Istanbul, Turkey (days 1 & 2)

 Day 1 - January 7, 2023

The first day was mostly a travel day. The flight was direct from Seattle to Istanbul, around 11 hours long.  It was a little daunting to step out into a totally foreign country where English isn't the first language. I landed at around 7pm and took a taxi from the airport to my hotel in Fatih. The roads here are a little sketchy, but it seems like there are some rules they follow. People don't use their indicators much, the vehicles weave in and out of traffic, and there is a lot of tailgating. The place I am staying at in Fatih has some old narrow cobblestone roads which have lots of foot traffic as well. The cars do not stop for pedestrians! It is surprising to me that I didn't notice more dented bumpers. We eventually made it safely to the hotel and I settled in for the night.

Day 2 - January 8, 2023

Woke up at around 7am to a prayer call from one of the mosques nearby. Turns out they are pretty loud! Had a good breakfast at the hotel and then made my way out the door for the day. One five minute walk later I arrived at Sultan Ahmet Park which is a large square with the Blue Mosque on one side and Hagia Sophia on the opposite. 

The Blue Mosque

Hagia Sophia

There are lots of food vendors around.
Many of them sell roasted corn on the cob (mısır), roasted chesnuts (kestane kebap), and sesame bread rings (simit)

From Sultan Ahmet Park I took a hop on hop off bus tour which brings you to many of the major sites through the city. This was a great way for me to tell what places I would like to explore more during the rest of my time in Istanbul.

Galata Bridge (Galata Köprüsü)

The bridge has two levels. Tons of men fishing off the top level of the bridge.  Bottom level has some restaurants.

Dolmabahçe Clock Tower

15th of July Martyrs Bridge (15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü) This bridge spans the Bosphorus strait, connecting Europe and Asia.

Arrived at another smaller square which held Yeni Cami Mosque as well as the Egyptian (spice) Bazaar. I really enjoyed walking through and smelling the air in the bazaar.  

Yeni Cami Mosque

The Egyptian spice Bazaar is an L shaped building with two long hallways like this

The bus tour arrived back at the square where I started out the morning. There was more to see, so I walked around the area for a few more hours. 

Foreground: Serpent Column 4th century AD, midground: Theodosius Obelisk around 1450 BC, and background: German Fountain 1898
These landmarks stand where the Hippodrome stood during Constantine's reign. The ground level now sits 8-10 feet higher than when the Hippodrome was there.

Hagia Sophia

So much to see in one day. I didn't actually go inside many of the places, but now I have a good idea where things are located and which ones are worth checking out. The Galata Bridge and the Egyptian Spice Bazaar are my favorite sites from today. Lots more to see again tomorrow!