Walk in Istanbul
There is hardly a city in the world that can remind you a little of Istanbul. This Turkish city embodies the harmonious fusion of East and West, combining cosmopolitan European culture and ancient Turkish traditions. For a long time, the culture of the city was influenced by various civilizations, the largest was called Roman, Byzantine and, of course, the mighty Ottoman Empire left its bright mark on the history of Istanbul.
An online car booking service is an assistant for tourists all over the world; you can also use it to travel around Turkey. In Istanbul, the average cost of renting a compact car will be about 12 euros per day, and in Izmir - from 9 euros per day.
Old mosques, bustling eastern markets, majestic ancient castles, beautiful medieval palaces and many historical museums are located in the city in abundance, so tourists will not be bored when arriving in this amazingly intoxicating city with its atmosphere. The best way for tourists to get to know Istanbul is just to walk through its narrow streets in the old districts, as traveling by taxi or car will be too tiring due to traffic jams and lack of free parking space.
You can spend weeks exploring the city, but you won't be able to fully learn about its diverse history and rich cultural heritage if you take random walks through its districts. When visiting Istanbul for the first time, tourists are advised to see its four main attractions without fail: Aya Sofya "Aya Sofya", as the Turks call this cathedral, the largest architectural heritage.
Built in the fifteenth century, this cathedral originally served as a Venetian church until the city was conquered by the Turks, who turned it into a mosque. They removed all Orthodox paraphernalia from the temple, covering its walls with oriental-style mosaics. Currently, the building of the cathedral is a museum, the interior of which has been restored for a long time. Tourists should pay special attention to the dome of the cathedral, which has preserved the former decorations of Venetian masters.
The Blue Mosque Perhaps the most famous landmark of Istanbul outside of Turkey is the Blue Mosque, which, as the city's visiting card, is depicted on almost all the main pages of advertising and tourist brochures of the city. The mosque, built in the 17th century, dominates the rest of the buildings in the old district of Istanbul. Initially, its construction was conceived to surpass the beauty and height of the Cathedral of St. Sophia. All six minarets and a series of cascading domes of the mosque are lined with blue facing tiles, hence the name - Blue Mosque. This iconic structure broke all records in the East and Asia for the number of pilgrims who visited it.The Topkapi Palace Built as a residence for the permanent residence of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire, this magnificent palace is the most beautiful residential building in Turkey.
Currently, the palace houses a museum, exhibits of which tell visitors about the interesting medieval history of the city.The Grand Bazaar (The Grand Bazaar) This covered market, which occupies a huge area of the city, was built and expanded over six centuries, and now thousands of shops are located here in close rows on fifty peculiar shopping streets.
Much to the delight of shoppers, this impressively sized market offers almost anything, including beautiful Ottoman-style ceramics, unique handcrafted silver jewelry, silk carpets and traditional Turkish embroidery. It doesn't matter why you came to this market, buy souvenirs for your relatives or just wander here like on an excursion, the impression of what you saw will remain for a long time.
