Ozan, our guide for two days, is supposed to show us the best of Istanbul. We walked over to the tram #1 stop at Sirkeci and tapped our credit cards for entry. We rode the tram about 5 stops to Kabataş and walked to our first stop, Dolmabahçe Palace or Dolmabahçe Sarayı, a 19th-century imperial palace which served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. We learned about sultans and the caliphate, and their deaths, paranoia, and their contributions. Here’s the entrance after passing through security:
The front garden:
The palace itself is very symmetrical and has 164 chandeliers. They came from various parts of Europe, but some of my favorites were made from Italian Murano glass. This staircase was delicate as the posts holding the banister were made of crystal:
A few more colorful chandeliers:
We observed studies, a library, private rooms, bathrooms, and here’s a Turkish bath:
And a beautiful blue window looking out on to the Bosphorus:
We exited the building and learned people would arrive by boat and enter the palace here:
We then rounded the building and entered the harem part which actually means privacy. We learned about the women that were brought here to be educated, competing for the affection of the sultan, and having to satisfy the “queen mother” who had major influence if you could be one of the sultan’s wives - some had 1 and the most known was 16. The residence was more subdued, but still colorful:
The blue room:
The pink room of the queen mother:
It’s tulip season in Turkey and they were bright and blooming:
We rested in the courtyard and enjoyed some Turkish tea. Then headed to our Bosphorus Cruise where we rode up the strait under several bridges and then did a u-turn. The Bosporus is a natural strait, connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, and is the continental border between Europe and Asia.
A view of Dolmabahçe Palace from the boat:
One of several bridges connecting the continents:
The largest Turkish flag on one of many hills:
A fortress that was used to guard the strait:
We ordered some tea again and Turkish doughnuts called Simit. The nearby kids and other passengers threw bits off the boat and the seagulls would catch in midair:
Ozan pointed out to us on both the European and Asian sides, expensive homes, universities, hotels, and museums that lined the strait. We returned to the dock and took the uphill funicular from Kabataş to Taksim Square which is in Beyoğlu - considered the heart of modern Istanbul.
We then walked down a pedestrian street called İstiklal Avenue or İstiklal Caddesi, named after the declaration of the Republic in 1923. It was lined with shops, consulates and embassies, hotels, and etc.
Also here is Çiçek Pasajı, known as Flower Passage, a famous shopping arcade:
There were Galatasaray soccer fans everywhere in their maroon and yellow, getting excited for tonight’s match. Here they are singing, finger snapping, dancing, and pre-gaming:
For lunch, our guide chose Antakya İşi Kebab & Sokak Lezzetleri. Probably one of the best hummus I’ve ever had and it came with vegetables. He ordered stuffed eggplant, stuffed peppers, lamb, and Lahmacun which is a flatbread with mixed meat:
We walked down to the funicular, passing by the Pera Palace hotel where Agatha Christie wrote 11 pages of “Murder on the Orient Express” and boarded the Beyoğlu funicular down to Karaköy:
The stop is in front of Galata Bridge or Galata Köprüsü. We drove over this bridge yesterday and today we walked while observing all the fishing. The breeding ground is apparently right underneath and they fish for mackerel and other small fish without needing a permit all year round:
After a few underground passageways to cross streets, we were at the famous Spice Market which was renovated. It’s also known as Mısır Çarşısı, meaning "Egyptian Bazaar". Mama Kim bought some expensive Iranian saffron while people guessed our ethnicity - most correctly yelled at us in Korean…and Ozan who studied in China noticed when he heard Chinese…
The walk back to the hotel was short and after walking all day and fighting jet lag, we immediately all napped and had an early night. We did what was normally Day 2 of the guided tour as the Grand Bazaar in the old city is closed on Sundays. So we will see the prime sights tomorrow and explore more of Istanbul!
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