7 things I absolutely loved about Istanbul

So when I was in Istanbul I watched a lot, I felt a lot, I dreamed a lot! The city has a magical atmosphere, a one that is hard to be described. There were some things that absolutely astonished me. I decided to share them with you!

1.The streets with a perfectly mown grass and tulips

Literally every peace of grass there is in this city is perfectly mown and has some shapes and flower decorations. There were flags, lines, tulips and so on. When a city is this beautiful it welcomes it visitors with “open hands” and it is really hard to say “No”!

2. The staff in the restaurants, the cafes, the markets… everywhere

Okay, it was mentioned to me that the client in Istanbul is respected a lot but I wouldn’t believe it until I experienced it. From the restaurants to the small cafeterias and the markets the sellers truly respect the buyers and the tourists at all. It wasn’t a one time when a staff member gave us a free treat after we payed the bill.

3. The bargaining

The bargaining is something absolutely unknown for me and for my country. But when you walk in Kapali Carsi, the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, you automatically learn how to negotiate even if you have not done that, ever! It is fun and new, and interesting to watch how people communicate through the language of trade. Here’s how the Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) looks like:

4. The desserts

It may be a clishe but turkish desserts are reeeally goood! Turkish delight, baklava, pismaniye, kunefe or really moist pretzel… everything you try is super sweet and super delicious!

5.  The Bosphorus

I had the chance to take a long walk along the Bosphorus. The view was awesome, the weather was comme-ci, comme-ca but still the walk was truly fulfilling. Give it a try!

6. The Mosques

The mosques in Istanbul are really powerful, amazingly beautiful and.. just stunning! I got in Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) a.k.a. the Blue Mosque which has six minarets. It is probably the most famous mosque in Istanbul.

But what really got my attention and truly impressed me was the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. Inside it’s absolutely gorgeous. There is an inverted tulip inside the mosque and an old legend says that those who touch it and make a wish will have their wish granted. Here’s some photos of Selimiye Mosque:

7. Tha cats 

I’m a cat person, everyone who knows me knows that! In Istanbul there are a lot of cats on the streets and what surprised me is that they were very people-friendly. Apparently people take care of the cats even though they live in the streets (the cats :3). Here are some of the cuties I met in Istanbul:

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