Istanbul, once known as Constantinople, once known as Byzantium.
I saw that floflegs recommended seeing Tokapi Palace on another thread, and I know that a trip to Santa Sophia is a must. Does anyone have any other tips?
Can anyone recommend any tour companies here? I am looking for tours within Istanbul AND tours to other places nearby. My husband wants to go to Trabzon, also known as Trebizon, which still has old Byzantine Christian architecture. I am interested in seeing Sardis, which had a thriving Jewish community thousands of years ago.
I have found cruises to Istanbul on Carnival, Celebrity, Clipper, Discovery, HAL, Norwegian, Oceania, Princess, and Windstar cruiselines, as well as Crystal, Regent and Silverseas. This is probably going to become even more popular in the coming years, as people who have "done" the familar cruise itineraries want to see places.
The palace at Topkapi is better known but for sheer opulence you should see Dolhmabace (Do ma bach e)Palace. The lighting is 7' high freestanding Baccarat candlebra and the balastrades going up the Grand Staircase are also Baccarat cyrstal. At the foot of the Grand Staircase is a 7 ton chandelier presented by Queen Victoria totally made from Baccarat crystal. The net worth of the palace equals the total amount of the annual budget for all of Turkey (11 billion dollars with a B). It is right across the Bosphorus from Tokapi. Also, don't forget the underground cistern built by the Romans way back when the Romans were building things..... We have spent a total of 30 days exploring Turkey and still find it fascinating.
I don't know if this helps or not, but we were in Turkey on a land tour. Stayed in Istanbul for 2 nights. It is a most fascinating city. Busy, Busy, Busy, but the history of Turkey and the Turkish Empire is astounding. The Blue Mosque is something to see and and the Grand Bazaar is quite an experience. We did walk around on our own at times since we were staying in the city, but to really understand just what it is you are seeing, you do need a tour guide. Also, I'm certain any tour will take you to a carpet manufacturing company. It's interesting, but if you are in the market for a carpet of some kind, the bargains are incredible for a really high quality carpet, and they all ship merchandise home. Istanbul is an experience.
My daughter and son-in-law cruised to Turkey and they loved Ephesus for it's biblical history. A friend also visited Ephesus, and they went in at night with an excursion from the ship. They said the lighting for a particular show was something to behold.
In my opinion, anywhere you go in Turkey will be highly rewarding, particularly from an historical point of view. But it's wise to be on a tour...for safety's sake and so you know just what it is you are seeing.
Hope this helped.
I don't know if this helps or not, but we were in Turkey on a land tour. Stayed in Istanbul for 2 nights. It is a most fascinating city. Busy, Busy, Busy, but the history of Turkey and the Turkish Empire is astounding. The Blue Mosque is something to see and and the Grand Bazaar is quite an experience. We did walk around on our own at times since we were staying in the city, but to really understand just what it is you are seeing, you do need a tour guide. Also, I'm certain any tour will take you to a carpet manufacturing company. It's interesting, but if you are in the market for a carpet of some kind, the bargains are incredible for a really high quality carpet, and they all ship merchandise home. Istanbul is an experience.
My daughter and son-in-law cruised to Turkey and they loved Ephesus for it's biblical history. A friend also visited Ephesus, and they went in at night with an excursion from the ship. They said the lighting for a particular show was something to behold. In my opinion, anywhere you go in Turkey will be highly rewarding, particularly from an historical point of view. But it's wise to be on a tour...for safety's sake and so you know just what it is you are seeing. Hope this helped.
I take issue with the second to last statement "for safety's sake". We have NEVER had any problem in Turkey but I suppose in today's world any place is dangerous if you let it be. For instance some d... fool may put a bomb in a collection mailbox at the corner in Paris (as indeed they did when we went there for New Year's Eve a few years ago). That aside, your comments about using a tour guide is GREAT advice in such an exotic country.
I take issue with the second to last statement "for safety's sake". We have NEVER had any problem in Turkey but I suppose in today's world any place is dangerous if you let it be. For instance some d... fool may put a bomb in a collection mailbox at the corner in Paris (as indeed they did when we went there for New Year's Eve a few years ago). That aside, your comments about using a tour guide is GREAT advice in such an exotic country.
Sorry you take issue with the sensible "for safety's sake" - but when in strange territory, it's always best to be safe. Once one is familiar with an area, anywhere in the world, then is the time to strike out on one's own. I was not referring specifically to Istanbul. After all, we walked all over the city on our own, once we knew our way. It's always best to be safe than sorry. There is always a risk in travel, so it's best to be heads up. We've been all over the world, and have never had a problem. I attribute that to being aware and safe. And I advise anyone who travels, here or abroad, to be very aware of your surroundings, especially in these times. Of course things can happen even if precautions are taken, but to be absolutely safe, one would have to stop traveling. That's not an option for me, and from reading your post, not an option for you either. Happy (and safe) travels!!
Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers
-
Centrum Deck
-
Cruise Places
-
Europe
-
Mediterrean Ports
-
Turkey
-
Istanbul
#
We have spent a total of 30 days exploring Turkey and still find it fascinating.
Linear Mode
