Exporing where East meets West in Türkiye

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Friday, 10 April 2026 - Our first full day in Istanbul took us across the Bosphorus into Asia, through colorful neighborhoods, lively markets, Ottoman palaces, ferry ride, and the magnificent Blue Mosque. Along the way we sampled Turkish coffee, explored local food stalls, admired historic landmarks, dodged chilly rain while waiting for lost luggage, and began discovering the rich culture and warmth of Türkiye.

Our first day touring Türkiye. Cal had not synced the iPad to the local internet, and our alarm was an hour late - so we were an hour late to meet the guide. Our breakfast was rapid.

Our guide had called the airport, and the bag had arrived and would be out for delivery at 1000. Seemed like it would be to the hotel by noon, therefore, we decided to head out on our tour and stop by at lunch to get my raincoat.

turkey2026 — We started by traveling to the Asian continent over the Bosphorus Bridge (15 July Martyrs Bridge) connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.

We traveled to Çamlıca Hill for a sweeping of the bridge and the European continent. The bridge spans 5118 feet, finished in 1973.

turkey2026 — Looking toward Istanbul’s modern Levent business district on the European side, where glass towers contrast with the city’s historic core.

turkey2026 — The Çamlıca Tower used as a telecommunications tower primarily used for radio and television broadcasting. It is 1210 feet high with 45 stories which including observation decks and restaurants, offering a 360-degree view of Istanbul.

turkey2026 — The national flag of Türkiye, features a white crescent and star in a red background on its emblem, based on the 18th-century flag of the Ottoman Empire.

We would see the flag displayed often on buildings and homes. There was always a large flag on a very tall flagpole on the high point of each city.

turkey2026 — Istanbul is famous for its massive population of nearly a million street cats, which are treated as communal pets rather than strays. These cats are protected by law and deep-rooted cultural, religious (Islamic), and historical traditions. Residents, municipalities, and local businesses provide food, water, and shelter.

These little cat houses were frequently observed in homes and businesses. We will see many cats.

turkey2026 — Colorful house number plate with the evil eye amulets, commonly used to ward off bad luck or evil spirits.

turkey2026 — We were walking in the Kuzguncuk neighborhood which had charming wooden houses in the colorful Ottoman style, many of which have been meticulously restored.

The neighborhood is a popular spot for leisurely strolls, featuring narrow alleys filled with cafés, bookstores, and boutique shops.

turkey2026 — The bell tower of the Agios Panteleimonas Greek Orthodox Church. The church was built in the 19th century and is a prominent landmark in the area. It serves the local Greek Orthodox community.

turkey2026 — Wonderful small shops like this grocer.

turkey2026 — Beautiful tomatoes - the tomato would be featured in almost every meal we would have. They were delicious.

turkey2026 — Red and white building that houses a coffee shop.

The rain started - very light.

turkey2026 — Our guide, Mesut, and Virginia Ann are enjoying a cup of tea next to a colorful car.

Mesut would be our guide from Istanbul all the way to Bodrum - 10 days. He was great - very knowledgeable and able to show us sites not in the itinerary - like this charming little neighborhood.

turkey2026 — The exterior facade of Beylerbeyi Palace. Built between 1861 and 1865, it served as an imperial Ottoman summer residence and a venue to host foreign dignitaries. The architecture is a blend of European styles, such as Neo-Baroque, with traditional Ottoman aesthetics.

turkey2026 — A golden crest over an entrance gate. The crest includes military motifs such as flags, a helmet, and the Ottoman Sultan's tughra (signature) in the center.

turkey2026 — Sea Gate Pavilion is part of the palace's stunning Sea Gate façade, designed to impress visitors arriving by water.

turkey2026 — The gate from the pavilion into the palace grounds. The waters of the Bosporus Strait lap at the palace.

turkey2026 — Beautiful grand staircase leading up to the private quarters for the Beylerbeyi Palace.

turkey2026 — The chandelier over the grand staircase.

turkey2026 — The ceilings were decorated with naval paintings reflecting the Sultan's interest in the navy and the palace's location along the Bosphorus Strait.

turkey2026 — From the palace we traveled to the Kadikoy Market, unfortunately it had begun to rain. Cal still without rain gear or a jacket (60 or so degrees) was getting wet. We did have an umbrella - still uncomfortable.

turkey2026 — Small butcher shop with all kinds of meat and several parts of sheep which were not on our list of things to try in Türkiye. This, for example, is a tray of sheep brains.

turkey2026 — A deli display case filled with a variety of Turkish mezes (appetizers). Many of these dips are prepared with ingredients such as walnut, yogurt, eggplant, and various spices.

turkey2026 — And lots of olives. Türkiye exports olives and olive oil - mostly to Europe but also to the US.

turkey2026 — This stall is selling olives as well as pickled items in the jars and dried peppers and vegetables.

turkey2026 — Grape leaves are used as wraps for stuffed vine leaves (we would make in a cooking class later in the trip).

turkey2026 — A fresh fish stall. The man is scooping out sardines to purchase. Sea bass seems to be the popular fish.

turkey2026 — These are green apricots. Popular to eat fresh and in local cooking.

turkey2026 — A variety of fresh produce, primarily featuring green kohlrabi, red/purple kohlrabi, and bunches of red radishes.

turkey2026 — A variety of vegetables in a stall.

turkey2026 — We stopped for lunch as the rain picked up. After lunch, we walked to a small café to enjoy our first Turkish Coffee. This little feline was enjoying a nap off the wet sidewalk and under the café awning. Even though the café was packed everyone let the kitty stay sleeping at her own table.

turkey2026 — We then boarded a ferry to return to the European side of the city.

Haydarpaşa Railway Station was once the busiest terminal in Türkiye and served as the starting point for the famous Baghdad and Hejaz Railways. Its grand Neo-Classical design was completed the project in 1908.

turkey2026 — This is a monument located on the Haydarpaşa Breakwater, situated opposite the Istanbul Haydarpaşa railway station. The obelisk is positioned on the breakwater wall facing the Sea of Marmara. It is known as the Abdul Hamid II Monument, erected to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sultan Abdul Hamid II's accession to the Ottoman throne in 1902.

turkey2026 — Topkapı Palace from the Bosphorus Strait, we will visit tomorrow.

turkey2026 — Galata Tower was built in 1348 by the Genoese colony as part of their fortification walls, originally named Christea Turris (Tower of Christ). Over centuries, it has served as a watchtower, a prison, a fire-watch tower, and is now a popular museum and tourist attraction.

turkey2026 — The Süleymaniye Mosque commissioned by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Construction began in 1550 and was completed in 1557.

turkey2026 — An ice cream vendor near the ferry station on the European side.

turkey2026 — Tulips in the gardens of the Topkapi Palace. They are beautiful, beds and beds of them. We quickly learned from our Guide that they were cultivated in Türkiye and taken from Türkiye to Holland.

By the 15th-16th century, tulips were highly prized in Constantinople (Istanbul). Sultan Suleiman the First and other elites considered them symbols of wealth, power, and beauty, often wearing them in their turbans (giving them their name, derived from the Turkish word for turban).

turkey2026 — Mesut explains the display of a bread vendor while we walked through the Topkapi Palace gardens.

turkey2026 — We passed the hotel - and no, the luggage had not been delivered. Now expecting at 1800 hrs.

We walked around the Hippodrome of Constantinople next to the Blue Mosque. There we found the German Fountain, which was gifted to the Ottoman Empire by German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II to commemorate the second anniversary of his visit to Istanbul in 1898.

turkey2026 — German Fountain features a magnificent octagonal dome covered in gold mosaics on the inside, supported by dark green columns.

turkey2026 — Virginia Ann approaches the Obelisk of Theodosius. This ancient Egyptian obelisk was originally commissioned by Pharaoh Thutmose III in the 15th century BC and was later moved to Constantinople by Emperor Theodosius I in 390 AD. The obelisk is crafted from red granite from Aswan, which we visited while in Egypt, and still features original hieroglyphs from its time in Egypt.

turkey2026 — Obelisk of Theodosius stands on a marble pedestal adorned with bas-reliefs depicting scenes of the Emperor Theodosius and his court watching races in the Hippodrome.

turkey2026 — Just off the Hippodrome of Constantinople is the Blue Mosque, our next destination. The mosque is officially known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I and built between 1609 and 1616.

The mosque's location was originally occupied by the Hippodrome's bleachers and its imperial box. During excavations in the early 20th century, some of the ancient seats were discovered in the mosque's courtyard.

turkey2026 — The mosque's interior is dominated by its dome and cascading semi-domes. The main dome reaches a height of 141 feet. The weight of the dome is supported by four massive cylindrical pillars.

turkey2026 — The transition between the central dome and the pillars is achieved by four long, smooth arches.

turkey2026 — The mosque contains some 260 windows to admit natural light. Each semi-dome has 14 windows and the central dome 28.

turkey2026 — Cal capturing the ceiling and arches of the Blue Mosque.

turkey2026 — Above the floor level are decorated painted motifs. The predominant color of this paintwork is blue, one of the reasons for the mosque's popular name, though much of it has since been replaced with modern imitations of the original 16th/17th-century style.

turkey2026 — Most of the glass, especially the colored glass, was imported. Some of it was a gift from the Signoria of Venice, following a request from Ahmed I in 1610.

turkey2026 — A two-floor gallery, supported on columns, runs along three sides of the prayer hall.

turkey2026 — Motifs include calligraphic inscriptions, including verses from the Quran, originally made by the famous calligrapher Seyyid Kasim Gubari.

turkey2026 — Beautiful domes with the supports for the chandeliers trailing down.

turkey2026 — Artwork on the ceiling of the Blue Mosque.

turkey2026 — The great central dome.

turkey2026 — There ae six minarets, this one in the courtyard as we left. The sun was trying to break through the clouds.

turkey2026 — Cal and Virginia Ann in front of the Blue Mosque. Note the difference in clothing. Cal was freezing and a little wet.

turkey2026 — Inside this old Ottoman house is our hotel room. The Hilton purchased several homes along the Topkapi Palace wall (which you can see in the background) and turned them into hotel rooms. There were only two rooms in our house.

Cal's luggage arrived and the bag was so damaged that we now had to find a new bag for the remainder of the trip. Not very happy with KLM.

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