NAME: Ellie
CITY: Istanbul
COUNTRY: Turkey
YEAR OF TRIP: 2015
HOW LONG WERE YOU THERE? Local/Semester abroad Sept-Dec. 2015
BEST TIME TO GO: Literally any time of the year; the weather is great even in December. Right now you can’t because of visa issues, but fingers crossed that changes as well.
GREATEST CHALLENGE: Navigating Turkish bureaucracy (registering for classes, getting visas, etc.)
WHAT MAKES THIS PLACE SPECIAL? Istanbul is the nexus of East and West and a true crossroads for a plethora of cultures and histories. You can spend the day in Europe or Asia (it’s in both continents) and wander through cultural monuments from the Greeks, Romans, Ottomans and more recently those of Ataturk and his successors.
MUST EAT:
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Wet burger
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street muscles
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tavuk iskender
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manti
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fish in Bebek along the Bosphorus
MUST SEE:
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Dolmabahce Palace
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Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque
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Topkapi Palace!!!! It takes hours
MUST DO:
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Take a ferry to Asia
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Visit spice bazaar and Sulemaniye Mosque
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Visit Galata Tower
Other Recommendations:
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Go out in Taksim or by the Sishane metro stop
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Give yourself plenty of time!!! Istanbul is huge and there are so many places to eat and things to do
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Street food is bae