We had already planned a trip to the UK with Dillu’s cousin. But since we both (Me & Dillu) had already been to the UK 3 years back, we wanted to explore a new place which could easily be clubbed with a UK trip without adding a greater number of days & long travels. That is how we settled in Turkey from the few available options. We fly to a particular country/place and explore it to the fullest & then return – this is the way of our travel. That is the reason why we do not prefer these group tours which, on the contrary, cover many places with a lesser number of days. Another reason for which we settled down with Turkey was that the visa could be applied online and having a US visa was an added advantage which we already had. This trip was to be executed in fewer days of Dillu’s sign off which means we did not have time for application of UK visa & visa to any other country as well. The UK trip was already a 6N/7D trip.
Day 1
We reached Istanbul airport around evening. I will not forget this day because it was the first international flight, I have ever come across which did not offer food. It was a 12-hour long flight. And to top it, there was not enough food even when you were ready to buy (P.S. Not even instant noodles). Passengers felt like they would die of hunger. The flight crew had nothing to say other than the word “SORRY.” We had an internal flight between Istanbul & Cappadocia during the later part of the trip. The satire part was that a light meal was provided even on that short duration flight. We were transferred to a hotel which was around 45 minutes’ drive.
Day 2
This day was dedicated to the Istanbul old city tour. Firstly, we stopped at The Hippodrome of Constantinople. The Hippodrome was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square in Istanbul, Turkey, known as Sultanahmet Square. It is astonishing fact that such a heavy obelisk – Delphi Serpent Column, was brought from Egypt and there used to be famous Roman chariot races which makes it special. Now this place is a huge park with the obelisk & a fountain.
After clicking some photographs, we proceeded to The Blue Mosque also known as Sultanahmet which is breathtaking. The colours, the lights, the mosaics & the intricate designs of murals were wonderful. You need to take your shoes off and women need to wear a scarf to cover their head. The name Blue Mosque is because ancient sailors who sailed by the mosque on Marmara saw the blue colours reflected. And when you look at it from outside, it looks blue depending on the sun. The building has six minarets. The interior has thousands of Isik/Iznik tiles painted with blue colours in floral motifs, giving the mosque its name.
We then proceeded to Hagia Sophia Mosque. Everyone should see this mosque, whose history takes us centuries back. It is a holy place that contains the religion of Christianity and Islam together. There is a spot upstairs somewhere in the mosque from where you can see the six minarets of the Blue Mosque clearly. The Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia are just a few minutes’ walk. The garden in front of this was beautiful. It was spread with different hues of tulips.
It was time for lunch and after a light lunch from a local restaurant we proceeded to Beylerbeyi Palace. To reach this, we had to cross the Bosphorus. The Bosporus or Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul, Turkey. The Bosphorus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and forms one of the continental boundaries between Asia and Europe.
Beylerbeyi Palace which served as a summer residence of the Sultans was also used to house foreign heads of state visiting the Ottoman capital. After this we were given the option to drop off at our hotel or some place of our choice. We got down at Aksaray. We enjoyed our walk on the roads and when we were tired, it was time for dinner after which we returned to our hotel adding a day full of memories.
After Breakfast, we were picked up for another exciting day. We proceeded to the Basilica cistern. Descend below the streets of Sultanahmet into this majestic underground reservoir which dates to the 6th century. Also called the Sunken Palace, it is the largest cistern from Istanbul's Byzantine-era still standing. The underground chamber has over 330 distinctive marble and granite columns believed to have been salvaged from nearby buildings, the most famous being the two Medusa heads. I would call this an engineering marvel.
Our next destination was Topkapi Palace. It was constructed on the order of Sultan Mehmet Al-Fatih, Topkapı Sarayı (Topkapı Palace) continuously served as Ottoman Empire administrative center and main residence of its Sultan and his families. The palace is segregated into a few sections and buildings by several gates and courts. Some of the prominent sites to be seen there like Audience Hall, Mecidiye Pavilion, Imperial Council Hall & Harem. Since we were running short of time and there was a large queue, we did a quick tour or detour and managed to spend quite some time in the palace garden which was worth the time. It is a very well managed tulip garden, Gülhane (Rosehouse) Park. It is this palace which I found a bit teeming compared to other tourist attractions. This palace along with the Turkish delight is in our visit again list if at all we go back to Turkey once again.
Our visit was to the Grand Bazaar. It was “Grand” in every sense. It was spread such that one can get lost very easily. Different shades of light fixtures, crockery and carpets/rugs were the main attraction. We would have loved to carry a lot many things if at least they were unbreakable. It was irresistible. And finally, during our exit, we shopped at Turkish Delight from Sirvani Lokum. The shop offered free tasting and we were lured to buy. We bought a ton from there, which we realised only during packing.
We proceeded for lunch after which we had to leave for a flight to Cappadocia. It was one & a half hour flight journey & 2 hours to our hotel.
Cappadocia is a geological oddity of honeycombed hills and towering boulders of otherworldly beauty. It is a semi-arid region in central Turkey, known for its distinctive “fairy chimneys,” tall, cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Monks Valley, Goreme etc. It feels as though it has been plucked from a whimsical fairy tale and set down upon the Indo-European plains. Even though our flights were later half of the day, the days are longer in Turkey in April due to which it was not dark until we reached our hotel. But it was time for dinner by the time we reached the hotel and for a sound sleep as we had a long day to follow.
After breakfast, we headed to Devrent Valley, also known as Imagination Valley, which has rock formations that look almost like sculptures or real manifestations of objects at different times of the day. After clicking enough pictures and having our own imaginations walking around, it was time for the next destination.
Pasabag valley which is also known as monk valley where double & triple headed formations can be found. These formations of volcanic rock are due to erosion by wind & water for thousands of years. Some of these were used by ancient people to live in.
We had lunch at Avanos after which we headed to Venessa Ceramics, a wonderful creation by the pottery masters on full display. This provides an informative demonstration of the history and art of Turkish ceramics and meet the artists who make the ceramic items as well as the painters.
There was a short visit to some jewellery shop where we learned about the precious stones and the making of jewellery using it etc. That is how I came to know about Zultanite which changes its colour in the presence of different sources of light. Even though I was pulled towards the Zultanite, I refrained from owning it due to its genuineness. These are the places taken by your tour guide which are not included in your tour package/daily tours due to the monetary benefits which they get if customers are brought in. Our tour was completed with a visit to Goreme open air museum.
Goreme open air museum is a UNESCO heritage site which is a magnificent valley filled with rock-carved churches and monasteries. Built during the Byzantine period, this historical settlement was a home to monks and a pilgrimage destination. You will be mesmerised by the intricate construction of the cave rooms and churches etched into the honeycomb landscape. The museum’s highlight is the Dark Church which is decorated with brilliantly coloured frescoes that have been carefully preserved. Even though it is very sunny outside, it gives you a feeling of cold storage once you are inside a cave. Be prepared to hike. This is rocky terrain, so there are ups & downs and few caves can be seen only if you are ready to climb quite a few steps made of stone.
We reached the hotel after sunset and it was time for dinner then.
Day 5
With lots of experiences & a handful of memories, it was time to leave Turkey. We had an early morning flight to Istanbul and then from Istanbul to London from where our next tour began.
Click here for photos for more photos from our Turkey trip.