Return to Constantinople
Two-day excursions from one country to another are no easy feats, overnight journeys in a crowded bus, rich sightseeing programs, and so on. But what are all these inconveniences when it comes to Istanbul?? ? That is exactly what we thought when we were going on our way from Bulgaria to the most beautiful city in Turkey.
When buying an excursion from a hotel guide (tour operator Sanmar), we asked in advance what kind of hotel it would be and, most importantly, where it was located, since we planned to get to Istanbul with a group, and then spend time on our own. It turned out that Sanmar always takes tourists to one hotel - Bekdas Hotel Deluxe 4 *. Its location was described as ideal relative to the historical center, which, in fact, was almost completely confirmed.
So, we left for Istanbul. They gathered tourists along the entire coast, stopping by Burgas and Nessebar. I must say, the road does not tire, passing along the sea, it flies by unnoticed. It took 10 hours to get to Istanbul. This is considering an hour stop to collect money for tours of Istanbul and customs. We arrived in Istanbul early in the morning and immediately checked into the hotel. The guide said that it was a great luck, because they usually check in after lunch. In general, we were lucky - we managed to take a shower and change clothes before leaving for a sightseeing tour.
Participation in the sightseeing tour was superfluous, but, alas, half a day was still wasted. The survey began at the Hippodrome. The Turkish guide, who speaks wonderful Russian, briefly ran through the main milestones of Turkish history associated with this place, and we continued our tour of the city. The only plus of riding around the city by bus is crazy views of the city from the bridges, very beautiful! Of the minuses - they were brought to some cafe to drink Turkish coffee and admire the panoramic view of the Golden Horn. We did this for an hour, although the view was such that 5 minutes would have been enough (I apologize for often complaining about the time spent, it’s just a pity to waste even a minute in Istanbul, especially in the hard time pressure mode). Further, where without it, check-in at the leather and fur factory, where (naturally) everything is of the highest quality and cheapest. It took another precious hour.
After the factory - return to the hotel. Finally, without haste, we were able to take a closer look at him. So, looking ahead, I’ll say - from the hotel to the Blue Mosque on foot - 15 minutes at a brisk pace - in a straight line, not winding anywhere. The room for three is small, but very clean and well furnished. Minus - they lived on the first floor, and the hotel stands on an inclined road - there were no windows - somehow it presses a little, a week in such a cellar would not be easy. The hotel restaurant is located on the 6th floor and leaves you speechless with a wonderful view of the Marmara Sea! The food in the restaurant is quite acceptable.
After a little rest, we gathered for a hike in Istanbul without a group. The closest attraction to the hotel is the Suleymaniye Mosque. They went to her. At first we looked at the mosque itself, the entrance is free, at the entrance women are given closed clothes. We walked around the area. Here, from its territory, a breathtaking view of the Golden Horn, Galata Bridge, etc. opens up. I highly recommend visiting one of the many cafes located near the mosque, with an addition to the name "teras" - this is an opportunity to drink coffee in the open air, enjoying the views of Istanbul .
After visiting the mosques, we moved to the center along one of the main streets of the city - Divanyolu - here are souvenirs, shops, restaurants, cafes, etc. 15 minutes and we are in the heart of the city. We visited the Basilica Cistern (20 lira), went to the Blue Mosque (entrance is free), walked around the center, went down to the Galata Bridge, examined the Yeni Mosque, went to the Asian part of the city, walked a little and from there returned by taxi to the hotel (price of the trip 30 lira).
The next day, early in the morning, we again moved to the center, because. First of all, we were going to visit Hagia Sophia. Since last year, the price has increased slightly and amounted to 30 lira. As in the previous review of Istanbul, I note that it cannot be ignored!
Then our way lay in Topkapı Palace. Unlike the last trip, which took place in March last year, Istanbul in June impressed with the number of tourists. In Topkapi, this was especially noticeable, so when planning your time, you need to take into account the factor of sooooo long lines. The ticket costs 30 lire. This is without Harem. We visited it last time and did not see anything particularly interesting. The palace itself is magnificent, walking around it is a real pleasure. And treasuries, sentries, armory rooms, etc. - impressive despite the fact that you see them not for the first time! We spent a lot of time in the palace, leaving, we decided to have a bite to eat before continuing our journey. A full meal in a restaurant in the city center costs an average of 50 lire.
The next point is the Galata Tower. Again we admired the city from the water, passing over the bridge, after all, you can look at Istanbul endlessly! There is also a queue for the tower. Ticket price - 25 lire. But the view. . . oh, the view! The whole city is before your eyes… you look and do not notice the crowd of people around, you see only countless minarets and tiled roofs, by which Istanbul can be recognized from thousands of other cities!
Having descended from the tower, we decided to wander around this part of the city a little more and came across a rainbow staircase in the Cihangir-Findykly area. It became a bright final point of our short trip.
We returned to the hotel on foot, but the path was not close. On Divan-yolu, we accidentally got into an interesting cafe Grande (at the very beginning of Divan-yolu street) with a terrace on the 5th floor. We saw Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque from a new angle and tasted delicious desserts.
In conclusion, I want to say that in a day and a half in Istanbul we managed almost as much as on the last five-day trip. I just had to walk faster and use taxis more often. Also important - excursions with a guide are many times more expensive than the prices for entrance tickets to museums, i. e. if you prepare in advance, you can spend your time cheaper and more interestingly in this most beautiful of cities. The journey home took 6 hours. They returned barely alive from fatigue and infinitely satisfied.
