turkey, I received 4 liras for 1 pound. This time, it’s 7 liras for 1 pound. Admittedly, prices have probably also gone up, but not as much as the Turkish lira had devalued.
I know, it’s a selfish reason, but that’s the way it is. It was also why I chose to travel across Turkey, in addition to reasons that I’ve already mentioned.
There is so much to see and do in Istanbul. It’s impossible to convey all aspects of the city in one post.
The historic area of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for a good reason. In my opinion, for people interested in history but also in having a good time, Istanbul is a perfect place.
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