Four Magical Days In Istanbul

Since Bigpicture.ru've always wanted to visit Istanbul, then to the preparation of travel came up thoroughly: read guide and various Internet sources, interviewed all my friends who have visited this city, on the phone is ABBYY Lingvo dictionary (on the laptop - just in case too  ) And ABBYY TextGrabber . Objective: To embrace the immensity - 4 days to look and feel welcome to Istanbul.

When planning your trip to Istanbul, and many ask for thematic forums: how to see Istanbul for 3 days, but not standard, not the top-10 places recommended guides? At that, get a response from experienced travelers - go to "top-10", can not go wrong on closer acquaintance will not be enough time. It was with iconic locations in Istanbul and we have begun  .

A. Sultanahmet district. The Blue Mosque. Here we hit the second time - the infidels are not allowed during prayer.

Two. Sultan Ahmed Mosque, which gave name to the whole area is very impressive from the outside, has been very modest inside.

Three. At the entrance you can take the bags with handles for shoes, and taking her to go inside. At the output common to give money to the temple.

4. Istanbul is the city of cats. Their love here, and cats - quite frightening. This is our first acquaintance, resting against the backdrop of the Blue Mosque. Horizon swamped (c) of Cap.

Five. Jump.

6. Bagels with sesame seeds - simit. Wherever you go, bagels sellers will haunt you until you break  .

7. Bani Roksolana - the first dual (male and female) hammam in Istanbul. Built in the XVI., In the XIX century. baths were abandoned, now, after the restoration, they were again operating.

Eight. Church of Divine Wisdom - Hagia Sophia. More than 900 years this was the cathedral of Constantinople, when the city was captured by the Turks, the cathedral was turned into a mosque. Now a museum.

9. Inside the cathedral is amazing - a modest appearance did not expect the luxury inside.

10. The huge round shields of donkey skins are sayings from the Koran and the names of the first Caliphs. Ataturk, making Sophia a mosque into a museum, and ordered them off, but immediately after his death, billboards hoisted into place.

11. And here is the first use of ABBYY Lingvo - not out of necessity, but out of interest  . Shooting an unfamiliar foreign word and get its translation. Dictionary installed on your iPhone.

12. Fortunately, the Turks captured Sofia, nothing destroyed. Just added, and the misuse of the canons of Islam was closed.

13. But Mike Farley we have not noticed. Sly be encrypted at the fixture - to his capture, had to sacrifice the interior lighting.

14. According to legend, this column has disappeared priest, who read the last liturgy before the Janissaries burst into the cathedral. If the hole to insert the thumb and turn it 360 degrees, make a wish come true.

15. Although Istanbul is not made us happy sun was warm.

16. Shoe shiners on the racetrack. In fact, in the topography of the area can only guess the shape of the Hippodrome, and one of their valuable jewelry - four horses - took the Crusaders, and now these horses adorn the cathedral of San Marco in Venice. But with shining shoes better not even to talk, unless you're afraid of being dragged into a long conversation, after which necessary to fork.

17. Egyptian obelisk - the first and most ancient monument, was brought by order of Constantine the Great from Luxor. By the way on the streets of the cat and the dog occur  . Dogs live in the streets, but they are sterilized and vaccinated against rabies, as evidenced by a special clip on the ear. So if you are bitten by a dog with a clip in the ear, 40 shots (well, it used to, now 3 injections), you will not get any.

18. On the streets of Istanbul, just the dominance of the male population.

19. Doner. About the smell, you can guess  .

20. Istiklal Street. Istanbul - a very strange city - even going to the card, we have begun to stray. Looking for a street name - did not find, on several occasions asked the passers-by, where the Istiqlal - nobody knows. It turned out we go  .

21. These porters are found regularly.

22. It is a neat stone houses side by side with wooden buildings, which are not clear at all as still standing.

23. All sorts of sweets. Sorry we were after breakfast.

24. From Taksim Square to walk Tyunel old tram ride where - it is an adventure. The electronic ticket on it contrasts sharply with the very wood, jarring vehicle  . But it is better to go back to Taksim Square, because the hill, and down is not difficult and peshochkom walk.

25. After the area begins Tyunel very interesting streets of the old district of Galata. What is there just are not selling: old clothes, musical instruments, vinyl records, shoes and souvenirs.

26. Moreover, the shops are like mikrorayonchikami in the direction of trade. For example, stores with musical instruments will face each other, and then start shopping with bags hand-made, and then can go shopping with prizes - cups, statuettes.

27. Galata Tower.

28. And most importantly, all are busy  .

29. View from the Galata Tower. At the top of Galata Tower has a restaurant (they say the high prices, but we do not know, never tried), and an observation deck.

30. Interestingly, in which the photographer, who visited in Istanbul, there is no such photos? "Fishermen on Galata Bridge"  .

31. Galata Bridge and the pier completed. Between the Egyptian Bazaar and the New Mosque is located a market in which trading of all living creatures - from plants and flowers to chickens and puppies.

32. Local durimaru sells the most real live leeches. People living in Istanbul, do not know why?

33. Entrance to the Egyptian market, and, of course, men who drink tea.

34. Violets.

35. Earlier in the Egyptian market was trading mainly Indian spices, and he was so named because the caravans went from India through Egypt.

36. Who is selling and sweets, and even jewelry.

37. Marina with a ship to the islands. Thanks to ABBYY Lingvo , we do not have to go there, and it would now be sailed in the wrong direction  .

38. The following passage from the top-10 - Cistern - one of the largest and oldest underground reservoirs of Constantinople. In her 336 columns. In the Basilica of stored reserves of drinking water in case of drought or siege of the city, the water delivered by water mains and aqueducts from sources Belgrade Forest, located 19 km north of the city.

39. The guidebook says that the tank found by accident - someone in the XVI. It occurred to ask, where does the fish, which the people standing in this place, caught right through the hole in the floor. We also saw fish - its employees tanks caught in one compartment and transferred to another.

40. Complete disregard to the builders of the Byzantine Greek mythology - Medusa gorgon-upside-down. But it should be afraid ...

41. Entrance to the Basilica found not just - it's on the other side of the street.

42. The trouble, sir.

43. The Grand Bazaar. A huge indoor market, teeming with life, as if separated from the rest of the city. If you go here, then sooner than a half-day leave is difficult: the countless streets, galleries, shops, restaurants, mosques and even a sauna.

44. On the way to the hotel saw the rally, however, with drum and Duda. To find out who the rally, took advantage of ABBYY TextGrabber , which recognizes and translates not words, and the text entirely. Rallied Association of Consumer Protection.

45. Fish Market at the Galata Bridge. Here you will fry freshly caught fish.

46. We, as planned, try the famous Istanbul sandwich with mackerel - balik ekmek. Svezhayschaya fish, fried on a grill right in front of you, in bread, with lettuce, onion and lemon - deliciously unreal. Is 4 lira, the fish restaurants on the bridge, more expensive.

47. But this young man, seeing that I photograph, asked to show him a portrait ponazhimat all buttons on the camera, and, in conclusion, blocking its removal from the picture - "bright pupil" 

48. View of the Sultanahmet district of Galata Bridge.

49. Suleymaniye Mosque stands on a hill above the Golden Horn, and said, slowly slipping into the gulf. A very beautiful mosque, but the best view of it is not near, and the bottom. This we see it right, if we stand on the Galata Bridge.

50. Vefa District is considered one of the most authentic districts of Istanbul. There are many wooden houses of the old Ottoman buildings and religious schools.

51. Local residents have never been denied to us when we asked permission to photograph.

52. If you turn off the street Yenicheriler, there will be a path through the cemetery, which leads into the tea garden, which is considered the best in town.

53. District Chemberlitash.

54. Column of Constantine. Find kote.

55. View of the Blue Mosque. For this species, cleared a few blocks, and arranged the park.

56. In search of the Topkapi Palace, once again turned in the wrong lane and got to the palace around  .

57. Topkapi Palace Originally created as the official residence for the management of the empire. But at the time of Suleiman the Magnificent's concubine and his wife moved here.

58. Topkapi Palace was the chief Ottoman Empire for 400 years, and lived there 25 sultans.

59. "Sinful Love" cypress and plane trees on the background of the Harem.

60. Fountain of Ahmed III - the largest in the city. It was interesting that for the words are written in such a stern face: "Safety is most important!". Yes, we did not climb .

61. Dolmabahçe Palace - the largest residence of the Sultan on the Bosporus. The yard moved here in the XIX century. from the Topkapi Palace, and later became the residence of Ataturk. Taking photographs is not allowed in the palace, but definitely worth going here. Retained all the interiors, you can see how the court and harem lived.

62. A night to reward yourself for successfully carried out, the day we arrived at the restaurant proved that we were advised to: appetizers, grilled squid, sea bass and shrimp sauce for lamb with eggplant puree and cream.

63. Well, look at the menu we helped ABBYY Lingvo for iOs, so that at this time, we ordered is not "the boom"  .
In conclusion we can say that their program is the maximum we have done. But how much is left unexplored in Istanbul! And, of course, Istanbul - a city in which you want to go back and back. So stocked dictionary ABBYY Lingvo, running shoes with thick soles (required for the large - the entire old city in the pavement, then a very sore leg  ) And forward, to conquer Constantinople!