Where to go when your in Istanbul?
You know where to eat and where not to eat, it's time to tackle the tourism itself. In the "compulsory" in town there, as guides and in order: Hagia Sophia (Aya Sophia or Hagia Sophia), Topkapi palace and harem, the Underground Cistern (= Basilica Cistern), the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii =), the Grand Bazaar and a cruise on the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. The problem is that these places are just THAT tourist places, there to tourists every day of every month of the year and that from 10:30, it's hell on earth . Practical advice.
1) Making Choices:
- Aya Sophia is a dazzling gem, do not miss it, opening doors 9 am, imposing queue from 8.30am, due date for the visit in good conditions.
- Sultanahmet Camii mosque is a very pretty, but it is full of disrespectful tourists who pose as morons who are at Disney World and it's far from the prettiest in the city, despite its enchanting name Blue Mosque. Miss a turn and instead will see Suleymanyie Camii and Yemi Camii.
- The Basilica Cistern is a beautiful place but very small, narrow and marked, it will be nice that early in the morning if you are at the beginning of the queue or in the evening, 45 minutes before closing, if n 'there is no queue. It is better to miss places to see in bad circumstances, it will give you the opportunity to return to Istanbul.