31st August: Istanbul, Turkey
We had breakfast of borek, simit and Turkish coffee at a nearby family bakery and cafe again. The owners’ grandsons – Yusuf (8) and Afiyet (6) – were very eager to help and came to join us for breakfast!
The spice bazaar was a little underwhelming, however, the Ottoman mausoleum – Hatice Turhan Valide Sultan Turbesi – next door was striking. Caskets of sultans and their direct relatives had red coverings, whilst dark blue was for other relatives. It was very quiet and peaceful, with a beautiful interior. We highly recommend spending a few quiet minutes here.
Uphill to the Suleymaniye Mosque, the most beautiful and welcoming we’ve been to. The gardens were cool from shelter and greenery and had a great view across the Golden Horn and up the Bosphorus. Inside, we were asked to sit down by a volunteer and had a fantastic introduction to the mosque and a discussion on Islam, humanity, and peace. It was a beautifully calming environment.
We went to visit the Basilica Cistern but had a u-turn when we saw the crowds and the cost. The best experiences we’ve had here have been far away from those places, so we got the tram to Kadikoy and to a small family run cafe for a feast instead! So good that we took some for lunch tomorrow too and cake for later.
We finished our time in Istanbul for sunset at the point below Topkapi where the Bosphorus and Golden Horn meet, watching swimmers leap off the wall and fight the currents back to the rocks. Up very early tomorrow (before 3) as our flight got cancelled, so we have to take an earlier one and change in Ankara. I would avoid for a number of reasons, firstly climate, but Azerbaijan’s borders are currently closed inbound for overland travellers. We would’ve had to fly from Tbilisi to Baku just to cross the border and then backtrack, so decided to reverse our plans and begin in Azerbaijan, as it is possible to exit overland. Given there are no direct flights from the UK to Baku (or anywhere else in the south Caucusus), we took advantage of having to change in Istanbul to spend a few days here.
As this is our last full day in Turkey, I’ve worked out how much we’ve spent per day. I’ll try to do this for each country.
Turkey spend: £31.19 per person per day.