When you think of Istanbul, what comes to mind might be its history, mosques, historic buildings, street cats, and cuisine. But Istanbul is more than that. Every corner of Istanbul carries the traces of Turkish culture. The smell of Turkish coffee wafting from the café you pass while walking, the lokum offered as a treat while strolling through the Grand Bazaar, Taksim’s bookstores, street vendors, the echo of a call to prayer, the way tea is poured and shared and many more allow you to witness a part of Turkish culture.
Walking Through Centuries in Sultanahmet
There’s no better place to begin than Sultanahmet, where the city’s most iconic landmarks stand within walking distance of one another. Early morning is the ideal time to wander here, before the crowds gather and the light softens the outlines of domes and minarets. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is also widely known as the Blue Mosque due to the striking blue tiles extensively used on its walls. The mosque features rich tilework, calligraphy, and wood, stone, and metal decorations. The tiles, sourced from the centers of Iznik and Kutahya. When you enter the mosque, look not only at the Iznik tiles on its walls, each a work of art, but also at the dome decorations. These decorations, as examples of Ottoman culture, still exist today. Istanbul E-pass provides free guided tours for Blue Mosque and Hippodrome. If you want to learn more about the history behind the Mosque, our English-speaking guide will be there for you. After your visit, you can feed the birds around the mosque or get “lokma” from street vendors. Feeding the birds or getting something sweet like “lokma” is pretty common among the locals.