Istanbul, my tale of an ancient and yet modern city. This bedazzling charmer stretches across Asia and Europe, and effortlessly carries this peculiar cultural blend. As a melting pot of both continents, it promises a memorable cultural experience for any first time visitor.

To enjoy my day, I opted to take the tram from Sultanahmet to Taksim. It was a quick way to see and enjoy some of the highly recommended tourist sites. I opted to walk back on my return to Sultanahmet, which was close to my hotel. It was a well-paced afternoon of shopping, sight-seeing and finally understanding the significance of some historical sites and grand buildings.

By focusing more on shopping and exploring the historic sites within the city, I might have missed a bit of the cultural experience I was initially curious about. For example, having a traditional Turkish meal or sipping on Turkish coffee at a local restaurant along the perfect narrow streets. I guess you can never fully explore every inch of this soulful charmer, so enjoy what you can. What stood out was the Blue mosque, the Obelisk of Theodosius and wandering the streets of Taksim Square. Enjoy:

The Blue Mosque/Sultanahmet

For your information

Inside the Blue Mosque Courtyard

Tourists entrance at the Blue mosque

Inside the Blue mosque where the curious get rewarded with selfies

Then there was that thing, don’t recall what they said about it

The Blue mosque from my hotel  rooftop

Sultanahmet and the Obelisk of Theodosius

For your information

The Obelisk

Narrow charmers

Such floral displays are a common site

Local restaurants getting ready for the day

Get lost in the crowd at Taksim Square

Cheers!

Saw Bizzy