Thursday we saw the biggies, getting all the touristy musts out of the way. They were definitely worth it. We went to see the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque, and the huge Haga Sophia.
I started my journey by boarding the Funicular, which is this cool rope pulled form of transportation which they have operating underground. Public transportation is pretty good and there are many different forms: Funicular, tram, busses and even trolleys.
The Grand Bazaar is this absolutely massive covered shopping center, where people have been trading for years. There were many cool trinkets which I know regret passing up on. The Blue Mosque is similarly overwhelming, but stunningly beautiful. It’s amazing to see the walls covered by thousands of blue tulips painted with the most exquisite detail. Finally, the Haga Sophia was massive, period. I cannot say that it was the most beautiful space that I’ve seen, because the mosaics in Ravenna have survived the ages better. However, the sheer immensity of the space, coupled with its history made it a worthy stop. You can see how the Turks tried to cover up the Christian symbols when they took over and converted it into a mosque. Certain Angels heads are covered and the alter has been moved to face Mecca!
For food I had 2 excellent experiences. First in the morning I had lunch at Bambi’s. And if you’re wondering, yes it is the same Bambi from the Disney movie which is on all the menus of this Turkish quasi-fast food joint. There are no copyright laws in Turkey, so Disney probably isn’t getting a dime. Anyways, the food was incredible. If you ever get the chance go for Islak hamburgers and their waffles. Their hamburgers are small, kind of like white castle, but very tasty. The waffles are simply incredible and more a desert than anything else, filled with ice cream, bananas, chocolate syrup, nuts, and every type of sugar imaginable.
Later in the afternoon we bought fish off a boat on the Bosphorus! Most of the other vendors have shops along the coast, but this one actually sells it from a boat tied to the shore. It’s incredible that the waiters can keep their balance with the rolling waves, but they did an incredible job of maintain their balance.
