Things to do and Where to Stay in Istanbul, Turkiye: One of the World’s Great Cities

ISTANBUL, TURKIYE – One of the richest histories of any city on earth. Wondrous places of worship. Remarkable food. Some of the world’s most interesting markets. And hotels for every budget.

I recently spent eight days in Istanbul for a board meeting and then a full convention of the Society of American Travel Writers, and got to check out several hotels and some wonderful restaurants. I also had walking tours that included the Aya (also known as Hagia) Sophia, the amazing Basilica Cisterns, the Spice Bazaar, the sparkling, new Galataport shopping/dining/cruise port, and outside glimpses of the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace.

“There’s so much to see and do, so it’s a bit of a blessing and a curse,” Ozan Ortac, Corporate Communications Director for Go Turkiye, told me  during a short meetin to talk about his country’s offerings for visitors. “We have incredible nature, culture, wine, food, mountains, beaches, Roman history, Ottoman Empire history. We have 21 UNESCO world heritage sites, which is the second most in the world.”

Turkiye is home to fabulous coastlines on both the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. You’ll also find towering mountain ranges, vast deserts and fertile farming land.

I’d love to go back and see more of the country, but at least I had a week in Istanbul. Here’s a look at some of the highlights, as well as hotels and restaurants.

SIGHTS

AYA SOPHIA

 

One of the most magnificent places of worship in the world, much of the current Aya Sophia (also known as Hagia Sophia, which sounds ugly to me) was built between 532 and 537 AD under the watch of Emperor Justinian. My Guru Walks guide, Ozkan (see below), told us this is where the Catholic and Orthodox churches split in 1054. Encyclopedia Britannica says that for almost a millennium after its construction, it was the largest cathedral in all of Christendom. It was also an important site of Muslim worship after Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453 and designated the structure a mosque. It was a museum for more than 50 years, and then changed back to a mosque a few years ago. It’s a UNESCO world heritage site, and the UNESCO folks are said to have objected to the building being solely a place of worship, so it’s now half museum and half mosque. Be sure to take a tour and inspect the beautiful mosaics, and check out the white cloths that hang in front of a painting of Mother Mary and Jesus. Aya Sophia is a mosque, and mosques don’t allow images of people to be displayed, so white sheets hang from the ceiling to hide the view of Mary and Jesus. At least that’s what I was told.

 Before heading into the building, we checked out the nearby Aya Sophia History and Experience Museum, which has a series of displays (and very loud music) that tell the story of the edifice (and a good deal of Turkish history) in fine fashion.

BLUE MOSQUE

 

We only saw the outside, but it’s a strikingly beautiful building with towering minarets (six, as opposed to the usual two), rounded domes, and graceful stone arches. Inside you’ll find 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles with designs featuring tulips, carnations, roses and other flowers, with 260 windows to let in the light.

TOPKAPI PALACE

Again, we didn’t have time to go inside, but I admired pretty gardens, fountains and stately plane trees, as well as a gentleman selling hot popcorn. Ozkan told us the Topkapi harem had anywhere from 40 to 1,500 girls at any one time. It’s one of the largest surviving palaces in the world and was built by Sultan Mehmed II between 1460 and 1478, a few years after he conquered Constantinople. The palace was the home of the Ottoman Sultans for almost four centuries.

BASILICA CISTERNS

 

The underground water storage system built in 532 AD is a truly stunning sight, with more than 300 towering columns of stone brought in from various temples and other place. The deep, glistening water reflects the intricate stone work, and you’re likely to feel the odd drop of water tumble onto your head or arms. Some of the pools are light with pale green light, and the ceiling is often bathed in lovely shades of blue or orange. It’s slightly eerie but incredibly beautiful. When I was there, they had various works of art stationed in the pools of water, which were interesting but seemed to detract from the sense of history I would’ve liked to experience. Ozkan told us it’s best to buy a ticket online in advance of your visit by using the PASSO system, which allows the ticket holder to go to the front of the line and avoid a long queue out on the street.

SPICE BAZAAR

 

Also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, this is a grand place filled with small shops with gorgeous, heaping piles of rich-smelling spices, such as Iranian saffron, deep orange turmeric and sweet-smelling cinnamon from Sri Lanka. You’ll also find fresh fruits, brilliantly coloured light fixtures that took me back to my psychedelic 1960’s poster days, a veritable rainbow of dried fruit, and tons of loose tea varieties, with labels such as “circulation tea,” “memory tea,” and, of course, “viagra tea.”

It’s much more colourful than the Grand Bazaar, which is just up the hill a few minutes. Ozcan told us prices can be high, and that it’s often better to go to independent shops outside the bazaars and strike a bargain with the shopkeeper. “Be sure to learn what a fair price is for what you want before you start to haggle,” he said.

GALATA TOWER

 

I didn’t have time to go inside and admire the views from on high, but I did wander around the base of the tower, which is only a 10-minute walk from the Karakoy waterfront. It’s a fun, lively area with great cafes and independent shops. Not to mention cats. Lots and lots of cats, which are pretty much the unofficial animal/mascot for Istanbul.

GURU WALKS TOUR

 

On my last day I did a 2.5 or 3-hour tour with Guru Walks, which runs tours around the world. You don’t pay for the tour, but you are encouraged (naturally) to leave a tip. My guide was quite good and entertaining, and took us to see the Spice Market, the outsides of the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia, and up and down a series of attractive streets in the old city.

Our guide, Ozkan, also told us Istanbul, known as Byzantium in Roman days and then called  Constantinople in honour of Emperor Constantine, gets its name from the Greek phrase “stem poli,” which means “inside the city.”

He also told the story of an ancient riot in the old hippodrome or chariot racing arena, a massive affair alongside the Blue Mosque that no longer exists. Back in the 500’s, there was a huge fight between the blue chariot race team and the green squad. It then turned into a riot against the rule of Emperor Justinian. The emperor wanted to escape the city by boat, but his wife, Theodora, wrapped herself in regal purple robes and insisted they stay.

Justinian (Ozkan said the word “justice” is derived from his name) called in the Roman guards, who slaughtered some 35,000 people. Doesn’t sound like justice to me. He says spice bazaar, also known Egyptian bazaar, much more colourful. Agree. But can be pricey. Same for Grand Bazaar. Better to go in between. And haggle. Learn prices before you start to bargain.

On a totally unrelated note, Ozkan told us that a one-time Sultan in Turkiye didn’t like hard candies, and had some chefs invent soft jelly-like sweets called Lokum. We know them as Turkish delight. 

HOTELS

Peninsula Istanbul

 

I was tremendously lucky as our SATW board meetings were held at the Peninsula Istanbul Hotel in the wonderful and bustling Galataport/Karakay area. The hotel is made up of four historic buildings along the Bosporus, with tremendous water views and views of the Aya Sophia, Blue Mosque and other historic sights.

The hotel is way beyond elegant, with a lovely atrium lobby that also serves as a dining room, a magnificent indoor swimming pool, an outdoor pool that’s just inches from the Bosporus, and much more.

I somehow got put in a massive suite (probably 1,000 square feet) with a balcony overlooking the water, a large living room with a comfy sofa and huge binoculars, a Nespresso machine, a large desk and iPads for ordering food or, you know, a bottle of Dom Perignon ’55. The suite also had a large dressing room with enough closet space to hold Imelda Marcos’ shoe collection, a super-comfy king-size bed and an overly spacious bathroom with double sinks and a whirlpool bathtub. There were buttons on the side of the tub that put the bathroom in spa mode, which featured dimmed lights and soft, soothing music. I’ve stayed in some pretty swanky hotels, but I’d never seen that.

I got a sneak peek at the rooftop Peninsula Suite, which is 5,490 square feet and features a gym, a large swimming pool, a wraparound deck, a private hammam spa, a spacious living room with a baby grand piano; a lavish private hammam, a screening room for entertainment, a glass-house solarium on the deck, and magnificent views. The price isn’t listed on the website.

The hotel lists rooms from around $750. I believe the suite I had lists for, gulp, around $5,000 per night.

 

At the reception held the night before our conference began, general manager Jonathan Crook, who I met years ago when I had a fabulous stay at the Peninsula New York City, told me he often gets asked if Istanbul is a safe city.

“I have two teenage boys, and I don’t have to worry if they’re out after midnight,” he told me.

I didn’t get to try it, but their signature restaurant, Gallada, features Turkish-Asian cuisine and is run by a chef who earned two Michelin stars at another restaurant in the city. Crook told me the food is inspired by the famous Silk Road from China, which ended in Istanbul.

The Peninsula is in the wonderful Karakoy neighborhood, which features lively outdoor cafes and beautiful boutique shops. It also abuts the new Galataport shopping and dining complex, which features luxury and affordable shopping, great restaurants and Museum.

The city’s cruise terminal is actually under the shopping complex and is reached by a series of tunnels that pop open when a cruise ship comes into port.

Conrad Istanbul Bosporus

 

I was at the Conrad for several nights for my Society of American Travel Writers convention in November. It’s in Besiktas; a bit far from the old part of town. But it’s a quiet spot with nice rooms and a terrific rooftop patio with fine views of the Bosporus and the city, I had a fine cocktail and a pretty good spaghetti carbonara one night at the hotel’s Monteverdi restaurant.

Their Turkish breakfast buffet is outstanding; with great coffee lattes, juices, smoothies, hogurt, Turkish bread and pastries, eggs every which way, omelettes, fresh fruit and much, much more. Rooms in December are listed from $254.

Hampton by Hilton Istanbul Sirkeci

 

This is a bright, fun spot that’s a three-minute walk to great shopping and a few blocks from the Spice Market. There’s a welcoming, funky interior you probably wouldn’t expect from Hampton, with lots of places to sit and chat or fire up a laptop. Rooms are simple but nicely decorated, and the staff is quite helpful. There’s a good, free breakfast and free W-Fi, as well. My room in November was only $125 CAD.

I didn’t get to stay there, but our final convention event was at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, a stunning, 17^th century Ottoman Palace on the Bosporus with elegance and style to spare.

FOOD

 

“Italy is beautiful and the food is great,” a spokesman for Turkiye Tourism told me during the convention. “But we have millions of varieties of cuisine, as well as wonderful wine.”

The Peninsula had a fine breakfast with great pastries, Turkish cheeses, sliced meats, eggs, and more. They also put on a fabulous brunch with fish, roasted meats, very good sushi, local fish, salads and much more. I didn’t have dinner at the hotel but they served us wonderful appetizers at a rooftop gathering, including terrific lamb chops.

I enjoyed an excellent meal at Liman in Galataport, where I had hands down the best red pepper hummus I’ve ever tasted, as well as roast lamb and a caramelized milk pudding with buffalo milk dessert that was like a heavenly pillow. We also enjoyed excellent Turkish red wine (Nahit Dokya) and foolishly sampled some fiery Reki after dinner. For the unitiated, Reki is an anise-flavoured liquor that should definitely come with a warning label.

One night we took a boat from a dock near the Peninsula to a restaurant outside of town called Eski Yer, where we enjoyed very good calamari and tremendous sea bass.

Located on the 20th floor of The Marmara Taksim hotel, Okra serves up exquisite food, as well as magnificent views of Istanbul.  I had marvelous steak tartare brioche and tender duck, as well as sea bass, lamb tandoori and a terrific pumpkin and white chocolate dessert. One of the best meals I’ve had anywhere, and a fabulous setting. (Be sure to wander up to the rooftop for incredible views of Taksim Square, the Bosporus and the old city.)

If you’re looking for something a little (okay, a lot) cheaper, I had a very good chicken donair on the street near the Tomb of Sultan Mahmud II, not far from The Basilica Cistern. I also spotted tons of street carts selling bagel-like bread, roasted corn and other items.

On my last night, I went to a busy street lined with restaurants near the Hampton and sat at a sidewalk café and ordered pide, the popular Turkish flat bread that comes in a long, almost canoe shape and is topped with cheese or meat or veggies. Mine was a little bland, but pretty good for about $8. I also enjoyed watching a restaurant worker cook a meal in a clay pot on the street, which he then opened with a knife and brought to a nearby table.

GETTING THERE

I flew Turkish Airlines direct from Toronto. They also fly out of Montreal and Vancouver. Here’s a review I wrote about their business class service.