Mum and I arrived at Attaturk Airport, Istanbul, on Monday evening, to find a man at the arrivals hall holding a sign with my name on it. After a short wait, he showed us to our taxi and before long we were dropped off at our hotel, Sultanahment Suites. By this stage it was dark and Mum was a bit apprehensive as the hotel is in a local neighbourhood with no other hotels or tourists to be seen. But once we were inside, Joy, the owner, put us at ease. Our apartment was very comfortable.
Apartment Hallway
Living Room Our hotel was in an interesting neighbourhood, which according to Asim, one of the hotel staff, was mainly Kurdish. The street below our window was buzzing with activity all day, and there was a restaurant down the road where we ate each night. The staff there got to know us and wouldn't let us pay for our cups of tea.
View from Living Room 
Street Running Outside our Hotel
Another View of our Street (wooden sign is over our hotel front door ) 
Another View of our Street Looking Down Towards our Hotel
Ottoman-Style House (with overhanging upper floors)
On Tuesday morning we set off up the hill from our hotel and in 10 minutes we were right in the heart of the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul, where many of the main tourist attractions are located. First up was the famous Sultan Ahmed Mosque, built between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. It is better known as the Blue Mosque, its name due to the more than 20,000 handmade blue ceramic tiles adorning the interior of the mosque.
Mum Outside the Blue Mosque
Courtyard, Blue Mosque
Inside the Blue Mosque
Next up was the Hagia Sophia, which stands directly opposite the Blue Mosque. The Hagia Sophia was built between A.D. 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Junstinian. The Hagia Sophia was the largest cathedral in the world and the religious focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly 1000 years. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and the Cathedral was converted into a mosque.
Hagia Sophia
Interior, Hagia SophiaThe Hagia Sophia is famous for its richly decorated interior and many mosaics.
Mosaic showing Virgin and Child flanked by Emporers Justinian I and Constantine I
After lunch it was off to the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world, for some retail therapy. On entering the bazaar we soon got lost in the labyrinth, and spent the next hour or so wandering down some of the 58 streets and browsing at a few of the 6,000 or so shops inside.
Grand BazaarAfter a busy day of sightseeing, what better way to relax than a genuine Turkish bath? As luck would have it, there was one just down the road from our hotel. We booked in and before I knew it I was being scrubbed, lathered and kneaded rather vigorously by a large and very hairy Turkish man wearing a tea-towel. After 45 minutes of intensive treatment I was toweled down, wrapped in fresh towels and deposited on a bed feeling very relaxed and slightly relieved.
Turkish BathThe following morning, Wednesday, we decided to take a ferry trip up the Bosphorus, the strait that links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. The Bosphorus also separates the European part of Turkey from the Asian part:
There was a bit of a mix up to start when the taxi dropped us at the wrong ferry terminal but we eventually made it to the Eminonu Terminal just in time. The ferry zig zagged its way up the Bosphorus, stopping at various ports on either side. It was relaxing to just sit and take in the scenery after the previous day's walking. Waiters constantly walked up and down carrying trays of tea and then yogurt.
View of Yeni Mosque from Eminonu Ferry Terminal before Departure
Looking Back towards Sultanahmet from Ferry
Ortaköy Mosque
Along the way we saw some very swanky waterfront homes:
After a 90 minute journey up the Bosphorus, we arrived at the final stop, Anadolu Kavagi, to discover there was a three hour wait for the departure ferry back to Istanbul. Lack of research on our part, however we linked up with some fellow stranded tourists and took a couple of buses back along the southern shore to Üsküdar, where we jumped on a ferry across the Bosphorus and back to Eminonu.
There was still time for one last stint of sightseeing, and we walked the short distance from the ferry terminal to the Spice Bazaar. This is not as large as the Grand Bazaar, but more colourful, with many shops selling various spices, sweets, and other bits and pieces.
We were fairly wrecked after wandering around the spice bazaar, so decided to get a taxi home. The taxi drivers wiating at the taxi rank weren't convinced that taking a taxi was a good idea, and seemed to think that walking back to our hotel was the way to go. Eventually we found someone to drive us, and he gave us the most exciting taxi ride I have had. He did get us across town in rush hour very efficiently though - largely by ignoring all one-way signs along the way.
After a last meal at our local restaurant, we called it a night. The holiday was over, and all that remained was the journey home.
