Series: Going Back | Istanbul, Turkiye | Day 1/14

10/17/19

After a late night arrival to our awesome airbnb apartment in Sultanahmet, we really just went to dinner across the street and straight to bed. The next morning we woke up excited and ready to go! First stop, breakfast. On our walk to the main square where the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque reside, we stopped at a small bakery to get some goods, and into a coffee shop to combat the jet lag.

We weren’t quite sure where to begin, but Bre had brought an awesome Istanbul guide book to read. We first walked around the main square, people watched, and went into a tomb near the Blue Mosque.

Our airbnb host recommended getting the Istanbul Museum Pass, and to do so at a smaller less poplular museum so the line would be short. After finishing this whole trip, we actually wished had gotten the Turkey Museum pass because we could have used this in Ephesus as well as a couple spots in Capadoica.

So, we went to the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art to get our passes, and ended up spending a few hours walking through it. Seriously the best curated exhibits I’ve ever visited. We learned SO MUCH, and it was the perfect way to get some ground history on our first day. I would HIGHLY recommend this museum!

Then we decided to take on Topkapi Palace. It was good walk up some cobble streets, but overall very easy to find! I’m just going to let the photos speak for themselves. Breathtaking doesn’t do the detail and history justice.

After the Topkapi Palace we headed down the street for some Pide. Bre found a restaurant that sits above a 4th century palace discovered more “recently” that you can go down and see after dinner and çay.