Historic Areas of Istanbul (Old City) World Heritage Site

Hello, this is Hamaca.

I am talking about the Hagia Sophia Blue Mosque in the Historic Centre of Istanbul (Old City), a World Heritage Site in Turkey!

Historic Centre of Istanbul (Old City), a World Heritage Site in Turkey

First day of travel to Istanbul

I flew with Pegasus Airlines, a Turkish low-cost airline, to Istanbul.
It was a flight from Tirana, the capital of Albania.

At the time, the airfare was $197.9.
However, because of the low cost, the aircraft was used with no in-flight service and no recliner.

We left Albania at 2:00 pm and arrived safely at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul at 4:30 pm.

However, there is a 1-hour time difference, so the actual flight time was 1 hour and 30 minutes!

I was unprepared and forgot to book a hotel in advance.
I was at a loss and wandering around after leaving the airport when I found the ISG Sabi Hagokuchen Airport Hotel, which was a 3-minute walk from the airport.

However, the price was expensive at $150 per night because I had just jumped into the hotel without making a reservation.

And, the location, rooms, and facilities were excellent!
There, I could afford to think carefully about my trip to Istanbul “World Heritage Site” Historic Areas (Old City) starting the next day.

I headed to the Historic Centre of Istanbul (Old City), a World Heritage Site in Turkey.

I took the metro from the airport to the Istanbul historical center (old city) on the second day.

This is the Istanbul City Card 1-day pass.
It allows you to ride all public transportation including metro and ferry for 310 Turkish Lira ($9).

It is also an excellent way to use the card for discounts at museums and other places.

It is quite a nice designed card, isn’t it?

By the way, it cannot be used without proper activation (activation).
It is an essential card for travel to Istanbul.

Here is a diagram of public transportation.
It was somewhat familiar to me as it looks a lot like the route map of Japan.

Old Town Accommodation Information

The hotel I stayed at in the old town was the Ottoman Hotel Imperial.

It is located in the middle of the Old City.
Anyway, staying in the middle of the old city is the best part of a trip to Istanbul!

The room rate was $103.66 per night.
This is a reasonable price for the Old Town area.

Mosques in the Old City

In my travels in Istanbul, I see mosques all over the place.
By the way, this is the Blue Mosque with an unusual structure!

The Blue Mosque, which can be seen through the trees, is a beautiful sight!

This is Hagia Sophia, which was originally a Christian church.
However, it was converted to an Islamic mosque in 1453.

By the way, from the mosques in the old city, you can regularly hear the Koran announcing the Islamic prayer times.

The Blue Mosque is the one that gives you a sense of history.

At the Blue Mosque, many people pray outside as well as inside the mosque.

Entrance to the Blue Mosque.

Incidentally, tourists are not allowed to enter the Blue Mosque.

Grand Bazaar in the Old City

The Grand Bazaar is not to be forgotten on a trip to Istanbul.
This is because the Grand Bazaar’s indoor space stretches in all directions.

The stores are also spread outside the Grand Bazaar.
Hence, it is a great place for shoppers and souvenir lovers!

A casual port in the old town

On my trip to Istanbul, the tourist boats proceed through the calm waters!

What a sight to see so many seagulls off!

It is a casual view of the harbor.

Foods and drinks in the Old Town

One of the most fun things to do on a trip to Istanbul is to go to a Turkish restaurant.
And here is the exterior of the restaurant.

Upon entering the restaurant, there is an order-taking counter connected to the kitchen.

Order and pick up your meal here and go upstairs.

Local beer and real kebab wraps, the best of both worlds!

A casual street in the old city and Turkish coffee

This is a cat I met on a casual street during my trip to Istanbul.

This is a Turkish coffee shop on a casual street.
On the far right, a shopkeeper grinds Turkish coffee.

A customer waits for his Turkish coffee to be ready.

It was a casual backstreet Turkish cat and Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is a unique one that is extracted from sand, and it is very rich.

By the way, don’t forget to try Istanbul’s famous roasted chestnuts and corn!

Next Destination at Istanbul International Airport

On the third day we headed to Istanbul International Airport for our next destination, Romania.

By the way, this is a different airport from the Zabiha-Gökçen International Airport upon arrival.

We left the hotel at 6:30 AM by cab. The cab fare was 900 Turkish lira (about 4,800 yen).
Cab fares in Istanbul are more than double those of the previous year due to skyrocketing prices.

This is the exterior of Istanbul International Airport.
And from this airport, I will go to Bucharest Airport in Romania.

By the way, the airline is Romanian Airlines, the ticket is $138.9 (about 20,700 yen), the flight departs at 10:40, arrives at 12:00, and takes 2 hours and 15 minutes due to the time difference.

That was my 3-day/2-night bullet trip to Istanbul, Turkey.

See also this popular article.

See you soon!