May Wrap-Up & Signs - Istanbul Day 3

                                                 DAY 3 & 4

Saturday 9th May – We took the tram to Eminönü tram station and crossed the street to the pier where we caught the ferry to Üsküdar on the Asian side of Istanbul. 

With a population of 16 million people, Istanbul has the largest ferry system in the world, with over 40 route and over 900 daily trips across the Bosphorus, Golden Horn and Sea of Marmara.

Üsküdar is one of the city's oldest districts, situated on the shore of the Bosphorus, opposite the European side.

When we alighted from the ferry, we asked around which bus we should take, and after a few failed attempts we got onto bus 15 across the pier, stopping 4 or 5 stops later just opposite Beylerbeyi Palace, which sits in the shadow of the Bosphorus Bridge.

A 19th century palace, once the residence of the Ottoman sultans, where  foreign dignitaries were hosted. 

We entered through ornate gates next to the Bosphorus onto the garden in front of the palace. The gardens were well taken care, and there you can see two separate bathing pavilions: one for the harem (women’s quarters) and one for the  selamlık (men’s quarters).

The three-story building, including the basement, contains 24 rooms and 6 halls. The floors were covered with Egyptian straw mats, the rooms and halls decorated with Turkish carpets, French Baccarat crystal chandeliers, clocks made in England, France, and Turkey, porcelain vases from China, Japan, France, Germany, and Turkey add to the palace’s ornate decoration. 

When we finished the visit we caught the now very full bus back to Üsküdar pier to get a ferry to Beşiktaş, the pier nearest to the Dolmabahçe Palace, a 19th-century imperial palace located on the European side of the Bosphorus, which served as the main administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire from 1853 to 1887 and from 1909 to 1922.

I would have loved to stop at Maiden's tower, on a small islet 200mt from the coast of Üsküdar, but again we had no time.

On the ferry to Beşiktaş ferry station and the Dolmabahçe Palace

Built between 1843 and 1853 Dolmabahçe Palace was inhabited by 6 Sultans until the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924, when ownership was transferred to the national heritage of the new Turkish Republic. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, used the palace as a presidential residence during the summers and enacted some of his most important works here. He spent the last days of his medical treatment in this palace, where he died on the 10th November 1938.

At the entrance, outside the Imperial Gate is the Clock Tower built between 1890 and 1895 and its clock was manufactured by a French clockmaker.

Clock tower

Imperial gate

The palace and gardens

Dolmabahçe Palace is the largest palace in Turkey with an area of 45,000 m2  (480,000 sq ft), containing 285 rooms, 46 halls, six hammans (Turkish baths) and 68 toilets set in grounds covering an area of 110,000 m2, bordered by the Bosphorus on one side.

A southern wing houses the men's quarters used for public representation and diplomacy, and a northern wing, the Harem, or private quarters containing eight interconnected apartments for the Sultan's family - wives, concubines and his Mother.

The two areas are separated by the massive Ceremonial Hall with a floor area of 2,000 m2  (22,000 ft 2 ) and a 36 mt (118 ft) high dome. 

It has the most extensive collection of Bohemian and Baccarat crystal chandeliers, with the world's largest crystal chandelier hanging in the Ceremonial Hall with 750 lamps and weighing 4.5 tonnes.

The photos of the ceremonial hall just don't do it justice, we thought the hall was breathtaking! The whole palace was just stunning!!

Ceremonial Hall

Dolmabahçe Palace is opulently decorated with gold and crystal -  fourteen tonnes of gold were used to gild the ceilings, with over 100 kg of gold for general decoration, at an estimated current value of US$6 million.

The Crystal Staircase is built in a double horseshoe shape, using Baccarat crystal, brass and mahogany. 

Outside we took a few more photos of this amazing building and gardens and one by the gate to the Bosphorus. You if had a fancy yacht you could always make a grand entrance there!

Side of the palace facing the Bosphorus

Can you spot me by the gate?

We had lunch at a small restaurant  "The Common" in a side street near the palace with a view to the river. The food was delicious, beautifully presented and the service was great too.

Then back to the main road to get a tram to the historic district of  Sultanahmet where our hotel was.

 

Across from the Eminönü ferry station and T1 tram line was the Eminönü Mosque, also known as New Mosque, because it was built to replace an older commercial area. Building started in 1597 and was completed in 1663, due to political intrigue, funding shortages and a fire in the district.

It is a masterpiece of the Ottoman style with 66 domes and semi-domes creating a cascading effect, ornate stained glass, and the tomb of Hatice Turhan Sultan in the courtyard.

It is free to visit and open to the public from 9am to 6pm except during Muslim prayer sessions.

                  

Right next to the mosque is the Spice Bazaar, built in the 1600's, it's smaller and more manageable than the Grand Bazaar with 85 shops compared to 4000!!

After walking through the Spice Bazaar we bought more teas to take to family in Portugal. The variety of spices, fruit, olives of all sizes and colours (dyes I presume), local sweets... is just amazing!  Once outside, we sat down enjoying a fresh fruit juice and observing the crowd. 

We decided we just couldn't handle the large crowds walking through the Grand Bazaar with its 61 streets, one of the world's oldest and largest covered shopping areas in the world, so we gave it a miss.

Outside the market vendors were selling corn and Simit (sesame crusted bread), but we saw vendors all over the city selling simit, corn, roasted chestnuts and even stuffed mussels! We tried the corn and the chestnuts. 

It was time to pop into our hotel room to refresh ourselves, put on warmer clothes, and head to a kiosk across Hagia Sophia to meet our guide for our 2 hour Sunset Bosphorus Cruise. (cost about 12 euros, included in our e-ticket).

Once we were all assembled at the appointed time, the guide led the group to the pier where the cruise boat was docked. Sadly, no sunset to be seen as the day had been quite grey and cool.

Still, we enjoyed cruising around both sides of the Bosphorus enjoying the sight of the mosques, opulent palaces, affluent suburbs, fortresses, the Bosphorus bridges…

Topkapi Palace

The New Mosque

Two huge cruise ships 

The Dolmabahce Palace from the sea

A residential suburb with small apartment buildings

The Ortakoi District with a huge Turkish flag

The Asian side of Istanbul with Camlica Tower on the left

Ortakoy Mosque on the European side with ferry stop

Maiden's tower at night

Almost back to port with the Blue Mosque lit up

On our return we walked back to Sultanahmet and stopped at Arasta Bazaar, the small market near our hotel to buy fridge magnets, and again at our usual restaurant to say goodbye and to have a nice hot apple tea and baklava before going to our room to pack up and sleep.

The Fountain of Ahmed III, in front of Topkapi Palace

The Blue Mosque (Muhammad is the messenger of Allah) 

Night illuminations of the Hurrem Sultan fountain

Sunday 10th – We checked out of the hotel at 9am after breakfast, walked 10 minutes to the Havaist Airport shuttle bus, at Kennedy Cad. The bus was already there, we paid our tickets TL380 (7 Euro/Aud 11,60 each) handed our luggage and took our seats. About 1h later we arrived at the Istanbul International airport, for our 12,45pm flight to Lisbon.

When checking in Jose was allocated a seat, but nothing for me and we were told to go to the Supervisor so she could get me a seat! I was allocated a seat in row 6 while Jose sat in row 29! Just before boarding it was announced that the flight was overbooked and they needed about 6 people to volunteer to fly on the 8,15PM flight in lieu of 400 euros cash and airport meal vouchers, or otherwise return flights Lisbon-Istanbul or Istanbul-Lisbon.

After much deliberation and the poor clerk going up and down the rows of people waiting to board with the offer, eventually they got about 7 people who accepted the offer!  I know in America this practice is quite common, but I had never heard of an European airline selling more tickets than seats!

Of course, with all this rigmarole we departed 1 hour later and by the time we landed in Lisbon, we sat on the tarmac for 30 minutes, waiting to be allocated a parking gate.

My sister and brother-in-law were there to welcome us, and because we had no checked luggage we managed to get out quickly.

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I could not finish our Istanbul report without mentioning the cats of Istanbul – they are everywhere: markets, bridges, inside shops, outside shops, in parks and park benches, inside mosques, in cafes…

They appear to be well loved by the Turks and there must be hundreds of thousands of them! There are cat houses, food dispensers... It appears they would be sterilized by what I read - an ear notch means they were spayed/neutered and vaccinated.

In the gardens of the Beylerbeyi Palace, I saw 2 tiny babies who could not have been more than 3 or 4 weeks old, they could hardly walk; at the market near our hotel I saw a mother cat playing with 4 slightly bigger kittens inside a plant pot. Of all the cats I saw only one was limping and another who appeared to have an eye infection, otherwise, they all looked healthy and plump. I doubt they get sterilized…

I also saw some vagrant dogs - 3 or 4 large breed dogs who looked very old and arthritic, but well fed. I read somewhere the local authorities planned on removing stray dogs from the cities.

It as an amazing trip to a very vibrant and exciting city full of history. Even though I was worried about the 15 million residents plus the crowds of tourists, the locals were friendly, the city felt safe and manageable and certainly very walkable from our hotel, and when needed transport connections were very good and frequent. Just wish we had a few more days there get to know the Asian side better ...

I couldn't avoid posting all these photos, but there was so much beauty all around, I think the photos don't even do it justice!

Next post will be Portugal :)

Joining Tom for his SIGN memes. Please check his blog for other signs from around the world.

Also joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop this week!

For Day 1 of my trip to Istanbul check this post:

https://sami-colourfulworld.blogspot.com/2026/07/may-wrap-up-and-signs-istanbul-day-1.html

For day 2 of my trip to Istanbul check this post:

https://sami-colourfulworld.blogspot.com/2026/07/may-wrap-up-signs-istanbul-day-2.html

May Wrap-up & signs - Istanbul, Day 2

                                                                 DAY 2

Before leaving I bought an online Istanbul Explorer pass, a code was emailed to me, which got activated the first time the e-card was used to enter a venue. 

I highly recommend it, as we saved time by not standing in long queues to buy tickets and we got a guide for some of the visits! 

My ticked covered 2 days, the 8th and 9th of May - and it would give us entrance to over 80 venues, an E-sim, a Bosphorus boat tour, a bus ticket to or from the airport shuttle… Of course we didn't have time to visit 80 venues in 2 days, but just adding the cost of tickets  for the venues we had planned to visit were enough to cover the cost of the pass.

I paid about $200 Aud each (125 Euros). Prices in Istanbul were mostly quoted in Euros, even though they aren't in the Euro zone, but they have a very high inflation rate (above 30% year), hence their Turkish Lira price varies frequently, so it's easier to work out from Euro to Turkish Lira at the time of purchase.

Locals only pay about 1/4 of what visiting foreigners pay.

Friday 8th May

Hagia Sophia - €25 entry fee for foreign visitors; Open from 8am to 19,30pm in Summer; Women must cover their hair, and all visitors must have their knees and shoulders covered. 

After our free hotel breakfast, we walked to Sultanahmet Square, and met up with our guide who was carrying a flag from Istanbul E-pass. At the arranged time the group followed him to the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and after going past an airport type security line, we entered the mosque.

Formerly a church from 360-1453, converted to a mosque in 1453 after the fall of Constantinople, when the minarets were added, and a museum from 1935- 2020, when it was redesignated as a mosque. 

Built in the Byzantine architectural style by Emperor Justinian I and served as an architectural inspiration for many other religious buildings. It still has Catholic symbols like Angels and Crosses and is apparently not a very popular mosque due to that. It is undergoing reconstruction works and as Non-Muslims we could only visit the second floor. 

I found the entree fee quite steep considering that the mosque is it's under renovation...and also thought that the Blue Mosque is so much more beautiful.

Basilica Cistern - 1950TL (about 53 Euros) from 9 to 18,30 and 3000TL (70 Euros) from 19,30 to 22,00h. 

After our visit we returned to Sultanahmet Square and met up with another guide from the same company to visit the Basilica Cistern, just 150 mt from Hagia Sophia. 

A UNESCO heritage site, it is an impressive underground structure spanning 10 thousand square metres, holding up to 80 thousand cubic metres of water, brought in via aqueducts from over 20km away. It was built in the 6th century during the reign of Justinian I, and is the largest of several cisterns that lie beneath the city.

Historical texts claim that its construction involved the work of 7000 slaves. It features 336 marble and granite columns, each 9 metres high, arranged in 12 rows. .

Major restoration works between 1985 and 87 uncovered the Medusa head column bases, and wooden walkways were built to allow the structure to open to the public as a museum.

Between 2020 and 2022 a new restoration took place, when stainless steel rods were installed between columns, and a modular steel walkway was installed to improve visitor experience, with Led lighting and sensors for atmospheric lighting and digital exhibitions. Nowadays little water is kept there.

After the Cistern, we walked back to Sultanahmet Square and we joined our first guide who would lead us to our visit to Topkapi Palace. This time since we were a big group we were given audio phones which was a better experience as we could hear the guide amid the noise of the other visitors.

Just outside the Imperial gate of the Topkapi Palace is the Sultan Ahmed III Fountain, a square shaped fountain with 5 domes, built in 1728 in white marble.

Day and night view of the Sultan Ahmed fountain (with one of Hagia Sophia's spires behind it)

Topkapi Palace & Hagia Irene - 2,750 TL (about  55 euros) for foreigners, Harem tickets, add on about 18 euros). Open from 9am to 6pm with last entry 1h before. It is closed on Tuesdays and on religious holidays. Allow 3 to 5 hours to visit. A visit to the Palace Harem costs extra.

Also recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985, it is the second most visited site in Istanbul after Hagia Sophia. It was the former residence of the Ottoman Sultans since the 15th century. Construction of Topkapi Palace began in 1456, by Sultan Mehmed, the Conqueror, six years after the conquest of Constantinople. The complex has expanded over the centuries, with renovations after the 1509 earthquake and the 1665 fire.

The palace served as the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire and was the main residence of the sultans until the completion of the Dolmabahce Palace in 1853, where the sultans preferred to spend their time along the Bosphorus. Topkapi retained some of its functions like the library, mint and imperial treasury. After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, Topkapi became a museum.

The Imperial gate marks the transition from the outside world into the heart of the palace's public First courtyard.

Imperial gate

Hagia Irene (Sacred Peace or Saint Irene), just to the left in the outer courtyard of the palace, is the oldest church of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine), and the second largest church after Hagia Sophia. 

It was also undergoing restoration works, so not much to be seen.

The Gate of Salutation or Middle gate with the two octagonal towers, marks the entrance into the more private and secured Second Courtyard where the administrative heart of the Ottoman empire was located. 

The guide relayed the history of the palace and took us through the gate. Commissioned by Mehmed, the Conqueror in 1468, it required all visitors to dismount from their horses before entering, with the exception of the Sultan, who was permitted to pass through on horseback.

Tower of Justice

The Gate of Felicity is the entrance to the Third courtyard, marking the threshold between the public administrative area and the Sultan's private quarters. No one was allowed to pass without the Sultan's permission, and again only he could pass through on horseback.

Gate of Felicity and me with one of the Turkish guard with Ottoman outfit

Again our guide gave some info about the palace and some of the buildings we could visit and we were then free to explore. We didn’t visit the Harem, (where female members of the Sultan's family lived) - that would be an extra ticket which could be bought at a cheaper rate from the guide, but we just had no time.

Only a few buildings are open to the public, such as: 

The Treasury, where the Spoonmaker's Diamond (86 carat, pear-shaped, surrounded by a double row of 49 smaller brilliant-cut diamonds) and the Topkapi Dagger (35cm long gold encrusted dagger with 3 polished emeralds set into the handle and a watch hidden beneath a hinged cover) are on display, as well as objects donated by other countries to the Sultans. The Museum also a collection of Ottoman clothing, weapons, armour, religious relics, manuscripts…

The Museum where Ottoman clothing, armament, etc is displayed

The Library of Ahmed III -  a 1719 octagonal marble building in the Third courtyard, housing over 20 thousand rare manuscripts and historical documents from the Ottoman and Islamic history.

The Audience chamber - a 15th century pavilion, was the center of Imperial power, where the Sultan sat on his plush canopied divan to formally receive foreign ambassadors and high ranking officials.

Audience Chamber on the right and Ahmed III Library on the left

The library

The Baghdad Pavilion - In the Fourth Courtyard, built by Sultan Murad IV, a fearsome, authoritative tyrant, to commemorate his victory over Baghdad in 1638. He died of cirrhosis at the age of 27. The pavilion has mother of pearl and tortoiseshell inlaid doors and wall adorned with Iznik tiles and views of the Bosphorus Strait from the terrace.

Another building in the Fourth courtyard also built by Sultan Murad IV is the Yerevan Pavilion (Revan Kiosk), to commemorate the capture of the city of Yerevan (also known as Revan or Iravan), the capital of Armenia in 1635.

Views of the Bosphorus Strait and 2 Turkish black & white hooded crows

The Circumcision Room also located in the Fourth courtyard, built in 1640 by Sultan Ibrahim I, served as the ceremonial space for the circumcision of young princes. The rite of passage was celebrated with weeks of festivities, where hundreds if poor boys were also circumcised and gifted clothing and gold coins at the state's expense. 

The exterior of this Ottoman design building is covered with recycled 16th century blue and white tiles, recessed cupboards, a fireplace, stained glass windows, and wall fountains used to soothe recovering princes.

The Grand Kiosk or Mecidiye Kiosk is the largest and last pavilion in the fourth courtyard and served as the imperial reception space. Built in 1850 by Sultan Abdülmecid, it boasts a wide marble terrace that offers panoramic views of the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the Asia shores of the city.

Views from the Grand Kiosk

And after admiring the views of both sides of the city, it was time to leave the Palace and carry on our sightseeing.

We walked to the nearest tram stop at Sultanahmet Square to buy our Istanbulkart at a vending machine. A lovely local who was in the queue behind us and a few more foreigners helped them and us as he must have been getting frustrated waiting for all of us clueless people 😀😀.

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There is a 165 TL (5 Aud) fee for the cost of the card, and you can then add in money for the trips depending on how many trips you plan on having. Each card is good to be tagged for up to 5 people, then you just top up with cash or a credit card at the station machines. Just tap the card at the turnstile for each person using it.

There are 5 tram lines and 11 Metro lines, plus a few ferry lines crossing the Strait, and you can use this card for all. Trams operate every 10 minutes or so, from 6am to midnight, and these two lines would probably be the most used by tourists.

T1 (Bağcılar – Kabataş):  It connects the major tourist sites in Old Istanbul  (Sultanahmet, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar) and modern districts (Eminönü, Spice Bazaar, Karaköy/Galata Tower, and Kabataş for ferry connections).

T2 (Taksim – Tünel): A nostalgic red streetcar that runs the length of the bustling pedestrian avenue, Istiklal Caddesi (street), connecting Taksim Square to Tünel.

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After tagging our ticket, we boarded the next tram on Line 1  to Eminönü pier. From there we walked across the Galata Bridge, which was packed with lots of fishermen and women to the Karaköy District.

Galata bridge with the fishermen, cats and the Eminönü Mosque in the background

Our first stop was the Kamondo Stairs, the famous hexagonal Art Nouveau style staircase in the Galata/Karaköy district, which were commissioned in the 1850's by a wealthy Jewish family. 

We wanted to take a photo, but there was a bridal couple being photographed, and an Instagram influencer who basically pouted her way up every single step!!

                

Galata Tower - Open daily from 08:30 to 23:00, with last admission at 22:00, entry fee : 650 TL (approximately €28).

On the way to nearby Galata Tower we found lots of murals :).

We climbed took a lift to the 6th floor and then the circular staircase to the 8th floor with a balcony all around the tower where you get a 360º view of the city. Built as a watchtower in 1348, after many repairs and transformations, the tower is now an exhibition space and museum.

After renovation works Galata Tower reopened to the visiting public on the 25th May 2024, with a new visitor policy that capped visitor entry at 100 per hour.

The nine-story tower is 62.59 m (205.3 ft) tall, excluding the ornament on the top. The observation deck is at 51.65 m (169.5 ft). The tower is 61 m (200 ft) above sea-level. It has an external diameter of 16.45 m (54.0 ft) at the base, an inside diameter of 8.95 m (29.4 ft), and walls that are 3.75 m (12.3 ft) thick.

                  

After the tower we walked to Istiklal Street – a 1,4km long pedestrian street that ends at Taksim Square. The street is flanked by shops, restaurants, sweet shops… as well as being packed with locals and tourists. The nostalgic tram came past occasionally.

We stopped at the Church of St. Anthony of Padua, the largest Catholic Church in Istanbul.

I was surprised to see small stalls in the church's courtyard, but apparently the church hosts local artisans and charity bazaars, as well as it being a host of Christmas markets.

We walked all the way to the end reaching Taksim Square, where the red streetcar stops. 

The square is also where to find the 11mt tall Republic Monument which was inaugurated in 1928, to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. Opposite the square is the grand Taksim Mosque, an Art Deco style building opened in 2021, that can accommodate 4000 worshippers.

Republic Monument & Taksim Mosque

After walking almost all the way back to the start, and well past our dinner time, we stopped at a nice-looking restaurant - Beykizi Cafe & Restaurant - on a little side street off Istiklal street, and sat down to dinner in the outdoor area. 

As we sat down on one side was someone smoking shisha, so we asked to be moved…as we sat down again, we noticed 3 people were smoking cigarettes at the next table, so we moved again further down and hoped nobody would sit next to us and pull out their smokes! Dinner was nice, good service too.

 

It had started to drizzle when we finished our dinner, but luckily it didn't rain hard.

We googled where to catch the T1 tram back to Sultanahmet, it was a long way down, but we got there. 

It was always a pleasure to see the Blue Mosque lit up at night on our way from the tram stop to our hotel!

We still stopped at the coffee shop next to the hotel to say hello to the friendly waiters and they invited us in for a tea – apple tea for me of course!

And so ended another great day is Istanbul!

Also linking with Tom's SIGNS - check this link for signs from around the world!

For Day 1 of my trip to Istanbul check this post:

https://sami-colourfulworld.blogspot.com/2026/07/may-wrap-up-and-signs-istanbul-day-1.html