Haghia Sophia

Istanbul, Turkey  – March 2016

Denver, Colorado USA to Istanbul, Turkey:

Travel Schedule:

Outbound: March 16/17

• Boeing 737 DEN – IAD  UA495  Wheels Up 10:19 am MT and on the ground at 03:02 pm ET
• Boeing 767 IAD – MUC  UA 106 Wheels Up at 07:04 pm ET and on the ground 8:06 am GMT +1
• Airbus 321 MUC – IST    TK 1630 Wheels Up at 11:18 am GMT +1 and on the ground 02:50 pm GMT +2

• Travel from/to Ataturk Airport via Efendi Travel Private Car
• Lodging – Istanbul Marriott Hotel Sisli

Return:  March 21

• Airbus 330 IST – FRA  TK1587 Wheels Up at 09:08 am GMT+2 and on the ground at 10:42 am GMT +1
• Boeing 777 FRA – ORD Wheels up at 1:30 pm GMT +1 and on the ground at 4:30 pm CT
• Airbus 320 ORD – DEN  Wheels up 7:00 pm CT and on the ground at 8:43 pm MT

Click any of the thumbnails to open up a slide show:

Observations:

Per Conde Nast Traveler website, Istanbul was the #2 city travel destination in the world for 2015.  My trip comes after several suicide bombings in the capital of Ankara in early 2016, the Syrian migration chaos and a suicide bombing in Istanbul during my visit on the popular pedestrian shopping street of Istikalal Caddesi.  Shop keepers in the Grand Bazaar told me their business was down 40% and by observation the thousands who typically frequent the Bazaar were down to the hundreds.  The US Dollar =’d 2.9 Turkish Lira.  ATMs were plentiful and I had no problems using my ATM debit card.  No problem with credit cards either.  There is a RFID transit payment card called the Istanbulkart which, once purchased from a vending machine, can be recharged as needed and provided a reduced fare.  That option was unavailable on all of the machines I came across, the feature was grayed out,  so I don’t know where you actually can get that card.  So when I traveled on the metro I would buy a 4 TL token and was good to go.

I took a private car from the airport to the hotel mainly because I couldn’t completely figure out a good route using the Istanbul Transportation Network from my on-line searches and for the simplicity of one car/one driver/one passenger/one rate.  The Hotel had a vehicle security check point and then a baggage x-ray screen and a personal metal detector to get to the lobby.

This is the view from my hotel room.  There are two bridges across the Bosphorus with a third, to the north just before the Black Sea, scheduled to open in the May-June time frame of this year.   There is also Metro service under the Straits via the Marmaray Line.  There is a third Istanbul airport under construction 22 miles to the north along the Black Sea projected to complete in 2020.

---

The Turkish claim the Tulip as their own and it was from Turkey that travelers exported the Tulip to the rest of Europe and the world.

---

The Bazaar has numerous entrances and covers the equivalent of 7-9 city blocks. It is closed on Sundays, however there are numerous markets surrounding the Grand Bazaar perimeter which apparently are open everyday. I did not get to see as much of the Grand Bazaar as I had planned as I ended up visiting with a carpet merchant getting educated on Turkish carpets.

---

The three boats pictured here are the cook houses for the Balik Ekmek fish sandwich restaurants on the south side of the Golden Arm and to the west of the Galata Bridge.  In front of each is a large tent like structure with small tables each with four stools which is the eating area.  Workers call the crowds and seat them.  Other workers take the order and provide drinks.  Very busy, very interesting and a great sandwich for 8 TL (approx. $3 US).

---

My hotel was near the Sisli station on the M2 Metro line.  Most of the popular tourist destinations were to the south with my most frequent stops being Taksim, 2 stops south, and Halic, four stops south. The Taksim stop exits into Taksim Square and is at the head of the popular pedestrian street Istikalal Caddesi.  Actually the pedestrians share the street with a vintage tram service, but no other motor vehicles.  After the bombing I stopped using this station and instead exited at the Halic station which is mid-way on a bridge crossing the Golden Arm to the west of the Galata Bridge.  This proved very convenient for visiting sites in Old and New towns.  The Metro and Tram lines are still under construction, so transportation should be even better in the years to come.

---

There are several companies providing boat tours of the Bosphorus Straits.  I chose the tour provided by TurYol which operates just to the west of the Balik Emkek Fish Sandwich location along the Golden Arm waterfront.  The fare was 12 TL. This tour lasts about 1 1/2 hrs. and provides a great scenic tour of the Bosphorus Straits, the

delineating waterway between Europe and Asia.  The tour heads north along the European side, with a short stop to pick up more passengers on the Asian side.  Many historic sites along the way that I wouldn’t have seen without the boat view.  After passing the Fortress of Europe and going under the second bridge, the boat crosses the Strait and heads back to the south on the Asian side. Again many historic sites and good views as we get back into Istanbul.  Very worthwhile tour for me.  It was a large ferry style boat with good speed and very little motion.  Lots of traffic on the Bosphorus so was also interesting to see all of the ships.

---

As you walk the Train Bridge south, Halic stop, you can see the aqueduct on the hilltop to the right.  Off the bridge I turned right walked along the shoreline to Ataturk Bulvari took a left and walked up the hill. In great condition for its’ age.  Small park on the southside. I followed a path from the park north under the viaduct and proceeded right to the east following a sign to Suleymaniye. Uphill winding streets, pass through a doorway in the Mosque outer wall and emerge into courtyard with vendor stalls and the Mosque.

---

Built from 1550 – 1557 for Suleyman I (the magnificent).  Big complex, including the tombs of Suleyman and his wife as well as the architect and builder of the site, Sinan.  This is a World Heritage Site and visually grand both inside and out.  This location also provides a good view of the Bosphorus. Golden Arm and Old Town.  A short walk through the neighborhood winds through some vendor stores, stalls and restaurants before feeding into the Grand Bazaar and the main street leading to the Hippodrome, with the adjacent Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia.

---

Completed in 1616.

---

Inaugurated as a church in 537, converted to a mosque in 1453 and a museum since 1935.

These two structures sit opposite each other in Sultanahmet Square which is bordered by the Hippodrome.

---

To the west is the Basilica Cistern, an underground reservoir, fed by Valens Aqueduct.  The Cistern is very cooling on a hot day and the fish and Medusa heads are an interesting addition.

---

Summary:

The three + days I had in Istanbul started out on St Patrick’s day and I made my way from Taksim Square down the main tourist pedestrian street, Istiklal Caddesi, to the Corner Irish Pub for a few Pints and the merriment.  This main street would be the scene of a terrorist suicide bombing two days later which killed and injured many.  That event cast a shadow on the safety factor during the rest of my stay. The city was already under alert as witnessed by the car security check and metal detectors at the entrance to my hotel and the numerous armed guards at buildings and sites throughout Istanbul.  The media warned people to avoid crowds and tourist sites, but that means not going out which really wasn’t an option.  I found the Turks to be a friendly group who wanted to talk and let you know who they were and what they did.  However, you could sense the tension brought on by the proximity to Syria, the refugee crisis and the acts of terrorism in Ankara and Istanbul.  The economy was taking a hit with the decrease in tourism and the immediate future appeared unclear.  I enjoyed the sites and experiences, but I was ready to leave.  On a positive note, Turkish Airlines was great to fly with and they have a fabulous lounge at the Ataturk Airport. Also of interest for me, Istanbul is the European end hub of the Silk Road which terminates on the Asian side in Xi’an, China, one of my next trips.

Travel Reference Guides I used:

• Top Ten Istanbul by Melissa Shales, DK Eyewitness Travel
• Turkey Travel Planner by Tom Brosnahan, http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com