Sights and Activities
Below are the places we saw and activities completed while visiting Turkey:
Istanbul
Blue Mosque: built between 1606 and 1616, the mosque has six slender minarets and a cascading set of domes and half-domes that make the exterior look splendid. But the name is given to it because of its interior with a luminous blue effect created by the stained glass windows and thousands of tiles.
Aya Sofya (Church of Holy Wisdom): completed in AD 537, as the grandest Christian church of its time until 1453, when it was converted to a mosque.
Galipdede and Istiklal Caddesi: we took a stroll on these lively pedestrian promenades. These avenues carry the life of the modern city with its storefront stores and cafes.
Bosphorus Excursion Ferry: we cruised on the bay awing at the beautiful views of the shores, hilly landscapes, monuments, affluent residences, and many mosques. The highlights included the Dolmabahçe Palace and the majestic Bosphorus Bridge.
Grand Bazaar: one of the highlights of our stay in Istanbul was getting lost in the labyrinth medieval shopping mall with selling everything from carpets to ‘evil eye’ beads, including jewelry, colorful pottery, antiques, and so much more!
Topkapi Palace: occupied by the Ottoman sultans until the 19th century, the palace consists of four massive courtyards, two of which are not open to the public, and a series of beautiful Ottoman imperial buildings. The interiors included the gorgeously tiled harem, the treasury that housed Ottoman treasures such as their swords, armors, and jewelry, and a collection of the Prophet Mohammed’s memorabilia.
Kuşadasi
We briefly explored this former fishing village that gave us our first glimpse at Turkey’s Mediterranean crystalline blue waters. We walked around the town discovering its beach, bazaar, and isolated stone castle that was connected the mainland harbor via a causeway.
Ephesus: once the capital of the Roman province of Asia, this ancient city has been fairly well preserved and restored. Examples of the beauty of these ruins were highlighted by the Great Theatre, which could hold 25,000 people, and at the monumental Library of Celsus, which stored 12,000 scrolls in niches around its walls.
Şirince: our visit to this little village was short, but very memorable due to its hillside location, photogenic houses, and fruit wine. We sampled the local melon, blueberry, blackberry, mulberry, cherry, strawberry, and of course grape wine.
Kaş
We had a relaxing time in this Mediterranean seaside town. We camped steps away from the water and enjoyed ourselves by strolling in the town center, hiking around the neighboring hillsides, and of course taking a dip in the beautiful Mediterranean waters. We encountered Lycian Rock Tombs carved into the hills and a Hellenistic Theater dating back to Roman times.
