Istanbul is charming! It has style, that landscape and that vibe!
Right on the corner of the map, yes it is European: linked and divided. Yes it is Asian: you can start feeling the difference in the temperature!
I’ve never particularly planned a trip to Istanbul, I happened to arrive in this city absolutely by chance. Since the very first day it totally charmed me and I promised to come back again and again!

I wish some of those countries, you know, take example from Turkey and grand people the chance to get a visa on arrival for a reasonable fee.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of services in Turkey. Their tourism runs very well, it is organized, affordable and diverse. And that Turkish-English accent … ö, ü 🙂 …..

The Square in-between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque is very vibrant. Fountain freezes are a great retreat from summer heat! The old town is busy, crowded and attractive. Given the number of attraction you need a week for Istanbul only. Needless to say, another week for a culinary discovery!

One of my favorite sites in Istanbul is the magnificent Hagia Sophia – a relic of faith, a symbol of wisdom! Right in the heart of the old town in Istanbul, Hagia has been there since Byzantine times! Traces of history are all over the basilica, it is a live prove of intrigues and strategic policies. The Church was constructed in the name of the Logos, the Wisdom of God, and served as a church for over a millennium.  It conquered that Sultan’s heart from the first sight. With the Ottoman conquest the church was transformed into a mosque. At the moment Hagia is a museum. Mondays it may be closed for visiting.

You feel so small while inside this great basilica!

While the general elements show an Islamic trace, if you look on the ceiling you will see Christian Orthodox mosaic icons, which have been preserved till today despite the interdiction of Islam to depict faces inside their worship places. Same as here, you will clearly see how the eyes of the saints have been cut from the icons painted on the cave churches in Cappadocia, after the Islamic conquest of these regions. Greeks still call Istanbul by its Byzantine name, Constantinople. It used to be a flourishing Christian metropolis for over a millennium.

Mosaic icon of Theotokos with child Jesus on the ceiling of Hagia Sophia …

Copy of mosaic Icons of Christ Pantocrator and John the Baptiser from Hagia Sophia …

   

Just opposite Hagia, the Blue Mosque is another site of Sultan’s great visions …

On the right from Hagia Sophia you can find many hostels with an amazing upper terrace view over the sea. Here you will witness Turkish hospitality at the fullest!

The New Mosque near the Grand Bazaar and the Galata Bridge …

Galata Bridge is the spot where dozens of locals gather for fishing. Here you can try a delicious fish kebab with fresh vegetables and lemon, cooked in front of you. I had 4 and every time I think about them I wish I had another chance to come back to Istanbul!

Sunset over Bosphorus is melodious, as all the mosques begin the sunset praying…