Our memories of our short time in Istanbul / Turkiye 2024:
We enjoyed another great / in Greece (the Cyclades) with the following being our most vivid memories (in no particular order):
- Gayle praying in the Blue Mosque for someone she knows experiencing a serious health issues
- the views of the Blue Mosque lit up in the evening
- our excursion to see the anchored tankers in the Sea of Marmara
- sunrise over the Asian side of Istanbul
- the Turkish Airlines Istanbul Business Lounge
- fresh orange / pomegranate juice
- the impressive exterior and interior of the Blue Mosque
- the hunt for, and ultimately success in findin the Whirling Dervish performance
- the Whirling Dervish performance itself - live music, colourful and educational
- navigating the tram system and the challenges of actually exiting the tram at our stop
- the ability of taxi drivers to navigate the streets / roads of Istanbul
- our strolls through the Hippodrome just outside the Blue Mosque
- large numbers of visitors comprised of all cultures
- lentil soup of the day
- the variety of Turkish breads, 'football' and flat-bread along with pides
- the increased / inflated costs of food and wine
- meeting and exchanging travel stories with other guests at Dersaadet Hotel
- enjoying breakfast outside, watching sunrise, looking out to the sea from the roof-top terrace of Dersaadet
- the slow pace of our boat tour on the Bosphorus Strait, albeit the audio was terrible
- the calls to prayer
- flying home Business Class
We did not buy much when in Istanbul. A couple of small bowls for our children, this Whirling Dervish doll and this small plate with painted Whirling Dervishes.
Finances / Expenses (based on average exchange rate $1 Cdn = 25.08 lira):
Here are the costs of our 3 days (4 nights) ibn Istanbul32 day trip:
$ 0 airfare (Athens to Istanbul included in Greece expenses)
$ 754 lodging ($189 Cdn $ per night for 4 nights) - including breakfast (tips in miscellaneous)
$ 185 food ($62 per day primarily for dinner of which $5 per day was for wine.). Breakfasts at Dersaadet Hotel is included in lodging.
$ 199 taxis and tram
$ 76 entrances (Whirling Dervish) and tours (Bosphorus Strait)
$ 32 miscellaneous
$ 32 tips
$ 1,278 for 3 days
$ 290 airfare (to Canada - Aeroplan)
$ 1,568
$ 54 souvenirs - dishes
$ 1,622
The total cost excluding airfare to Canada and souvenirs (i.e. lodging, food, vehicle and tips) was $1,278 ($754 for four nights of lodging and $524 for all other expenses over three days) or $363 per day. This is very similar to the $355 per day we spent in Greece but somewhat more than the $293 per day we spent in Turkiye in 2019.
Tthe average costs of lodging, food and transportation (internal flights, car rental, fuel, tolls and ferries) expenses per day has been as follows.
Lodging Food* Transportation
Turkiye 2019 95 28 45 (car rental)
Turkiye 2024 134** 41 33 (taxis)
* includes all dinners (breakfasts where included in lodging costs) bakeries etc.)
** reflects nicer lodging in Istanbul
Lodgings
We stayed at two hotels in Istanbul - The Great Airport Hotel at 39 euros (no breakfast) and the Dersaadet Hotel at 165 euros (including a 10% cash discount) with a very nice breakfast.
Here is a list of where we stayed, the amount we paid (in euros) and a link to their website.
Cost Lodging Location Website / Link
165 euros* Dersaadet Hotel Sultanahmet, downtown Istanbul Dersaadet Hotel
39 euros The Great Hotel near the Istanbul airport The Great (Airport) Hotel
* while we were not in the 'Sultan's Suite' there were many room options for less, i.e. we could have had a room for < 100 euros.
As is our practice we communicate and book directly with each lodging. In doing so we save the establishment the booking commission. As well often we are known to owners / staff when we arrive.
October 11, 2024 - Istanbul to Montreal to Halifax
With Istanbul's airport being an hour plus or minus from the centre of Istanbul and our desire to get there early we decided to search out a closer hotel. Our friend Linda found The Great (Airport) Hotel that seemed too good to be true at 39 euros ($58 Cdn) with excellent reviews. Like Linda and Bill we decided to stay our last night there with a shorter morning taxi to the airport. The Great (Airport) Hotel turned out to be just that ... great!. Not particularly fancy, except for the elevators, our room was small but all we needed for a short one night stop. A comfortable bed, a decent table to work on, and a large window letting lots of light in. Bonus - there is a nearby mosque from which we heard the early morning call to prayer. There was no breakfast which was not an issue as we were going to eat in the Turkish Lounge at the airport. Staff were friendly and efficient. A good choice.
Having booked Business Class (with Aeroplan points) for the flight home we spent the morning and early afternoon in the Turkish Airlines Business Lounge. The Lounge with a seating capacity of over 750 guests is considered one of the 12 best business class lounges in the world. We arrived at the airport at 8:30 am and were in the lounge shortly after 9:00 am after a very easy check-in process at a very impressive separate business class check-in. The lounge is sleek, modern and spacious having only been open for a half dozen or so years at Istanbul's 'new' international airport.
Open 24 hours a day the Lounge provides a variety of soups, a breakfast buffet, hot breakfast service, cold appetizers, a variety of olive oil dishes, salads, an olive buffet, pasta and noodle varieties, international cuisine, ravioli, pancakes, a Turkish bagel station, a pide station, a grill buffet, Turkish desserts and cake buffet, a snack station, tea and coffee area, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The only problem was that I ate so much I had very little appetite for the food provided on the plane. Late morning we connected and chatted with Edwin and Janet (who we had met at Dersaadet Hotel) after they arrived for their flight to San Francisco.
We then boarded our flight through express lines and a separate entrance at the front of the plane. From the moment we sat down to the moment we left we were pampered. There was lots of choice of food and drink - it seemed to come non-stop, and while good it was not spectacular (my beef in particular was tough and tasteless). There were many special touches that made the flight very enjoyable. Would Business Class be worth the cost if we had paid in cash - no? But Aeroplan points made it a special experience.
We arrived in Montreal on time where we had a three hour layover before boarding our flight to Halifax, most of which was spent sleeping. In spite of arriving at 1:00 am we where met by Bill and Linda who gave us a drive home - very much appreciated.
Bringing an end to our five week plus trip.
THE GREAT HOTEL with a nearby mosque provided us the expereince of one last call to prayer early in the morning before leaving for the airport.
While enjoying our time in the Turkish Business Louge we were joined by Edwin and Janet (who we met at Dersaadet Hotel) who were waiting on their flight to San Francisco.
A large selection of a variety of olives.
After all that food it was time for a little shut eye.
October 10, 2024 - Istanbul (The Great (Airport) Hotel)
An early morning visit to the roof-top terrace was rewarded with a wonderful sunrise, including a lucky shot capturing a passing seagull.
Today we leave the Dersaadet Hotel. Although we had to check out at noon we did not leave until early evening to spend a night at a hotel near the airport, meaning we had the day which we used to check off the last of Gayle's Istanbul 'to dos' - a boat trip on the Bosphorus Strait.
We had tried to book a smaller tour but did not receive a response so ended up taking one of the many, and we mean many, public tours. Not as luxurious but only 5 euros each rather than 45 euros each. Rather than a taxi we took the tram from the Sultanahmet stop to Eminonu, the departure point. In retrospect perhaps we should have taken taxis as the process for getting tram tickets was not straightforward, and on the return the tram was so full we actually could not push our way through the masses of people to get off, having to continue to the next stop.
The two hour plus ride on calm waters was definately worthwhile, first crossing over to the Asian side to pick up other passengers, then sailing north (approx. 14 kms) up the European side of the Bosphorus Strait as far as the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü (July 15 Martyr's Bridge), the second of three bridges that cross the Strait. At that point we crossed over to the Asian side. Although there were a number of nice homes and mosques on the Asian side the European side had many more impressive palaces. There are other options to take longer trips - all the way to the Black Sea with lunch, as Janet and Edwin had done the previous day, but the shorter trip worked out well for us. Unfortunately the one down side was the terrible audio system with efforts to describe what we were seeing very garbled. Just the same it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.
Upon returning to Dersaadet Hotel to pick up our luggage we had time to have one final dinner in Istanbul. While the restaurant Sultan Kosesi, just around the corner from the hotel, was fine it was nothing special. Unfortunately we didn't find that 'special' restaurant although after returning home we became aware (thank you Marianne) of an outdoor spot - Restaurant 1897 - actually quite nearby. Although somewhat more expensive than other places we ate it does have an interesting menu including a number of Ottoman specials. If we are ever back...
Not surprisingly Gayle started with a bowl of lentil soup (100 Turkish lira or $4 Cdn), followed by a large plate of grilled on charcoal vegetables (Izgora Sebze) that included zucchini, eggplant, red pepper, tomato, carrot, mushrooms, grilled onion and scallion - $22 Cdn. Norm had the Kuzu Sis - marinated lamb grilled with green pepper, tomato, rice and a salad - $28 Cdn.
While we complain about inflation here in Canada it does not remotely compare to what Turkiye has experienced of late. In August 2022 Turkiye recorded a record high inflation rate of 85.4%. While having dropped since then the annual inflation rate in September 2024 was still a mind-boggling 49.5%! In 2019 we spent an average of $43 per day on food whereas this trip it had increased to $62, with no 'special' meals.
We returned to Dersaadet Hotel where we met our arranged taxi for the one hour drive to the Great (Airport) Hotel. Full credit to our taxi driver for safely navigating the narrow and crowded Istanbul streets and highways.
The Great (Airport Hotel) was exactly what we were expecting for the price we paid (39 euros or $58 Cdn) - a small room, simple but functional.
My breakfast plate this morning.
Gayle ready to check off another of her 'to dos' in Istanbul - a boat ride on the Bosphorus Strait.
Rumelihisarı or Boğazkesen Fortress is a medieval Ottoman fortress located on a series of hills on the European banks of the Bosphorus. The fortress also lends its name to the immediate neighborhood around it in the city's Sarıyer district.
The Büyük Mecidiye Mosque just under the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü (July 15 Martyr's Bridge) one of three
crossing the Bosphorus.
Dating back to 24 BC The Maiden's tower was built on a small islet off the coast of Salacak, in part of the Bosphorus close to the Sea of Marmara. The tower has become the symbol of Uskudar and is the only remaining work from the Byzantine period.
October 09, 2024 - Istanbul (Dersaadet Hotel)
During breakfast we enjoyed a nice chat with another couple that travel extensively - Janet and Edwin from Reno, Nevada.
Then early in the afternoon we did something we expect very few visitors to Istanbul do - we went to a park and spent a couple of hours simply enjoying the sunshine and watching the many tankers anchored in the Sea of Marmara. We took a taxi 7 kilometers to Zeytinburnu Sahil Park where we checked off one of the 'things Gayle wanted to do in Istanbul' - chill out in a park watching the anchored tankers. As Ilhan at Dersaadet Hotel noted this was the first time he had had such a request but he seemed intrigued by the idea.
In October 2022 there were some 200 vessels anchored off the coast. Most of the ships had been seized due to outstanding debts by their operators. Some vessels are anchored for years due to ship operators going bankrupt and abandoning their ships. Other vessels have either sunk in bad weather or have veered off and run aground. The landlocked Marmara, between Istanbul and Dardanelles Strait - the gateway to the Aegean is quite busy these days after a grain deal was mediated by Turkiye. The Bosphorus, the main entry to the Marmara from the Black Sea and Russia has seen ship traffic rise considerably reaching 38,551 in 2021, or over 100 per day. The issue also relates to price caps on Russian oil, a cap that bars owners carrying Russian oil from accessing insurance and other services from European providers unless the oil is sold below the cap price. In light of the cap, Turkish maritime authorities are concerned about the risk of accidents or oil spills involving uninsured vessels, and are preventing ships from passing through Turkish waters unless they can provide additional guarantees that their transit is covered. The result - a 'parking lot' of anchored tankers.
We spent a couple of hours in the park, sitting on the well designed benches watching walkers and joggers pass by. Rather than 'go go go' as one often does when travelling this afternoon was a quiet, peaceful and relaxing time in what is otherwise a bustling city.
We then decided to go to a Whirling Dervish performance in the evening. We found a Whirling Dervish and Sufi Dance Performance on line. In Sultanahmet, where we are staying it was an easy walk to a centuries-old theological school that presents a spiritual experience by the Whirling Dervishes. The tranquility is the result of prayer citations and the mesmerizing Sufi instrumentals, followed by the Mevlevi Sema ceremony, a Sufi ritual steeped in tradition and spirituality, performed with live Mevlevi music. The dervishes become one with the motion of the universe with extended arms, immersing in transcendental prayers.
Sufi whirling (or turning) is a form of physically active meditation that originated among certain Sufi groups and is still practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order. Sufism is a mystic body of religious practice found within Islam characterized by a focus on Islamic purification, spirituality, ritualism and asceticism.
The ceremony is performed within the sema, or worship ceremony, through dervishes (from the Persian Darvish or semazens) aiming to reach greater connection with Allah. This is sought through abandoning one's nafs, ego or personal desires by listening to the music, focusing on God and spinning one's body in repetitive circles, seen as a symbolic imitation of planets in the Solar System orbiting the Sun.
Unfortunately we had some difficulty finding the venue (we first went to another Whirling Dervish Art Gallery and Cultural Workshop) but with the help of a nearby restaurant owner were provided directions and made it in time. The performance was informative with an MC explaining what we were about to see and hosting a Q&A afterwards. The music and dance is indeed mesmerizing in its repetitive nature. The performance at the cultural centre felt much more authentic than we perceive other 'shows' would be. We're very glad we went.
Afterwards we felt it only fair to return to Fuego, the restaurant where without the owner's assistance we likely would not have found the venue. We enjoyed a nice meal seated in an alleyway outside. As expected it was pricey (a glass of wine was $14.50 Cdn; an orange pomegranate juice $12.75 Cdn and an herbal tea $11.00 Cdn - more about prices and inflation in Turkiye tomorrow) but the drink and food were very good. We started with a large 'puffy' bread - unique and delicious accompanied by a nice dip, followed, of course, by a bowl of lentil soup. We then had a serving of hummus, a plate of excellent falafel, and a Shepherd salad. Service was excellent from Heybet the owner and staff.
Afterwards we leisurely walked back to our hotel through the Sultanahmet Meydani the public square / park adjacent to the Blue Mosque where a hippodrome once stood, bringing an end to a very enjoyable day.
Right - attractive painted ceilings in our room.
Below - the intricate headboard of our bed.
October 08, 2024 - Istanbul (Dersaadet Hotel)
After a comfortable sleep only interrupted by the early morning Call to Prayer we headed up to the roof-top terrace for breakfast with its views to the Sea of Marmara to the south and the Blue Mosque around the corner to the north, and the many seagulls flying nearby.
We enjoyed a relaxed, lengthy breakfast with a number of salads including bulger, eggs, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, yoghurt, cheese, fruit, a spinach pie and an assortment of tasty breads. There was pomegranate juice, lemonade and both coffee and tea.
After lunch we headed out to the Blue Mosque via a street bazaar near our hotel. Many shops selling just about everything lined both sides of the road. Being our first day we were just 'looking' - there was pottery / plates; handbags; jewelry; carpets (of course); spices and tea and many other items. We ended up chatting at length with a couple of fellows who run a spice / tea shop - Ibrahim and Orhan who were interested in our travels while providing us samples of tea and sweets.
There are two significant mosques in Sultanahmet - Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, both of which we visited in 2017. We decided to skip Hagia Sophia this time due to the reported lengthy lines and cost. Rather, after a nice stroll in the parks we found our way to the entrance to the Blue Mosque. Gayle in particular wanted to visit in order to offer a prayer for someone in particular going through cancer struggles. Upon entering Gayle immediately went into the 'woman only' prayer area where she experienced tranquility and peace.
The Blue Mosque, officially the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque. It was constructed between 1609 and 1617 during the rule of Ahmed I and remains a functioning mosque today. It attracts a large number of tourists and is one of the most iconic and popular monuments of Ottoman architecture. The mosque has a classical Ottoman layout with a central dome surrounded by four semi-domes over the prayer hall. It is fronted by a large courtyard and flanked by six minarets. On the inside, it is decorated with thousands of Iznik tiles and painted floral motifs in predominantly blue colours, which give the mosque its popular name.
After our visit I bought a grilled corn-on-the cob, a popular street-food, that I ate relaxing in the park just outside. In all honesty the corn was somewhat dry and not that great but I don't regret giving it a try. As we were heading back to our hotel we came across a fellow who was selling freshly squeezed juice. From our previous trip I recall the delicious orange / pomegranate mix so decided to have one, and another stop in the park. Gayle found it too tart but I very much enjoyed the drink.
For dinner we went to nearby Doy Doy, suggested by the front desk. Just up the street we started with a complimentary tomato based dip along with Turkish flat bread. There was never any doubt Gayle was going to have a bowl of the lentil soup of the day, which she thoroughly enjoyed. After that she had the Kasarli Sebzeli Pide (cheese pizza with vegetables) while Norm had the Beef Shish Kebab, or Dana Sis - char grilled marinated beef in cubes. Afterwards Norm had a mint tea and then we climbed one more flight to the roof-top where there is a beautiful unobstructed view of the Blue Mosque.
Our Turkish breakfast.
A shop owner. Colourful backpacks.
Earlier this week Gayle received some sad and difficult news of serious health issues being experienced by someone she knows. Upon entering the mosque she immediately went to the woman's prayer area were she prayed for the recovery of the individual.
Below the impressive interior of the Mosque.
Sampling a grilled corn on the cob, a common street food here in Istanbul as are roasted chestnuts.
From our roof-top terrace:
Right: the colours after the sun set
Below: a departing cruise ship
October 07, 2024 - Istanbul (Dersaadet Hotel)
After our nearly five weeks in Greece we decided to spend a few days in Istanbul before returning home.
Our connection in Athens was tight as we had to pass through security in that we were on an international (to Istanbul) flight but we (just) made it.
We arrived in Istanbul on schedule at 8:00 pm, made our way through immigration - Canadians no longer need a Visa to enter Turkiye - and then found our way to the arranged ride / taxi area. Quite the process as we 'checked in', then were 'handed off' to another fellow, and then again to yet another before actually connecting with our pre-arranged driver. Although the process seemed a bit strange it was actually quite efficient.
The drive from the Istanbul airport to Dersaadet Hotel is 50 km, taking more or less an hour depending on traffic and costing 55 euros. We were dropped off shortly after 10 pmbeing greeted with tea and a sweet (Turkish delight). We were then checked into our room, the second of Dersaadet's Suites - one of the 35 square metre Corner Suites with a number of windows, a sitting area, whirlpool bath (jacuzzi), views of the neighbourhood and partial views of the Sea of Marmara. Very comfortable and nice.
After a long day it did not take much time for us to be fast asleep.
Our Corner Suite (photos courtesy of Dersaadet Hotel).
