Stunned in Istanbul

Amazing Tour

"Türkiye - A Legend Come True" is a series of programs promoting destinations for Vietnamese tourists, launched by Travellive magazine. The fourth Amazing Tour explores four legendary cities of Turkey and is sponsored by Nokia and Turkish Airlines.

Istanbul was the final destination on Amazing Tour's Türkiye exploration journey. This legendary land responded with amazing experiences, leaving me utterly astonished by its unique features, long and diverse history, and the bustling pace of life as a trading hub. Learning about Istanbul's geography and history can be overwhelming due to the sheer volume of information, its many glorious periods of development, each with its own distinct political, economic, cultural, and religious imprint. Be prepared, because the thousand-year-old spirit of Istanbul seems to envelop you the moment you set foot in the city, with its ramparts, ancient streets, venerable churches, and the vibrant Grand Bazaar that has thrived for four centuries.

Mysterious structures

Sultan Ahmed Square is the first place to visit in Istanbul, as it's just a short walk from numerous historical sites such as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, and Topkapi Palace. The square and surrounding area are always bustling with tourists and locals alike. While waiting for our tour leader to buy tickets to visit Hagia Sophia, we gathered around a few small street vendors selling familiar fried snacks, similar to those we find in Vietnam.

The Hagia Sophia, built during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian, served as a Christian church from 537 AD (lasting 916 years) before becoming a mosque for the following 482 years. In 1935, President Ataturk transformed it into a museum – a must-see for any visitor to Istanbul. Hagia Sophia is currently undergoing restoration, with many sections of the museum enclosed. However, crowds of tourists continue to flock here, intently admiring this architectural masterpiece, despite the constant obstruction of safety harnesses that hinder their view and camera angles.

Due to religious changes, Hagia Sophia houses mosaics depicting the Almighty Jesus, a 9th-century painting of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus, and a painting of the Virgin Mary with Emperor John Connenus II and Empress Eirene (the emperor and empress contributed funds to the construction of Hagia Sophia). At the end of the ramp leading to the second floor of the museum is a copper-covered column with a small hole in it. Legend says that anyone carrying sorrow who puts their finger into the hole and finds it wet will be freed from their suffering. The restoration of Hagia Sophia is expected to be completed in 2019, and on travel forums, visitors have been reminding each other to return the following year to see Hagia Sophia in its entirety.

If you appreciate cathedral architecture, in addition to Hagia Sophia, take the time to visit the Blue Mosque (which is also undergoing restoration) located directly opposite Hagia Sophia, and the equally magnificent Suleymaniye Mosque.

One of the attractions I was really looking forward to was the Basilica Cistern underground reservoir, because this and many other landmarks around Sultan Ahmed Square were filming locations for the movie "Inferno," starring Tom Hanks. The Basilica Cistern is a freshwater reservoir covering an area of ​​100,000 m².², capable of storing up to 80,000 m³³The Basilica Cistern, built in the 6th century, can surprise visitors with its size and grandeur, featuring 336 intricately carved marble columns. The first impression upon entering the area is... cool, not as humid as I had imagined. The pathways are wide and adequately lit, allowing visitors to safely explore each area while still maintaining a sense of mystery. The final point of the Basilica Cistern is the "Weeping Column," supported by two sculptures of the serpent-haired goddess Medusa: one upside down, the other tilted. The column was built to commemorate the slaves who perished during its construction. The guide explained that the column is always damp, as if the tears of hundreds, even thousands, of people have fallen upon it year-round. I also noticed that this was the only column that was wet in the entire area I visited; all the others were dry.

Located on the Bosphorus Strait, the Dolmabahce Palace, with its somewhat more modern architecture, reveals a glimpse into the history of the magnificent city of Istanbul. Dolmabahce boasts nearly 300 rooms, including reception halls and royal living quarters, all lavishly and exquisitely decorated with 14 tons of gold, 40 tons of silver, and 4,500 cubic meters of...²Hand-woven carpets. But a few hours of sightseeing was only enough for us to explore a small corner of this palace. The treasure gallery doesn't allow photography, so only by visiting here can tourists see the crowns, jewelry, precious items, and everyday belongings of the six sultans of the Ottoman dynasty and their harems, walk up the breathtaking crystal-encrusted staircase, and admire the world's largest crystal chandelier with 750 bulbs and weighing 4.5 tons, a gift from Queen Victoria of England…

Shopping at the market in Istanbul

When visiting Istanbul, whether you have plenty of time or just a quick trip, the Grand Bazaar is a must-see for everyone. I'm the type who prefers supermarkets to markets, because I find them stuffy, hot, and crowded with people. Yet, I was once again amazed when I stepped into the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul's Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage site). This is the world's largest and oldest covered market, completed in the first half of the 18th century, and currently welcomes tens of thousands of visitors every day.

With over 4,000 stalls selling an endless variety of goods, the Grand Bazaar captivates women with its sweets, teas, spices, lamps, carpets, glassware, ceramics, jewelry, and more, while men are mesmerized by its antiques, imitation antiques, and leather goods.

The vendors at the Grand Bazaar (like all service providers in Türkiye) are all men, incredibly polite and skillful, so skillful that they can easily trick customers into buying things at exorbitant prices without them even realizing it. Travel forums advise visitors to only bargain down to one-third of the asking price, then gradually increase it. Another tip is never to show excessive interest in any item, as you could easily be ripped off by the vendors' cleverness and shrewdness.

I call shopping and bargaining at the Grand Bazaar a battle of wits, very interesting and intense, and still fascinating whenever I think about it. I left with kilograms of Turkish Delight candies, pomegranate tea, apple tea, glass cups and mugs… That's even though I resolutely forced myself to skip the scarves and other souvenirs, and didn't have time to visit the leather goods section, which is very famous in Türkiye.

Shopping at the Grand Bazaar is not about expensive or cheap, good or bad, because items are bought through bargaining skills and the endurance of each person in seemingly endless bargaining sessions. Spend at least half a day, or three hours, here, and you'll find that time flies by in the blink of an eye.

If you want to experience a more modern Istanbul, Taksim Square and shopping street is an ideal destination with its bustling shops of international fashion and cosmetics brands, tea houses, cafes, and pastry shops.

Here are some more pictures of Istanbul.

Additional information

Visa:Türkiye is not part of the EU, so tourists need to apply for a Turkish visa. The processing time is 15 days if applying in person at the embassy. If you have a valid European, American, or Irish visa, you can apply for an e-visa with a very quick procedure, receiving your e-visa in just 2 hours.

Trip:From Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City, there are direct flights to Istanbul. You should use Turkish Airlines – the national airline of Turkey – to avoid the hassle of transferring luggage during a transit in Istanbul. Furthermore, Turkish Airlines is a high-quality airline with ideal flight times from Vietnam to Europe, departing in Vietnam in the evening and arriving in Turkey in the morning.

Time:April to June is the ideal time to explore Istanbul.

Accommodation:Istanbul offers a wide variety of hotel options for tourists to choose from.

Cuisine:Simit, kahvalti, dolma and sarma, manti, maraş dondurma, pide, fried anchovies (hamsi), raki, and fish sandwiches are dishes you should try.

Means of transportation:Tourists can easily get around by bus or taxi.

Money:Türkiye uses the lira, with 1 lira being approximately worth 4,000 Vietnamese dong.

Skin:Please dress modestly. Women should bring a scarf to protect themselves from the sun, and cover their heads when visiting some mosques.

Other notes:

- Take some time for a cruise on the Bosphorus Strait to admire Istanbul's Asian and European sides.

- Recommended souvenirs to buy in Istanbul include colorful and flavorful Turkish Delights, Kashmiri silk scarves, tea/coffee pots and cups, black tea, Turkish coffee, fruit teas, mosaic lamps, carpets, etc.

- Goods in the Grand Bazaar are not all the same, so don't assume that if you don't buy from this stall, you can buy from another. Therefore, if you find something that catches your eye, try pretending not to be very interested, and patiently haggle to buy it at a price you find acceptable.

- Be careful to protect your belongings so they don't get stolen in just 1/10 of a second… of a musical note.

My An - Photo: various authors