City Breaks - Istanbul
Istanbul is a place, where
you can combine shopping, culture and romance,
these are some of the places that brings you the
best of what Istanbul has to offer.
The
Bosphorus
The
Bosphorus is the main artery of Istanbul, this
20 mile channel separates Europe and Asia and
joins the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. As
soon as you are on the river the hustle and bustle
of the city disappears. Take a trip on the TDI
or vapur (the local ferry) which goes up and down
the Bosphorus two or three times a day shopping
at each pier. Otherwise you can take of the of
the guided cruises or small boats. The main ferry
station on the European side is at Eminonu.
Cagalogru Baths
If
you want to throw yourself into the spirit of
Istanbul then you need to visit, or better still
partake in a Hamman (Turkish Bath). The Cagalogru
bath similar to the baths of ancient Rome is over
300 years old. There are separate sections for
men and women. Don't expect exfoliation with sweet
smelling aromatherapy oils. The typical street
Turkish bath is a bit more basic!
Blue
Mosque
There
are nearly more than 2,500 mosques in Istanbul
but the two you must see are the Blue Mosque with
its six minarets and the Suleymaniye. The Blue
Mosque in the Sultanahmet district was built by
Sultan Ahmet I (1603-17). It was built by the
same stonemasons who built the Taj Mahal and is
called 'blue' because of the blue Iznik tiles
that decorate much of its interiors.
This
huge domed building houses 40,000 worshippers.
Opposite is Aya Sofiya once the largest church
in Christendom with a huge 100ft dome but now
a museum.
The
huge Flower Watch, created at the edge of the
English Garden is a must. Decorated with real
plants but with a working clock movement, it commemorates
Geneva as the birthplace of the Swiss watch and
clock industry.
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