A Week In Istanbul

Before I dive into this post, let me say: this is a bit longer than my usual writing, but this is a post I’ve worked so hard on and I am really proud of. You may want to sit and read this all in one go, or you may want to dip in and out across a period of time. I wrote this post mainly for myself, so I can look back and revisit this trip that meant so much to me, so please know that everyone who reads this post makes my heart very happy, and I am very grateful. So, get yourself a drink and a snack, get comfy, as I try and transport you with my words and photos…

Istanbul may not be the capital of Türkiye, but it is one of the most talked-about places. A vast city that hosts countless visitors all year round, this September, I got to visit this iconic city. I am half Turkish on my dad’s side, yet I had never been to Istanbul before, so this was a trip I was very excited for. Here is what we got up to every day, what I learnt, and so much more from my week in Istanbul.

Day One – Thursday 11th September 2025

We had a very early wake-up in order to catch the flight line bus from Basingstoke to Terminal 5. The bus goes from Basingstoke via Frimley and took us about one hour and 30 minutes. The buses are approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes apart, but if you’re using this service to get to the airport. I’d advise getting the bus before the one you need. Our bus was late, only by 10 minutes – but I am the kind of person who would always allow for extra time rather than panicking. The timetable online is confusing, but you do not need to change at Frimley; it was all the same bus, and once we got on at Basingstoke, I just got comfy and enjoyed the ride all the way directly to Terminal 5! It cost us £6 (£3 each) for the whole journey, and when you reach Terminal 5, if you need another terminal, don’t panic – that’s where the Heathrow Express comes in. The Heathrow Express is like a tube from Terminal 5 to Terminal 2 – and it is free to use! We did need a ticket, but it cost us nothing. Paddington is the next stop after Terminal Two, so don’t miss your stop! 6 minutes on this express, and then just like that – we were in Terminal 2. The journey was super easy and relaxed; I think this is a brilliant and cost-efficient way to get to the airport that I would absolutely recommend.

We did the usual airport routine, and then it was time for the flight from London Heathrow to Istanbul. What was a pleasant surprise was that when we booked, we were expecting a 3-hour 55-minute flight, only to find out on the plane that it was only going to take 3 hours and 10 minutes – what a bonus! We flew with Turkish Airlines, who are always fantastic – and serves some fantastic mid-flight food. I had some lentil pasta, which I’ve never tried before, and it was gratifying. We landed in Istanbul at approximately 17:00, local time. Istanbul Airport is a huge new airport on the outskirts of the city, with good public transport taking you out to where you need to go, either via the metro or the bus/coach. We got travel cards to use; these can be used on all forms of public transport in Istanbul and are pretty much the same as the Oyster cards used in London. As we had just arrived and were not in a particular hurry, we decided to get the coach. Even when I lived in London, I loved getting the bus as I love looking out of the window! So we got a coach that would take us to Taksim, an area near where we were staying. Only one hiccup – this journey was meant to take an hour, but it took an hour and 15 due to sheer mad traffic. I sent my cousin a photo and asked him if he missed this – he said he misses Istanbul, but never the traffic!

Once reaching Taksim, we then walked to our hotel on Dolapdere Caddesi, Şişli area. Once we checked in, we went exploring to find somewhere to eat, and we got some delicious food from a street restaurant. Lentil soup, chicken kebab, rice and bread…a perfect first meal to have after all that travelling! We could see the food being cooked, which I think made it taste all the nicer!  We wandered up the street, well, a giant hill, to see what was at the top, and we were amazed at how much was going on, even late in the evening. There was still so much to see and take in. At this point, we were ready to get a good night’s sleep, ready for the week ahead, so we headed back to the hotel and called it a night.

Steps taken: 16, 016

Day Two – Friday 12th September 2025

Our first goal of the day was to find the post office. We walked via şişli and on the way found the Harbiye museum (military müzem) on Cumhuriyet Caddesi; we saw a top-gun style helicopter with a kitty resting next to it! We then may have gotten a little lost, but this worked out in our favour as we walked through maçka park, which was beautiful, not only because of a very cute cat, but because it gave us a wonderful view – featuring a very nice Hilton hotel.

At this point, we got a taxi to the Şişli mosque and from there we found the post office. We also changed some money, all this was at Rikaptar, sokak (sokağı), where we also took a break to sit and have a drink. It made me so happy to get to see my dad enjoy Istanbul and take photos too 🙂 We also got a snack of corn on the cob, which tastes so good. There were plenty of street vendors selling corn on the cob and roasted chestnuts, which was very handy, as this means I always have a happy stomach!

We then walked back to the hotel to drop off some stuff we had bought, back at Şişli Cumhuriyet Caddesi. Then we were straight back out and we walked to Taksim Square – via a giant staircase with a cat on his own mission. On the way there, we got some delicious food – my borek had cheese, salami and peppers; something simple but so tasty!

In Taksim Square alone, there were two mosques and a giant billboard celebrating Galatasaray (my favourite football team) – this square alone was a brilliant representation of Turkiye!

From Taksim Square, we walked through Taksim Park via a bridge that gave us our first glimpse of the Bosphorus. From here, we could already smell the sea air – it was so enticing! We followed the route from the park down to Beşikitaş via the Beşiktaş football stadium and Dolmabahçe, where we saw the Dolmabahçe Palace. From here, we saw the newly built ferry terminal with a big green viewing point at Kabataş. I didn’t know where to look – to the towering city or out down the Bosphorus!

Here is a selection of some photos that take you up to this point…

We then took a boat to Üsküdar, Anadolu. Going on a boat in Istanbul was one of the things on my ‘must do’ list that I’d made in the build-up to this trip, and it was amazing to get to do this. The water was so clear, and the sights of the city were stunning to see from the water. Anadolu is commonly called ‘The Asian Side of Istanbul’ – except Turkish people do not really say this. Turkish people say Avrupa and Anadolu for the two sides. They don’t see Türkiye as the European side vs the Asian Side; it’s all just Istanbul, no need for division. From Anadolu, we got another boat to Haliç & saw the Golden Horn. If you don’t know, the Golden Horn is the estuary that separates the old Istanbul from the new and flows into the Bosphorus Strait.

We accidentally timed this boat trip perfectly as it coincided with the sunset, and it felt so magical to see Istanbul in this light. After gazing at the skyline of Istanbul and being spellbound by the beautiful sights from the water, we got off at Eyüp, which was the last stop of the ferry. We saw a naval school and hospital, which, from its appearance, looks like it is no longer used. We then got a bus home via Taksim (bus number 55T!), which took us an hour to get to Harbiye, and from there we walked back the rest of the way to Cumhuriyet Çabası. 

The bus journey and walk back meant we got to not only see more of the beautiful architecture and sights of Istanbul, but also people-watch too. Istanbul is host to so many people from so many walks of life. Perhaps there are other people here on holiday, both from Türkiye and not. This may be others’ commutes, or maybe someone has just decided they want something to do, so, like us, they’re taking the bus or walking around the city to just see what is happening. Once we were back in Cumhuritet çabasi, we got some food and then headed back to the hotel. At the hotel, we did something oh so very Turkish; we sat out the front of the hotel in the communal area with some drinks and snacks, and just chatted to anyone who was about and willing for a conversation, and watched the world go by.

Steps taken: 28,594

Day Three – Saturday 13th September 2025

On Saturday, we started the day with a walk to Taksim Square again, and from there we walked to one of, if not the most famous street in Istanbul: İstiklal Caddesi. This street alone has been photographed, talked about and recommended more times than anyone could dare to count. It is steeped in history – this street gained its modern name, as it is still called now, after the declaration of the Republic on the 29th October 1923. There’s so much more history than just this, which is a very short story, and I really recommend reading more, as it is so fascinating. Hearing my own dad tell me the significance of İtsiklal Caddesi and reading the history on the wall of that street itself…well, it felt very special and significant.

We walked the whole length of the street, following the tram tracks so we knew where to go. Not just any tram tracks, the tracks for one specific traditional style tram that only makes the journey up and down this street. In fact, the tram is an attraction all on its own! İstiklal Caddesi was a whole wonder for me to take in; it was truly a feast for the senses. So much to see and hear and smell. On one side, there’s a traditional Turkish ice cream seller, putting on a performance of his own, so it’s never just buying ice cream. On the other side, people are calling out in the hopes of enticing others to stop, take a look and buy their wares. The tram bell sounds as the vermilion carriage trundles by on the tracks, and people all around stop and stare as it goes past, mesmerised. A variety of food choices line the streets, so you’re never far from something delicious, and if you weren’t hungry before, the smell of such good food will soon change that! People are pausing to take photos here and there and everywhere (me included), and everyone is sharing the sights and sounds and smells of the street with each other. On the opposite side to the people in fascination or those selling their stock are the people to whom this street is familiar. The people who see this place all day, every day and are seated at any of the cafes or restaurants with a cigarette and a cup of çay, looking on as people enjoy a place so full of life.

Partway down the street, I naturally went to one or two (okay, three) bookstores, and my dad helped me pick some books for my library back home. One of the bookstores was home to a very happy and…well, let’s say, cuddly cat. Behind one of the bookstores, my dad found a hidden treasure in the form of a coin museum and art gallery, which we paid a visit to. The museum was fascinating; run by a bank, it taught me so much about the history of money within Turkiye and how it’s changed over time. They had coins on display throughout history, and seeing the evolution was fascinating – some of the coins looked huge, even one wouldn’t fit in my pocket! This history is tied in with various myths and legends across time – I loved seeing a section about Charon, the ferryman in the Underworld. This museum is also how I learnt more about the history of the Turkish shadow puppet plays – Karagöz and Hacivat (or Karagiozis) plays, something I only knew small amounts about until this very visit.

We took a little break at Penguin Kitabevi, a bookstore and cafe, where I had my first Turkish coffee of the trip, before carrying on our adventure down İstiklal Caddesi. The streets gradually got a bit narrower, around a corner we went, and there it was right in front of us – we had reached Galata Tower. Galata Tower is such an iconic place in Istanbul, in Turkiye. Even if you know nothing about it, everyone has at least heard of or recognises it. People all around are gazing up at the imposing structure, yet all around it are just ordinary streets. This legendary structure is surrounded by the normalcy of life.

My dad and I both bought Müzekarts – these are only for Turkish citizens, but tourists can buy Museum Cards, essentially the same thing. These cards give you access to a large majority of museums and historical sites within Turkiye, so you do not have to pay for every single one individually, which saved us some money – and queuing time! Although this was not the case for Galata Tower,…there was an extremely long queue, so we decided to carry on and maybe try again later. One thing about my dad is that he has a very short attention span and not a lot of patience – is that a Turkish thing or a dad thing?

After we left Galata Tower, we stopped and got some food from a kebab street vendor. I loved seeing the kebab get cooked right before my eyes, and the man cutting the kebab naturally had some çay close by for when he got a few seconds spare! We then decided to walk via Haliç to the other side of the water – the Anadolu side that we got a boat to on the previous day. From this side, we got a tram from Eminonu up to Fatih, where we could see the Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultanahmet Mosque in Fatih and also the Hagia Sophia. When the tram got us to our destination, we started by visiting the Sultanahmet. This is an Ottoman-era mosque with 6 minarets and beautiful blue tiles, which is how it gets the name of the Blue Mosque! Constructed from 1609-1617, this was actually built to complement the Hagia Sophia.

After the Sultanahmet Mosque, we went to the Museum of Turkic and Islamic Art. This was so interesting – we even saw a lion sculpture which is from Konya, where my dad is from! There were pieces from all across history, and it is amazing to see things that have withstood the test of time for so long. When we came out of this museum, we saw the Obelisk of Theodosius, an ancient Egyptian monument which was brought to Constantinople (modern Istanbul) in 390AD. Neither my dad nor I knew this would be there, so seeing this was a great surprise!

Here are some photos taking you up to that point…

We then went from here to Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia is a very famous mosque in Türkiye – partially because it was not always a mosque! Built between 532-537, it is architecturally Byzantine and was originally a church, the principal church, in fact, of the Byzantine Empire in its capital, Constantinople. It then became a mosque after the Ottoman Empire conquered the city in 1453, then became a museum in 1935, and was then redesignated as a mosque in 2020. As of 2024, the upper floor of the mosque became a museum once more – and now, here we are! It is a beautiful place, so steeped in history and with artwork and architecture as astounding now as it always has been. Whilst you could take photos of this mosque, it did not feel right for me to do this, and if I am being honest…I was probably also a bit too busy being awestruck in real life to think to take any photos!

After we left Hagia Sophia, we walked on to Topkapı Palace. This is one of the world’s largest surviving palaces. Built from the 1460s until the completion of Dolmabahçe Palace, under the orders of Sultan Mehmed II, a few years after he conquered Constantinople, it served as the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire. This palace was the main residence of the sultans and served as the home for the Ottoman sultans for almost four centuries. It felt like walking through history, to see real artefacts and rooms replicating how they lived back then.

In all honesty, I had only heard of this palace before the trip, the same as the Dolmabahçe Palace. Getting to visit these museums and sites so full of history helped me learn so much more about Türkiye’s past. By the time we flew home, I felt so much more understanding and closer to my own Turkish heritage and getting to experience this all with my dad made everything all that much more special.

When we had finished at the Palace, we walked out and through Gülhane Park, where we sat for a while at Sarayburnu waterside viewpoint, looking out across the water at the Istanbul skyline. We found out that this viewing point separates the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara! It really felt like everything in Istanbul had its own significance or history.

It is at this viewing point where we saw Kemal Atatürk’s monument – I think he looks like he is posing like Elvis…what an iconic statue and pose, if you ask me. We walked from Srayburnu to Eminönü via the Galata Bridge, where we saw these amazing street buskers. If you want to watch the video if these fantastic buskers (we did give them some money, they were that good!), you can do that here: https://youtu.be/gYo24BDwOzc

We then walked back to Galata Tower. We were going to try and queue again, but the queue was so much worse than it was earlier….so instead, we sat on a street right outside the tower and had baklava and drinks. I think this is a very good compromise, as what could be better than Baklava, one of the greatest pastries to ever exist (IMHO), outside somewhere so prominent?

Whilst sitting here, I loved seeing everyone bask in the presence of the tower. Whether they were having photoshoots on the street with the tower behind or, like us, also having something to eat and drink in front of it, everyone seemed so happy to be in this one place. It felt like there was a buzz of excitement in the air. I even made two new friends by taking their photos in front of the tower! Again, I don’t know if it is a Turkish thing or a girlhood thing, but by giving them a mini photoshoot in front of Galata Tower (especially when one man was going to charge them for it!), we exchanged Instagrams and then went about our evenings…how lovely! After our sweet treat, we then walked along the tramline back the same route towards Taksim. This time, we took a different side street back, to get a different view, but still within the area of İstiklal Caddesi. Along this route, we got to see the sun set and the lights come on – a sight I don’t think I could ever tire of. We walked this route all the way back to Taksim Square, and from there, we walked back to the hotel for our usual routine of drinks, snacks and people watching. What a day. 

This day was a lot of walking, yet it didn’t feel like it. We knew we walked a lot, but there was so much to see and do and take in that the amount we walked never really hit us until we sat down for the night. In my opinion, even though we had the travel cards, walking is the best way to see the city. It is this way you get to really explore all it has to offer and see everything, some things you may not see from the windows of the bus or tram.

These are the photos that show the rest of our day…

Steps taken: 32,650

Day Four – Sunday 14th September 2025

We started the day walking via Taksim to the Dolmabahçe Palace again – except this time we actually went inside the grounds! We took a tour of the Dolmabahçe Sarayı, which was stunning. The palace is right on the waters edge of the Bosphprous, and they had this huge ornate fence bordering the palace with little balcony lookout areas. The sun was glorious, glistening on the water and showing just how spectacular the Palace still is after all these years. The grounds went on for miles, there were huge pillars and balconies, and every part was as grand as you’d expect a palace to be. It felt to me like something out of The Great Gatsby. I even wondered if this is maybe where F. Scott Fitzgerald got the inspiration for Gatsby’s mansion from!

Dolmabahçe Palace is a 19th-century imperial palace and is the largest palatial residence in Türkiye. With 285 rooms, 6 baths, 68 washrooms, and 46 halls, it’s not exactly what one would call modest. This palace also holds a lot of history – it is Istanbul’s first European-style palace and was built between 1843 and 1856 by Sultan Abdülmecid I in an attempt to modernise Istanbul. Despite this history, the place is still gleaming and as popular as ever. There were people from all walks of life enjoying the wonderful sights and splendour this palace had to offer.

Within the grounds of the palace, we had lunch at the edge of the water in Boğaz, along the Bosphorus. Eating with this view felt every bit as luxurious as the palace was! We then got a boat across to Üsküdar and walked along the water’s edge, exploring the Bosphorus Strait on foot. We went to the information hub to see if I could get a free map to help us navigate our way around better, but they did not have one to give me…we did find a map at one of the tourist booths, though. We then walked along the Bosphorus straight until we reached the Maiden Tower (Kız Kulesi). I have just finished reading a brilliant book by a Turkish author – The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren – which is centred around this very tower, so to see it in the flesh was really very exciting for me. The legendary story behind this tower is that a king was warned by a fortune teller that his daughter would die from a snake bite, so he had this tower built, and to protect his daughter, he kept her here. Whether this is true or not, who knows, but it still brings floods of people to come and visit. The whole pathway you could see the tower from – be that from a distance, or directly opposite, there were people of all ages who had come to see the tower and take photos. It warmed my heart like many other iconic places and sights we had seen in Istanbul, that the novelty of this landmark, too, has not worn off for anyone. Everyone was getting caught up in the atmosphere around the tower. It was endearing to see.

We took our time in this area, we put our feet in the water at the rocks by the Maiden Tower and took in the ambience. A lovely Turkish family sat on the rocks near me even offered me some of their çay that they’d bought with them!

A moment from this place I want to share is one that makes me laugh even now. I was posing for a photo in front of the Maiden Tower…and then I saw some random person also taking my photo, so I gestured to him to ask what he was doing and why, and he just shrugged back. Then, next to me is someone taking their own photo, and someone else walking past, admiring the view. Then next to them….well, whilst I was posing for the photo, my dad heard the eldest woman giving very firm and definitive orders on where she wants her photo taken and how…and then an argument unfolded about this between her, and both the woman and man she is posing with, and the person taking the photo. In this photo I’ve shared, you can see the range of emotions – the man looks like he has given up caring and has decided to unwind with a cigarette whilst he waits for the women to decide what they want to do. This makes me laugh so much, because my dad captured all of this happening at the same time, in the same place! All these people and their own things going on, all coming together in one place at the same time. Is there anything that encompasses life and how unintentionally funny people can be, more than that?

We then got the boat back from Üsküdar to the other side, to Kabataş, and from there we got a tram. We even saw a cat waiting for his tram! The tram was a novelty in itself to me! It does not just stick to main streets. The Tram wove in and out of small streets and went right by the shops and food places, so close it felt like you could almost get a drive-through drink! This way of getting around the city really kept you right in the heart of everything, and I loved it. I wish there were more places with trams like this.

If you want to watch what it is like to be on a tram going through the streets of Istanbul, you can do so here: https://youtu.be/u2qSkBSLTE0

We got the tram from Kabataş (Besiktas) to the Beyazıt mosque and Kapalı Çarsisi (Grand Bazaar). We looked around these sites – the Grand Bazaar was shut as it was a Sunday (we did not know it was shut on Sundays), but in Türkiye, all the markets are as lively and entertaining! We also saw the Istanbul University – I very nearly studied classics here, and I am still so sorrowful and full of regret that this never came to be. It was a magnificent building; it must feel like such a privilege to study here, in such a city. In fact, across the various university buildings, we even saw a few cats – they must have been eagerly awaiting the classes to start!

From here, we went and looked around the Süleymaniye Mosque. This is a mosque I was very excited to visit, as it was built by Mimar Sinan. Mimar Sinan was the chief architect for the Ottoman court, known for his mastery of domes and for formulating the principles of classical Ottoman architecture. He is the person on whom Elif Shafak’s book The Architect’s Apprentice is based. That is one of my favourite books, and Mimar Sinan is such a legendary architect in Türkiye, so to see this mosque, which is his very work, was remarkable. No matter how many mosques I visit, their beauty and detailing will always amaze me, as will the way they stand the test of time and remain as splendorous as ever despite the years passing. I think religion aside, they are such exquisite buildings.

After we left the mosque, the sun was going down, and we had some tea in a street cafe, which felt so calming. We then had dinner in a beguiling corner restaurant. My dad had lentil soup, and I had chicken and rice, both of which were simple yet satisfying. This restaurant was definitely a hidden gem; my dad and I both felt that there was something about this ordinary street that felt extraordinary, but neither of us could identify what or why. I guess sometimes places just make you feel that way! We then were not quite ready to go home, so we decided to just get on the tram from Beyazıt-Kapilcarsi to take in some of the city that way. We rode the tram a short while to Zeytinburnu before we then switched sides to the other line and came back to Kabataş. Coming back, the tram weaved in and out of streets and people like a snake once more, went via Sultan Ahmet, and before we knew it…We were back, headed back to the hotel, and that was another day done! At this point, we had gotten into an evening routine of drinks and snacks and people watching, but with such jam-packed days, it felt like a nice way to unwind, share and compare our thoughts and get ready for the following day. 

Steps taken: 27,319

Day Five – Monday 15th September 2025

Today we had a plan to have a day exploring the Bosphorus Strait, but not on foot – by boat. So, we walked a route we had come to learn quite well, yet never got tiresome. We walked via the Beşiktaş Football stadium to Dolmabahçe, went to the port and got the boat from Beşiktaş to Üsküdar. From here, there were many Bosphorus boat tours for tourists to choose from, but some of these were 100 euros…so instead, we got on a ferry, which still allows you to see all the iconic sights the boat tours would show you, at a much cheaper price. Our travel cards came in very handy this trip, especially with all the boat trips! We used the map we got yesterday to see the rough route we would be taking. And in true Turkish fashion, my dad makes friends wherever we go, so after asking around, we found ourselves at the right point to get the right boat.

From Üsküdar, we got on the boat all the way to the endpoint. Although this was not a tourist sightseeing boat, it was a ferry some people used to commute; it was so lovely to see that the novelty of this mode of transport had not worn off for everyone. My dad and I were naturally having a great time looking out across all angles to the Bosphorus Strait and the sights to see, taking photos – and so was everyone else, too! All around us, people were taking selfies and photos of each other and the sights around us. It made me happy to know the beauty this place had to offer did not seem to have grown tired on anyone.

The boat trip showed us all of the Bosphorus Strait, going via so many stops…

• Beyler beyi – this is where you go under the first bridge – the Bosphorus Bridge/15th July. Opened in 1973, this is the southernmost of the three bridges along the Bosphorus Strait. It is near Beylerbeyi sarayı and connects to Ortaköy.
• Çengelkoy – the opposite side of the Bosphorus to this was Arnavutköy (Albanian village). 
• Anadolu Hisarı – from this stop, we could see Rumeli Fortress, an Ottoman fortress from 1452 which was built by Ottoman sultan Mehmed II in preparation for the conquest of Constantinople
• Kanlıca – this is where we went under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge. Opened in 1988, this bridge is named after the 15th-century Ottoman sultan Mehmed II, who conquered the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, in 1453. This bridge goes between Hisarüstü and Kavacık.
• Çubuklu – opposite here on the other side of the Bosphorus was emigen.
• Paşabahçe 
• Beykoz – opposite here, on the other side of the Bosphorus, was Sarıyer. It is near this stop that the third bridge was, Yavuz Sultan Selim, that opened in 2016.
• Anadolu Kavağı – this was the final stop!

The journey of this boat from Uskudar to Anadolu Kavagi took us an hour and 15 minutes in total. When we got off at Anadolu, it was a beautiful little fishing town, where the fish is freshly caught, cooked and served. We only had a very short while to explore this area before we had to get the boat back. This was the last boat back of the day, and as it took us that long to get there by boat, we didn’t want to think of how long and tricky it would be to journey back all that way by bus!

We did have enough time to get a refreshing pistachio ice cream before getting the boat back to Üsküdar, though. We wished we had done this trip earlier in the week and earlier in the day, so we could explore more and try some of the fish places, but what we did see was delightful. This small part of Istanbul had so much heart, and it felt so peaceful.

So, the time came for us to depart again. From Anadolu Kavağı, we got a boat back – but we did not go back to Kabatas, we went back to Beşiktaş İskele instead. If I’m being honest, we ended up here by complete accident – we got a boat back intending to arrive back at Kabatas, but when we ended up at this stop, we realised we’d never been here before and it was a great surprise, so we had an adventure exploring this area. It is here we saw the Mimar Sinan University – named after the famous architect – and a monument for Barbaros, a famous grand admiral of the Ottoman navy. We also went into a bookstore (courtesy of me), and we then found a wonderful library. The library was every student’s, every reader’s dream! The library was inside, and there was an outside veranda right on the edge of the Bosphorus Strait where you could sit and read all day, right on the water’s edge. You could take a book from the library to read, bring your own, or you didn’t even need a book – you could just sit out there and look out across the water….there was a very relaxed atmosphere. I was amazed such a library existed, and I wish so much I had something like this close to me that I could go to!

Here are photos taking you through the journey back and up to the point of the library…

After enjoying the library, we carried on seeing what else was around, and we found somewhere else that was just perfect for me…a bookstore cafe, also right on the waters edge! We couldn’t believe we hadn’t found any of this until this day, and we were going to go in and get a drink, but we (or maybe just me) were tempted by the cakes, and I knew if I got cake, I wouldn’t want dinner. So, on this occasion, we were sensible and decided to come back tomorrow when we had the whole day to sit here and have cake and çay then. There were also two lovely kitties sitting outside the cafe – one was rudely eating all the chicken and not sharing, so my dad made sure both cats were sufficiently fed. The second cat took the chicken and ran for the hills quicker than you could say iyi geceler! I hope that cat had a nice evening munching on the food.

As we walked on a little further from the bookstore cafe, we saw a massive palace turned hotel – I was actually rather saddened that this was a palace we couldn’t visit, it looked so majestic! By this point, the evening was drawing in, so we got the bus (Bus 30A!) from Beşiktaş İskele back to Harbiye, and from Harbiye we walked to Halaskar Gazi. Here we had some good food – my dad got his favourite thing, lentil soup, which he describes as the taste of his childhood, and I got a rice dish. We then walked the last little way back. The thing is, it may be a short walk back, but we took a leisurely pace. My dad and I are very similar in the sense that we both are so in awe of everything and all the details. Cats galore on every corner, getting comfortable for the night or going on adventures. A street that is so ordinary yet still has so much to offer and is a sight to behold, despite its commonplaceness…we never tired of just seeing all we could see. The same route taken from one day to the next was never the same; there was always something new. I think that’s really quite marvellous.

Steps taken: 17,447

Day Six – Tuesday 16th September 2025

Our final full day in Istanbul! It felt quite bittersweet – so much we had done, so much we hadn’t. We knew we would never see or do all the city had to offer, so we decided to just savour and enjoy being here for one last day before we journeyed home. To start the day, we walked to the top road of our hotel, Osmanbay and bought some last-minute bits and bobs for ourselves and home. We then came back and dropped these off at the hotel, then walked towards Taksim. This time, we took a different route and happened upon an orthodox Greek church. It was ever so striking and immaculate. We continued on this new route, which led us into Taksim, and we walked from there to Beşiktaş via Maçka Park (in Harbiye). This is the same park we came to on our first full day when we got lost finding the post office! In our short trip in Istanbul, we had seen the trees start to change more into the autumnal shades; the park looked so vibrant. From the park, we got the cable car (which we could still use our travel cards for!) from one side of the park all the way to the other – believe me, this park is HUGE! This showed us more amazing views across the city, and it was the first time for both of us to have a ride in the cable car. We even got the whole car to ourselves, which was nice!

Here are some photos taking us up to that point…

We got off the cable car, went on a walk and then saw a street seller cooking some köfte, which looked and smelled too good to resist…so we had köfte and salad in bread, which we ate in İnönü park. İsmet İnönü is a notable figure in Turkish history, serving as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s right-hand man. The park was very quiet and a perfect place to sit and munch. This park was right by the Istanbul Technical University, specifically the Maden Faculty (mining). Then we walked to the Beşiktaş ferry station.  From here, we went to Beşiktaş Kaymakamlık – the same boat station we ended up at by accident yesterday! Yesterday, we found the Turkish government building by accident, so we went back today to try and get our Turkish IDs updated, as ours are very old…but we were unsuccessful in this mission. We did not get them updated. It feels like you have to go and touch the moon first! You actually need to make an appointment and pay before you even reach the building. Alas, on with the day.

After this, we headed back toward the station but stopped on the way to get tea and cake at the bookstore and cafe we found yesterday, right along the Bosphorus Strait. The cafe was bliss. We sat in the sun with the sights of the Bosphorus and boats coming and going – I even saw a school of fish in the water! Sitting here with çay and cake…Well, I could have easily stayed there all day. I was completely content. We reflected on our trip to Istanbul, discussed what we would do if we ever came back, what my mum and brother would make of it all… This was a perfect thing to have done on our last day.

When we were ready, we started to walk back…and got distracted by a ceremony happening in Beşiktaş İskele; by complete accident, we had happened upon a public naval ceremony! We had no idea this was happening, so we joined everyone else and stayed and watched. It was a joint memorial ceremony between Türkiye and Japan, and the Japanese princess herself was in attendance! Despite my not fully understanding everything, I found this to be really moving, and felt so lucky we were literally in the right place at the right time to see this. We watched part of the ceremony and the naval band playing the Turkish national anthem, and then we carried on our day. This felt so special to have seen; it was an honour. It made me so emotional and so very proud of my heritage. Getting to see this ceremony felt perfect and fitting for our last time here.

You can watch the videos I took of part of the ceremony and the Turkish national anthem here: https://youtu.be/Muc-gg7l7X8

We then walked all the way back to Kabataş and looked out at the boats and the Bosphorus for a while at the green viewing point. This was a view I was already sorrowful to be leaving behind. In fact, just typing this, my heart hurts.

Whilst here, my dad gave me the idea of pointing out and showing where we walked on the day we walked 32K+ steps. You can watch that video here: https://youtu.be/V6npgjKwvec

We had a snack of corn on the cob, which I shared with my dad, and then we walked home via Besiktas. We walked via the stadium for the last time, got some chestnuts for a snack (look, I love food. Especially Turkish food. Plus all the walking made me hungry!), and then my dad and I bought a cake and biscuit each from a local corner bakery (because we had not eaten enough, clearly – I am not a gannick!), and we decided to have çay with our cake and biscuit in a higgeldy piggeldy basement cafe. This cafe was so quaint – you had to duck your head to get in, and to leave, I went out the window as there wasn’t enough room to swing a cat…! We loved it. We had been watching this cafe all week, seeing the regulars in there play cards with their çay, and watch the world go by. After admiring it throughout the week, we paid a visit on our last day, and they were very welcoming and nice. My dad had picked an orange cake, which we shared, and it was so nice – the citrus and the cake tasted amazing together! I’d picked an almond macaroon and it was the perfect mix of nutty and pastry; I only ate half and saved the rest for my mum and brother the next day – magically it made it home in one piece! After this, we went back to the hotel and enjoyed our last evening. 

Steps taken: 26,637. 

Day Seven – Wednesday 17th September 2025

And then there we were, the time had come to travel home! We packed up the suitcases and sat on the veranda outside the hotel as we prepared to go home. Our hotel was in such an interesting area; the road was a mismatch of old and new. On the one hand, there were Turkish people who had settled and made their lives here; there were loads of mechanics and restaurants, cafes and corner shops. On the other hand, there were loads of shiny, new and fancy hotels and adjoining restaurants. All week, I’d loved seeing people work hard from dawn to dusk but always having time to have a friendly chat, to help where they could if someone was lost or struggling. Seeing the authentic Türkiye clashing with the…Dare I say gentrification? It was such a sight. I loved where we stayed, I loved the location and the life, and how even at midnight, life never stopped, and the road still had people coming and going. As we got ready to leave, I was already feeling melancholy, knowing I’d miss this very much.

With the suitcases packed and loaded up, we started the trek to the airport. To go back, we decided to go via the metro this time. We walked up a hill that doesn’t look too steep…until you’re climbing up it in the Turkish heat, lugging a suitcase with a rucksack on your back. We got to the top of the hill, at Osmanbey station, and I needed to take a breather already before we could carry on! We went underground to the metro using our travelcards, and the platform was so clean and bright! We got on the metro, using the M2 line until we got to Gayrettepe, where we changed lines to the M11 line, which we rode all the way to Istanbul Havalimani, the airport. When we changed at Gayrettepe, we went down 7 escalators – I thought we were going to end up in the underworld if we kept going! The station was so spacious, modern and shiny – for a metro, it felt very glamorous! The metro dropped us right on the doorstep of the airport. We came out of the station, had a chat with a Turkish couple waiting for their son, then off to the terminal we went. This airport is the new airport in Istanbul, the previous airport being used for other means, and the newness shows. This airport is HUGE. Once we had gone through check-in and security and passport control, the airport went on for miles! To get from the lounge to our gate, it took 15 minutes to just get to our gate.

We boarded the plane, got all comfy…only to be delayed by takeoff for an hour because the weather in the UK was so bad, our pilot didn’t get cleared for takeoff. So, after a bit of a wait, an hour later, we were in the air and flying back to the UK. Because of the delay, we missed the flightline bus that would have taken us from Terminal 5, all the way back to Basingstoke, but we still managed to get a bus from Terminal 5 to Frimley. From here, my mum and brother kindly picked us up, and before we knew it…We were back!

Steps taken: 12,430

And that was that. Writing this post feels very surreal. This was the trip of a lifetime for me. I always have and always will love Türkiye, regardless of where I go, but to visit Istanbul was a dream come true. Constantly, I couldn’t believe I was really there, seeing these iconic sights, doing these things I’d only ever dreamt I’d get to do, and more that I’d never even thought of when planning. Not only this, but to do it all with my dad at my side was better than I could have ever hoped for. I learnt so much on this trip. I learnt about my dad, his life in Türkiye and his life growing up to the present day. I learnt so much about Istanbul and Türkiye as a whole, historically and politically, artistically, and so much more. I also learnt a lot about myself. This trip was good for my heart, my head, and I feel like it healed a part of me. And furthermore, my dad and I tend to argue a lot – we are both strong-willed, hot-headed, and Turkish…so our personalities can clash. But on this trip, we did not argue once. We got on the best we ever had, and I felt like exploring Istanbul with him was such an incredible experience.

Whatever I write about this trip, I know that words will never do justice to how special this trip was, how much it meant to me to have this week. Even after I have written all this, I’m sure I’ll publish this post and think of more I wish I’d written and shared.

My week in Istanbul is one I shall always treasure every second of, and one trip I’ll never forget. Those memories will always be so precious to me, and I feel very lucky and grateful to have had this week. Istanbul felt better than a dream; it felt like a city that is beyond any explanations, any words; it is a city full of history, magic, wonder and beauty. Istanbul really is the city that keeps on giving. To read about it or see it on TV is one thing, but to see and experience it there, live and real and right in front of you…that is something inexplicable and undescribable.

Thank you to everyone who has read this post – I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope with my words I got to give you even just a small taste of what Istanbul is like. Words will never do it justice fully, but with this post, I have certainly tried my best. What a week that was, my week in Istanbul.