“If the earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.”
Turkey is rich in history and culture. It is famous for many historic monuments that are listed in the UNESCO world heritage list. In addition to this, Turkey’s former capital, Istanbul lies in two continents, both Asia and Europe.
During the short spring break, 2022, I was very lucky to get a chance to go to a city which has almost everything! Istanbul. We arrived at Istanbul on 20th of March. Lucky for us the hotel which we stayed in was just near the blue mosque, the Aya Sofia, the Hippodrome and the Topkapi palace.
The next day we headed out to explore the city and finally landed up on a street full of small shops selling all kind of things. The streets were buzzing with shoppers! We also took a ferry to the bosphorus and landed in Uskudar on the Asian side, where we took a bus to Cenkolkoy, a place for chocolate and fish lovers.
The day after that we went to Bursa. We got to touch snow and went up mount Uludag . We went on a chair lift and a cable car ride down the mountain. We also stopped by the green mosque and the oldest tree in Istanbul, it is one amazing tree that survived six fires!
It was Day three, we landed in a big street called the Istiklal street. It is famous for its cobblestone roads and colourful shops and cafés. It also has a funicular, a red train that goes all around the street. Some restaurants even sell Kumpir, a baked potato with your choice of filling inside. Delicious!
Day four we saw the Aya Sofia, the Topkapi palace, the Blue Mosque and the Roman Cistern. The Topkapi palace is where 30 sultans of the ottoman empire lived. The Blue mosque is a mosque that has 6 minarets. The Aya Sofia was first built as a church, then converted into a mosque, after that into a museum for 85 years and for the last two years it has become a mosque again. Interesting, right?
The fifth and our final day in Istanbul we went to the Dolmabahçe palace which was opulent and luxurious, having 485 rooms and 46 halls. It had the fanciest things I have ever seen. Even the cutlery was pure gold!
It was also where the last 6 emperors of the ottoman empire lived. The first President of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who was a very popular leader too lived and died in this Palace.
Soon it was time to say Goodbye. I hope that someday I might have the chance to visit this city again. A CITY WITH SO MUCH, IT DOESN’T FIT INTO ONE CONTINENT’