I loved visiting Istanbul in Turkey so much! It seems that whatever the Europeans do, they are just a step up like if you ask for an orange juice, well you will get that plus a sprinkle of ginger on top!! 

Everywhere we went I fell in love with, so much history and character. The Tulips actually came from there originally and not Holland like it's perceived. We went in the Spring and made it such a memorable trip!

We went in April and we spent 4 nights in old town where we walked everywhere. Then another 4 nights at the other Four Seasons hotel in Bosphorus. Here you take a cab to places but we also bought the metro card and went exploring way far out into the suburbs on Istanbul. 

Below are some places that I visit and recommend you visit if you go. 

 

We stayed at the Four Seasons Istanbul Sultanahmet and had lunch there at the restaurant called AVLU RESTAURANT, they served Modern Anatolian cuisine. I had the Winter Salad with Baked Pumpkin, Braised Cibes Herbs, Radish, Carrot, Dark Green Leaves, Orange, Toasted Walnut and Parsley Pesto.

 

 

Such a pretty view from my room and I had beautiful fresh roses which I put on a vase. We also visited Seven Hills rooftop restaurant to enjoy the view of the town, it's all within walking distance.

Walked to old town and had dinner at Khorasani, a restaurant in the Michelin guide 2024 recommended by the concierge. For appetizer we had 3 fried Turkish potato croquettes and hummus.

The bread looked like a bubble. Ceci had the Sultan’s favorite - Marinated chopped beef served with mashed roasted aubergine served with tomatoes and green pepper. Craig has the lamb chops with a side of rice with pasta and salad.

Walked back to the hotel and saw lots of people having a picnic in the green areas. The people were given free food.

We did not waste any time, we talked to the hotel and got lots of suggestions of where to go and places to visit. We also got a tour guide for one morning to get the best suggestions and the history. 

 

 

Topkapi Palace Museum

The Topkapı Palace, or the Seraglio, is a large museum and library in the east of the Fatih district of Istanbul in Turkey, we went inside and it was filled with book shelves and beautiful tiles. From the 1460s to the completion of Dolmabahçe Palace in 1856, it served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire, and was the main residence of its sultans. This palace is right on the water and it's stunning so make sure you visit that palace.

After seeing this we went to visit Hagia Sophia Mosque

 Hagia Sophia, officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, is a mosque, a former church I went in and you could still see Jesus and Mary on the walls. It's a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last of three church buildings to be successively erected on the site by the Eastern Roman Empire, it was completed in 537 AD.

Below is the library of the Dolmabahce Palace, a stunning place to visit and a must see.

 

 

 Dolmabahçe Palace

Four Seasons in Bosphorus

 

The famous "Portuguese Pastel the nata" is served with a little cinnamon on top" at the hotel restaurant for breakfast.

We went to see the: Whirling Dervishes Religious Ceremony Show at the Hodjapasha - A Spiritual Journey

We found seats numbers 30 & 31 to be the best, so if you book in advance see if you can get those.

Went to the Grand Bazar saw the spice market and bought some souvenirs.

Library at the Topaki Palace.

 

Basilica Cisterns

The largest surviving Byzantine cistern in İstanbul, it was constructed using 336 columns, many of which were salvaged from ruined temples and feature fine carved capitals. Its symmetry and sheer grandeur of conception are breathtaking, and it's depths make a great retreat on summer days.

It's a site not to me missed!

 

This is a picture of the Four Seasons hotel inside the lobby. When you come in, you can have a drink, tea or whatever you wish and they have delicious sweets. 

Deraliye Ottoman Palace cuisine

We ate with our guide and had for appetizer the Mixed Appetizer Plate.

Lunch - I had the grilled octopus, my husband had the Lamb Shank served on a roasted eggplant and flavored with cinnamon and black pepper. Special dish of Ottoman Cuisine. Lamb Shank is a flavor entered to the palace cuisine after the reflection of nomadic culture

Saw the Blue Mosque and went inside.

Then walked back to the hotel and stopped at “The Curio” by Hilton and had dinner in the patio. “Green House” ( part of the Hagia Sofia Mansion).

My husband had the Beef Tenderloin and I had the Spaghetti di Mare, I love seafood.

We also had a very memorable bath at the Hurrem Sultan Hamani established in 1556. If you go to Turkey you need to experience that!

Then we went to the other Four Seasons Hotel

called "Four Season Bosphorus"

 

We also saw this show at night and we recommend that you go see it too, it's called Rhythm of the Dance at the Hodjapasha- A show with men and women. Our favorite was a man with a skirt.

A little about the canal: the Bosphorus strait connects the Black Sea with the Marmara Sea. It is 19 miles (30 km) long and has a maximum width of 2.3 miles (3.7 km) at the northern entrance and a minimum width of 2,450 feet (750 metres) between the Ottoman fortifications of Rumelihisarı and Anadoluhisarı.

On our last day, we enjoyed a delicious  breakfast buffet at the hotel then went to see the Modern Museum. We shopped at the Mahizer and had lunch at Insta KaraKöy. Then we spent half a day touring and saw an incredible view from the Pierre Lori Cafe. It also has a lot of art for you to see there. After that we go ready to see a Belly Dance Show on the last night we spent there.

We went to see the best belly dance show at Sultana's restaurant. It's a dinner and a show. You need to reserve a table in advance because it gets crowded fast. It's a fairy tale show with several belly dancers entertaining you during dinner and after you are done, the dancers go to the tables and dance up close, it's a lot of fun. What a great memory and experience, I highly recommend you do that.

I travel a lot and will be posting more travels here so if you plan to travel in the future or like decor, design and art, subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Pinterest and Instagram.

I got a lot of inspiration from Turkey and they have lots of tiles, tulips and a lot of designs to get inspired from. If you like blue and white, consider my Portuguese Inspired print called "Casa Bela" below. See what is available by clicking the picture. 

If you prefer a more colorful design then consider checking out this print called "Tobacco Leaf Inspired Print" very popular as well.

If you would like to see more blogs, just click below. Thank you for your support and happy Travels!

 

 

January 08, 2025 — Cecilia Mason

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