Istanbul Travel Guide II
Every brand new day brings new things in store for one when traveling. Here are 3 new suggestions for one’s second day in Istanbul; a travel guide disguised as a travelogue or a travelogue disguised as a travel guide; alas I can’t quite decide . . .
1. Bosphorus Sea Boat Cruise
If you have a lover by your side to taste the sea breeze off each other’s lips or to tuck each other’s hair behind the ears 100 times lovingly, this trip is for you. I went with Ai Rene’s family, so it was a little less lonely for a romantic ride.
{Her name}
{Me, myself, and my hair}
{Other boat members}
{Pretty Istanbul, from a distance}
{My one true Turkish friend, Jamel!}
{Under the bridge linking the ‘Europe’ and ‘Asian’ side of the city}
{City deets}
{Palace hotel for fancy pants}
{Of sparkling turquoise sea}
{Aziz, our supermodel cruise tour guide for the day}
Cruise fare: 10 euros
2. Basilica Cistern
If you’re expecting to find the cistern like you do with any other touristic spots, note that it is located underground. Hence, look for this alternative landmark instead:
{A bright yellow wooden house, right opposite the cistern’s entrance}
{Silent reflections}
P.S. It can be quite chilly down here so bring a scarf or jacket, especially if you’re not visiting in summer.
{Don’t forget to touch this pillar, toss a coin, and make a wish}
The Bascilica Cistern Mystery
There are two Medusa head columns at the northwest corners and it is not known where they came from. One is tilted like so:
And the other, upside down:
Until today, no one knows why; not even scientists!
Entrance fee: 20 lira
Upon exiting the cistern, we were brimming with hunger to know more about Istanbul’s buried mysteries. It was 4 p.m. and the Blue Mosque was next on our list but an old man approached us, saying that it is closed for prayers. Disappointed than ever, we started discussing about how to change our route. That’s when another guy, dressed in a Hilfilger polo, khaki pants and brown shoes appeared like a fairy god father.
His name is Selo, and Selo convinced us that the mosque is still open, and that he is taking us there.
{Discovering Istanbul with Selo}
3. Sultanahmet Mosque a.k.a. Blue Mosque
Unknown is whether we had fate or luck, but Selo turned out to be a licensed tour guide (he gladly showed us his license). I learned so much about the Blue Mosque; more than any other places I had visited on my own while traveling Istanbul!
- There are 21, 048 blue tiles at Sultanahmet mosque.
- Tiles represent Muslim, ceramic for Christians, while porcelain for Asians (mainly China).
- It took 7 years to build this mosque.
- The sultan at the time built it to ‘beat’ the beautiful Ayasofia; which was a church.
- It is the ONLY mosque with 6 minarets (usually they have 2 or 4; it can not be an odd number).
- It has 6 minarets because gold (altın) and six (altı) sound alike in Turkish, so the architects misunderstood the Sultan who wanted GOLD minarets instead of SIX minarets.
{Merhaba!}
{The 6th minaret?}
{Back to sexC mode outside the mosque. Outfit details here}
3. Istanbul (Archaeology) Museum
Remember the Museum Pass travel tip shared in this post? This is when you can maximise its use again!
As it is valid for 3 days, use the remaining time of your second day in Istanbul to visit a museum or two of your choice. I picked the one about archaeology; which is VAST.
{Hope you don’t mind that I am the archaeology}
{Enjoying the smoothest Turkish ice cream, while chatting away about how happiness is about the ability to enjoy the present}
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