Istanbul: Belle of the Bosphorous

Sitting in one of the drawers of my desk is a 63-item list of cities I am dying to go to. And this list is one of many. Needless to say, it was nearly impossible to pick just one city to write this post about. However, I was able to find the perfect city: one with fascinating culture, rich history, gorgeous architecture, great food and more!

*cue drumroll*

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul on map of Europe. Image courtesy of: Google Maps

Istanbul is a really neat city, because half of it technically lies in Europe, and the other half lies in Asia. This gives the city a really interesting culture, kind of a blend of European and Middle Eastern. You can shop at very chic little European boutiques or at traditional Turkish stores in the Grand Bazaar. You can visit some of the most famous mosques in the world, while just down the street is another world famous Greek Orthodox church. I love watching and learning about different customs and lifestyles, so Istanbul's unique culture is the biggest reason I want to visit.

Colored parts are districts of Istanbul. All districts of the city on the west side of the Bosphorus Strait are in Europe; all districts on the East are in Asia. Image courtesy: mapsof

I have a weird (almost) obsession with visiting churches. I don't know why; I'm not even religious, but I could spend hours in a church just looking around. Istanbul has a ton of famous churches, most of them much older than any building you'll find in the U.S. If I ever go to Istanbul, I would definitely visit the Hagia Sophia (previously an Orthodox church and mosque) and the Blue Mosque.

Interior of the Blue Mosque
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

Exterior of the Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofia)
Image Courtesy of the Tesla Society

Earlier this year, I went to visit my grandparents in Cleveland, and we went to a covered market called the West Side Market. It was so cool; there were vendors selling all different types of foods and desserts. I ended up going home with 12 different flavors of cannolis, 2 bags of perogies, and a ton of kiwis.

Istanbul has something kind of like the West Side Market on steroids, called the Grand Bazaar. It is huge. It has more than 4,000 shops, and up to 400,000 people visit every day. Although I am super cheap and probably wouldn't end up buying anything, I would love to spend a day walking around the Grand Bazaar and looking at all of the cool little Turkish plates and rugs and lanterns and whatnot. Plus, with so many visitors, there would have to be some pretty great people-watching.

The Grand Bazaar
Image Courtesy of BoomsBeat

My all-time favorite thing to do on vacation is eat, and no vacation is complete without gaining a pound or two, so I will be sure to indulge in Istanbul's delicious cuisine if/when I go. Some foods I really want to try are simit (a sesame-covered ring-shaped bread somewhat like a slightly crunchy bagel), gozleme (Turkish crepes), pide (similiar to a Turkish version of pizza), and sour cherry tea (popular tea in Turkey, but not found much elsewhere).

Simit on display in Istanbul.
Image courtesy of Witt Istanbul

Istanbul is a city unlike any other, and I hope that one day I will get the opportunity to take it all in.