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ISTANBUL
The city where east meets west
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Any traveler should visit Istanbul. This city is so attractive that sometimes you want to drop everything and go there for a few days. Just wander around the city, have a freshly squeezed juice from a seller on the street and admire the Bosphorus from a high slope. Here is our first acquaintance with this city. Hagia Sophia is visible in the distance.
Sweets are offered at every step in Istanbul. The entire city consists of shops that sell all kinds of sweets. :-) In our opinion, the Istanbulites, with their love of sweets, surpass even the inhabitants of Brussels with their famous waffles 😁
After walking a few hundred meters from our hotel, we found ourselves in the heart of Istanbul. It was the square between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Both of these sights are the pride of the city. But the entrance to the Blue Mosque is free and there is no queue, and for the entrance to the Hagia Sophia they charge a fee and you have to stand in a long queue. We started with a mosque. Here she is in the photo.
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There is a chain in front of the gates of the Blue Mosque. It hangs at such a height that the rider entering the yard must bend over. Thus, in the past, proud riders were forced to show respect for the temple. Near the entrance there are taps with water for washing the feet of believers and pictures with the rules of conduct in the mosque. The territory of the temple is divided inside between believers and tourists. But both of them take off their shoes.
After exploring the mosque, we went straight to the Hagia Sophia. Built in the fourth century AD, it was the largest temple in the Christian world for over 1000 years. And on July 16, 1054, an Orthodox church was established in this temple. View of Sofia from the Blue Mosque.
It started raining while we were queuing for a ticket to Hagia Sophia. Immediately, a lot of umbrella merchants appeared for 10 lira (about $ 6). But we were already too close to the checkout and with sad faces saved money standing in the rain :-) Walking through the halls of the cathedral, we were able to find a solemn angle for a photograph.
In the next photo, we will show the ritual for which many people visit the cathedral. On one of the columns there is a hole where you need to insert your finger and make a wish to wrap it 360 degrees. If you succeed in this manipulation, then the desire will be fulfilled. This is how it looks.
The next place we visited is the cisterns. Underground water storage facilities that were created in order to survive during the siege of the city. Now it is an art object where bridges have been built, beautiful fish swim in the water, and mysterious music plays. All this is very memorable. But the main value of these cisterns is the inverted head of the Gorgon Medusa. We found her.
After visiting the cisterns, we drove to the main embankment of Istanbul. We went by tram. Trams in Istanbul are comfortable, fast and expensive. The fare was 3 lira. (almost $ 2).
Turkish fast food has been operating on the embankment of Istanbul for many centuries. Here ships are moored with ovens and cooks frying fish. This dish is called Balyk Ekmek (Fish Bread). This dish is eaten by both the poor and the rich in Istanbul. This food has saved the inhabitants of Istanbul from extinction many times during the wars. Therefore, fish in bread is a very revered dish in Istanbul. Now this food should be eaten sitting on barrels, a glass of pickled cucumbers and cabbage is served as a sauce.
And now the main gastronomic secret! After sunset, vendors of incredibly tasty food appear on the embankment. This is mussel pilaf stuffed into the mussel shells. You buy a few seashells, the lemon is free. Sit on the bench, open the shell, sprinkle it with lemon and gnaw out the contents of the shell. This is one of the most delicious dishes I've tasted in my life. We came in the afternoon to buy some more seashells, but this is apparently some kind of illegal business, since the sellers appear only after sunset.
The next day, we discovered that a marathon was taking place in Istanbul. On the streets, people with red souvenir backpacks walked everywhere. We did not have time to sign up for the participants, but at the point of 15 kilometers we finished first! Someone has been preparing and training for years for such a shot, but we made it quickly and without unnecessary emotions :-)
Then we decided to go to the Sultan's palace. But when they learned that a harem lived there and eunuchs were working, they decided that the park around the palace was much more interesting :-) And it turned out to be really interesting. See how this musician plays incendiary!
And what kind of girls are there! It was unforgettable...
There are several coffee houses in this park, on the slope. They are quite expensive in comparison with the others, but this is because the best view of the Bosphorus opens up here. Don't be stingy and have some Turkish coffee or tea here. The view is incredible!
After seeing all the sights, go to the Laleli area. This is the place where all Turkish goods come to us, and you can get there from the old city by tram or on foot towards the Istanbul university. All sellers speak Russian. Ukrainians are very fond of. And buying good jeans for $ 15-17 is not difficult at all. After walking around the market, we found a multi-storey cafe and climbed to the very top. We had lunch and chatted with the Spaniard, who is in the background of the photo.
General conclusion from the conversation with the Spaniard. The main thing in life is football. The Spanish team is the best. Ukraine has Shevchenko and Klitschko. :-) During our trip we visited many more interesting places, but I love a photo where I am just sitting on one of the streets of the old city. Where we will definitely return.
We would be glad to receive your comments on this article. If you have been to Istanbul - share your impressions in the comments.
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Vitaly & Nataly
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