Istanbul Things to Do

No trip to Istanbul would be complete without a visit to two of its most popular sights–the Bosphorus and the Egyptian Bazaar! This month one winner will receive two tickets to see these and more on our Bosphorus Cruise and Istanbul’s Egyptian Bazaar tour!

In the summer when the days are hot, a getaway to the Princes’ Islands is a great way to escape the bustle of Istanbul. A quick ferry ride away is lies this unique world where cars are replaced with horses and carts and the Sea of Marmara provides tranquility. Originally a place where royals were exiled, the cluster of islands is now a popular spot for those who want to get out of town without having to go very far.

There are plenty of things to do in Istanbul. From bargaining at the Grand Bazaar to indulging in a hammam, the opportunities abound. However, one that often gets overlooked is heading to the meyhane, Istanbul’s take on the tapas bar and haven where the raki flows, the traditional folk music (rasil) is performed, mezes are consumed and the mood is vibrant.

Visiting the Grand Bazaar. Touring the Blue Mosque. Feasting on Turkish Delights. Heading to the Bosphorus to watch fishermen haul their bounty. These are all things that are included in any visit to Istanbul. Another activity to add to the list? A visit to a Hammam.

The phrase “whirling dervish” – as it is used in English – suggests someone out of control, spinning madly, directionless. In fact, true whirling dervishes practice a very controlled art with roots in Sufi beliefs. Their rituals – ceremonies known as “Sema” – are far from spontaneous, requiring intense training and rigorous discipline. With arms raised and wearing voluminous robes which spread out as they twirl, the dervishes aim for a trance-like state intended to intensify contemplation. In 2005 the Sema ceremony was declared a masterpiece of intangible heritage by UNESCO.

Going to Istanbul? Prepare to be astounded, for Istanbul is one of the most intriguing metropolises in the world.

For more than 1600 years the city served as capital for two major world empires, first of the Byzantines and then of the Ottoman Turks, and has remained the cultural capital of Turkey since the country’s founding in 1923. The brilliance and beauty of this long legacy can be found throughout the city, in its monuments and in the spirit of its people.

Throughout its extensive history Istanbul has also been attracting a certain type of traveler. As a “bridge” between Europe and Asia, the city has lured in foreigners from the West to see at first hand the mysteries of the East, and from the East to see at first hand the mysteries of the West.

Most visitors to Turkey in search of a beach holiday head straight to the brash resorts which line the Aegean or Mediterranean Seas. But Turkey’s verdant Black Sea coast, more or less as long as the Western seaboard of the United States, has some unspoilt gems well worth seeking out. Amasra is a perfect example.

Istanbul’s Bosphorus is of course the place where Europe faces Asia, a crucial waterway fought over by a succession of powers. But it is the meeting of past and present which will be most apparent to anyone who gets out on the water, whose shoreline finds modern skyscrapers sharing airspace with distinctive slender Ottoman minarets, graceful wooden mansions shivering in the shadow of apartment blocks.

By the late 19th century, the Ottoman Empire was in terminal decline, beset by violence, infighting and constant shrinkage of its domains. And every time a chunk of the empire disappeared it seems the sultans cheered themselves up by building a new palace in Istanbul (then Constantinople).

The city of Edirne in western Turkey dates back to the Roman Empire, its name deriving from the Emperor Hadrian. It was on the main westward route which took conquering Ottoman armies into the heart of Europe, to the very gates of Vienna on one occasion, and its strategic position has made it the theater of numerous battles over the centuries.