Mosques, palaces and bazaars or beautiful Istanbul in a few hours
On the eve of the summer season, perhaps the information will be useful to someone, but I just really miss Istanbul.
In Istanbul, we were nothing but a few hours on a day trip from Bulgaria.
We left Bulgaria at 23.30 and at 8.30 we were in Istanbul on the embankment near the Galata Bridge. There we transferred to a local bus with a local guide and went on an excursion.
So, what can you do in Istanbul in a few hours?
The sightseeing tour starts by bus from the Galata Bridge to the Blue Mosque. There on foot.
First we visit the Blue Mosque - the beauty is indescribable. Then we go to the Hippodrome square. Well, IMHO area and area, well, the hippodrome used to be. Then our tourists returned to the bus and went to the Asian part and to the leather shop, and we stayed here in the center, because we decided not to waste precious time on this matter. The meeting of the group was scheduled for 18.45 in the same place where our Bulgarian bus had left (near the Galata bridge). According to the time when we broke away from the group, it was about 11 hours, maybe a little more.
In total, we have a little less than 8 hours to the center of Istanbul.
We exchanged dollars for lira (we found an exchanger right away), and went to Sofia. They changed the currency, because in local museums, euros were not accepted for payment, only lira. The queue to Sofia is not very long, we stood for a maximum of 10 minutes. The entrance cost 20 liras, the audio guide 7 liras. We had our own audio guide and we did not take the audio guide. It's impossible to describe the feeling, you just have to be there. We were in Sofia for about an hour, climbed to the second floor.
Further, almost a stone's throw from Sofia was the Basilica Cistern, entrance 10 lire. We spent 30 minutes there. The queue is small, well, we stood for a maximum of 5 minutes. It’s rather dark inside, for good photos you definitely need a tripod. We did not have it, so there are not many normal photos. But the sight is very beautiful.
Then we moved to Topkapi. Entrance 20 lire. Cash registers in the courtyard. There were a lot of people at the box office, but as a result, we stood in line for 15-20 minutes. The entrance to the treasury is included in the general ticket, the entrance to the Harem is 15 liras, it is paid separately at the entrance to the Harem, there is no queue at all to enter the Harem. Audio guide 10 lira. Now I regret that I didn’t take an audio guide, because our information was not very much, although the question was whether there was more of it in the local one. We covered the whole palace in about three hours, it is quite large and we walked at a fast pace. Tired, but really enjoyed it.
We left Topkapi at about 15.30. We got to the tram and went to the Galata bridge, crossed the bridge and got out behind the bridge. Then we crawled to the Galata tower. The climb to the tower is steep. There was not a very long queue at the entrance. We didn't go upstairs because I forgot there was an elevator. Therefore, be careful, do not forget that the ascent there is not on foot.
Then we went back to the Galata Bridge and walked back along it. By this time we were already quite tired and hungry, my legs themselves carried me to restaurants on the first floor of the Galata Bridge, although I read and knew that the prices there are tourist prices. But after a persistent passage through a couple of restaurants on the third, I finally and irrevocably gave up. After haggling with the Janissaries, we ordered two fish and a beer each. These cunning people dragged the beer immediately before ordering the fish, having taken a sip of life-giving moisture, I realized that no one was going anywhere further. They tried to trick us into buying expensive fish, but we stood our ground, or this one for 18 liras, or we're dumped. Then they still divorced me into the type of free tea as a gift, which later turned out to be on the bill, but to hell with them, I was already full and satisfied. For everything about everything, we paid 60 lira for two (about 30 euros). The fish was delicious, the beer excellent. In general, we got a good lunch and a great rest. The bridge is very fresh from the water, breathtaking views of the Bosphorus and Istanbul. We didn't regret it.
Then we had an hour left and we went to the Egyptian market (aka the Spice Bazaar). The market is small, only two streets. The main belongings are plates, lamps, spices, sweets, teas, all sorts of rubbish. There are no clothes here. We ran it twice in an hour. Surprisingly, there is no coffee for sale. They don't want to bargain at all, or I'm not very good at it. Barely bargained for 4 lira when buying Turks for coffee. Turkish delight compared to Bulgaria is incredibly expensive, but very tasty. We skimped on the little things and ran to the bus.
Of course, one day in Istanbul is negligible, we managed to see only the main center. We didn’t even have time to ride along the Bosphorus, although this was included in the large-scale plan, not to mention all the other attractions. You can have time for a walk along the Bosphorus if you do not spend a lot of time on Topkapi. If you go, it is better of course for two days - this is at least something. But Istanbul is a stunning, colorful city worth visiting. And I will definitely come back here.
Istanbul, I miss you!
