Bosphorus Cruises

Info ☛ One of the best ways to get a feel for Istanbul is to take a cruise on the legendary Bosphorus. Begin the tour with a brief visit to the 17th century Spice Bazaar, one of Istanbul’s most colorful and bustling attractions. Then hop aboard your ferry for a cruise along the Bosphorus, the majestic strait that runs through Istanbul, linking Europe and Asia. From your cruise boat, you can view the dramatic sights lining the Bosphorus’ wooded shores: mosques, a bridge that for a time was the world’s longest, the massive Rumelihisar fortress, the 19th century mansions of the Ottoman elite and the Sultan’s fanciful gingerbread palaces and hunting lodges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walls of Constantinople

Info ☛    Constantine the Great began construction in the year 324, the Walls of Constantinople completely surrounded the new city, protecting it from attack by land and by sea. Beginning at the Church of St. Anthony at the Golden Horn and running south and southwest to the Church of the Theotokos of the Rhabdos on the Propontis coast, the wall was reinforced with towers at regular intervals.  As the city expanded, new walls were built by the Emperor Theodosius II in the early 5th century about two kilometers west of the original Constantinian walls.  The walls consisted of both an inner and outer wall, both made of limestone blocks.  The inner wall was at least 5 meters thick and 12 meters high, while the outer wall was at least 2 meters wide and 8-9 meters high. Over time both sets of walls were significantly damaged by earthquakes and floods and after the Latin conquest at the start of the 13th century, fell into a bad state of disrepair. Nonetheless, the walls remained intact through most of the Ottoman Period, but as the city outgrew its boundaries in the 19th century, sections began to be dismantled. A restoration project financed by UNESCO began in the 1980s, but today the walls are considered one of the most 100 endangered sites in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Golden Horn

Info ☛     The Golden Horn separates European Istanbul’s two major districts of Beyoglu, on the north bank, and Sultanahmet to the south. This legendary body of water is crossed by the bustling Galata Bridge and forms a natural protective harbor.
Heading upstream from the Galata Bridge, the Golden Horn is crossed by Ataturk Bridge, Old Galata Bridge (moved here from its original position after a fire in1992) and the Halic Bridge. In the days of Constantinople, a chain was stretched across the Horn from Seraglio Point to the old Galata Tower. Other than sauntering across Galata Bridge, the best way to appreciate Istanbul’s legendary waterway is to hop on a ferry heading either up to Eyup or out to the picturesque Princes Islands in the Sea of Marmara.

 

 

 

 

 

Egyptian Spice Market

Info ☛  The heady scents of saffron, cloves, sugar and spice fill the air at the Egyptian Spice Bazaar and Market, or Misir Carsisi, one of Istanbul’s oldest markets. Aisle after aisle of stallholders sell their wares in this cavernous covered market, built in 1660, under the market’s vaulted ceiling lit by Turkish lamps.  Baskets filled with every spice under the sun add colors of gold, orange, yellow and green, and the array of dried fruits and nuts is astounding. Stock up on Turkish delight, dried apricots, pistachios and walnuts, honey sweets and top-quality saffron. This is a place to simply dive in and wander. Don’t have an agenda, just walk the crowded stalls and get lost. Stop for a tea, stop to chat with a carpet seller. If you’re in a rush, you’re missing the point.
The Egyptian Spice Market and Bazaar is in Eminönü, next to the waterfront Yeni Mosque. It is a few blocks north and closer to the water than the Grand Bazaar. The ferry terminal is just across the road from the market by Galata Bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi)

Info ☛    The Grand Bazaar, or Kapali Carsi, is the mother of all markets, a treasure trove of gifts, souvenirs, essentials and fripperies. Heading into the cavernous bazaar from the daylight, it takes a minute for your eyes to adjust to this Arabian Nights visual feast of glimmering Turkish lights, brightly colored rugs and flickering candles.  Crammed into more than 60 domed alleys or streets, around 5,000 stallholders hold court in the labyrinthine covered market, parts of which date back to Byzantine days.   Calligraphy, carpets, beaded bracelets, gold and silver jewelry, curly-toed slippers, multicolored lanterns, flower-bedecked ceramics and belly-dancing outfits are just the tip of the iceberg in this shoppers’ cornucopia.

The Grand Bazaar is a few streets back from the waterfront in Sultanahmet. It’s best reached from Divan Yolu, Sultanahmet’s main thoroughfare.

Address: Kalpakçılar Caddesi
Hours: Open Mon-Sat: 9am-7pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Περιδιαβαίνοντας τους μαχαλάδες της Κωνσταντινούπολης

\

Το εστιατόριο στο Πύργο του Γαλατά

 Στο Πύργο του Γαλατά οι περισσότεροι επισκέπτες πάνε για να απολαύουν την Πόλη αφ΄ υψηλού, όπου η θέα είναι πραγματικά μοναδική . Βέβαια στο εσωτερικό του πύργου υπάρχει και ένα εστιατόριο , το οποίο θα ήταν καλό να αποφύγετε γιατί το φαγητό είναι κατώτερο του μετρίου .Είναι μια τουριστική ατραξιόν που περιλαμβάνει μαζί με το φαγητό και κάποιες φολκλορικές και χορευτικές επιδείξεις , ενώ οι τιμές του είναι αρκετά υψηλές . Αν ψάχνετε για καλό φαγητό, υπάρχουν τόσα πολλά καλά εστιατόρια στην Κωνσταντινούπολη, θέλετε να σας απαριθμήσω μερικά; Feriye , Hamdi , Hacibaba, Hala, Sarnic κα .

Αγία Σοφία : Λεπτομέρειες { Hagia Sophia: Details }

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Περπατώντας στη νέα – σύγχρονη – Κωνσταντινούπολη !!!!!!

Μες στης Πόλης το χαμάμ …….. ένα χαρέμι κολυμπά !!!!!!