Wednesday, 18/05/2005 Departure from London to Istanbul with the airline flying the Austrian flag, a stopover in Vienna;
arrival in the city (be careful to remember to do the visa 'input (VISA) at the airport which costs € 10.00 and is valid for three months) are welcomed by a blanket of smog inhuman, taxi (cheap and very fast) arrival at the Hotel Ferhat - recommend it - right in the center (with few pretensions, but very close by St. Sophia, Blue Mosque and the Topkapy). Giro
evening dinner in the city - in a room in two steps, nice and known by the goalkeeper (even phoned the restaurant to us, and a waiter gave us the road).
the same port has proposed for the following day boat trip with lunch and passing the Bosphorus on the Asian side of the city, all for €. Instead of € 45.00. 50.00 and we accept curious.
Some data:
Population about 17 million - 3000 Mosques - Mosque of Suleiman 8500 posts
The exchange rate is about €. 1.00 = 1.70 Turkish lira exchange rate while in the office of the hotel there give 1.60.
There is no meter but the taxi (TACS) are convenient. Thursday, 19/05/2005
Visit the north of the city to the Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi), which from its 68 m high (up elevator) you have a 360 degree view of the entire urban area, return in the center.
Visit the Basilica of S. Sofia, which contains within it a museum (9 Turkish lira), visit the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) - beautiful - with offer free ride nell'antistante park (it was a Roman hippodrome) with three obelisks.
Impressions:
The city center is very neat and clean enough, now you can breathe an air of almost European, you see very well the enormous effort that the Turks are doing to show that foreigners are ready to enter Europe but the city streets is also a lot of armed police and this is a signal (most of repression). Meanwhile
the Muezzin from the minarets calling the faithful to prayer ... and many respond, drop what they're doing and go to the nearest mosque is an impressive thing
... The city with our welcome sorpresa è molto verde, con parchi, giardini e viali alberati.
Venerdì 20/05/2005 Gita
Ritiro di buon mattino davanti all’albergo, giro al Bazar delle spezie o Bazar Egiziano, interessante - , saliamo su un battello che ci mostra un’ampia panoramica della città dal Bosforo; (pranzo scadente).
Pomeriggio interessante con visita ai giardini e al Palazzo Dolmabahce Sarayi (residenza imperiale degli ultimi sultani ottomani poi divenuto dal 1923 anno di proclamazione della repubblica, residenza presidenziale) .
Il Passaggio nella sponda asiatica crea una sensazione strane e allo stesso tempo bellissima; un breve tratto di mare divide Europa ed Asia !!! (si pagano tre lire turche towards Asia, the return is free?!?) stop at a vantage point for photos and snacks,
return to the hotel. For dinner we went to the restaurant Sarnic, next to St. Sofia, a beautiful room built within a Roman cistern for water, with scenery and Arabic dishes very good - cheap. Saturday, 21/05/2005
Visit Yerebatan Sarnici (the largest and most extensive underground Byzantine cistern in Istanbul) always in the vicinity of St. Sofia, Turkish lira cost 8 or 10 €. But it's really worth.
Inside, it looks like a secret container rather than a cistern from the Roman era, thanks to the clever lighting, background music and a visit to this environment is very attractive, inside there are two monumental Medusa heads that are on the opposite side of the entrance. And finally
Topkapy (Cannon Gate) - the symbol of Istanbul, built in the area of \u200b\u200bAncient Byzantium (12 Turkish lira to the palace, the treasury and other 10 lire 10 lire the Harem) before crossing the entrance of the walls Note the beautiful Fountain of Ahmet III on the right. We have only seen the building unfortunately, because we have not understood the signs to the ticket.
entry must be taken three separate tickets (or at least two - the Palazzo el'Harem) and if does not immediately take the ticket to the Harem is left out, how it works: the ticket has a date for its withdrawal and the entry is divided in groups of 60 people every two hours, so had to wait too long for the next round there We left (sin '!?).
Also nearby is the Grand Bazaar, a huge network of streets, alleys and shops, fully clothed, seems a world apart from the city.
You buy all the Turks are very friendly - even here in Greece as the saying applies adapted "Italian Turkish face a race," the cries of vendors, the colors and scents of spices make this one huge place. We have sold everything, carpets, perfumes, spices and bargaining is the ticket to get into their thanks.
E '"mandatory" bargaining on the price and is very funny.
From here we have reached on foot, the Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent (Süleymaniye Camii) beautiful for its grandeur, here is the free offer.
Behind him stands the cemetery contains the tomb of Suleyman (Suleiman Turbo).
Dinner at Branches, excellent restaurant with a direct view of the Blue Mosque, impeccable service, good food and prices to our surprise very low - booking is advisable.
Sunday, 22/05/2005 last day!
could not get out of Istanbul without having attended a Muslim prayer!
So today there was this opportunity and we have learned on the fly, thanks to the friendship that we close with a guard at the mosque, which made us sit in the front row after the "red line" (the border with space only for practicing Muslims).
The prayer lasted about 20 minutes, and it was interesting to observe the great faith and commitment these people bend and bow their heads with a particular rhythm at different angles and almost as if to sell some of their faith.
Well here ends my story and our wonderful journey together, I conclude with the phrase Istanbul: Europe or Asia?
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