Sawasdee Krub everyone! My name is Mai. I like to travel and take photos along very much. This is the very first travel review I am writing. I hope you will like it and if there is any mistakes, I would like to use this opportunity to apologize. All comments are also welcomed. Thank you!

Please also kindly support my newly launched Facebook page about the journey of my twin brother and I as twin traveler here

https://www.facebook.com/TwinTraveller

My first travel review will take you to Istanbul, Turkey. Even though Turkey has many touristic towns such as Ephesus, Efes, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, and so on, Istanbul wins it all. Istanbul is known as a transcontinental city of Asia and Europe. In other words, you are able to travel in Asia and Europe in Istanbul. One main highlights is Bosphorus Strait of Istanbul that divides Europe from Asia. This is incredibly interesting to go and see with my own eyes once in my life.

I choose to travel to Istanbul in September during the summer time because I want to avoid the rain and have clear blue sky with sunshine instead. This is also in order to treasure my time of 7 days there. And for your information, it gets dark very early in winter like before 5 PM. So please take this into consideration as well if you want to go there.

VISA Requirement

Luckily that Thais don't need a visa when traveling in Turkey within 30 days.

Weather and the Local time

Turkey local time is GMT+3 from April to September (4 hours behind Thailand) and GMT+2 from October to March (5 hours behind Thailand).

The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea have a temperate Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and mild to cool winters. These regions are colder than the northern region a bit. The coastal areas bordering the Black Sea are warm in summers and cool to cold and wet in winters. On the other hand, Central and eastern part of Anatolia Region are hot and dry in summers and especially severe in winter. All in all, the best time to travel to Turkey is in spring (April - May) and autumn (September - October) except if you want to go for skiing in winter.

Local currency and Exchange rate

New Turkish Lira (TRY) is the official local currency and it is subdivided into 100 New Kurush (YKr) [1 TRY = 100 YKr].

1 TRY = 25.89 THB but it is also common to use Euro (1 EUR = 1.96 TRY) and US Dollar (1 USD = 1.24 TRY) as well, (The exchange rate in May 2008). Therefore, you can have your money exchanged to Euro or US Dollar with no need to change into New Turkish Lira. However, you should have Turkish Lira for a bit in case you need to buy some street food and stuffs in small shops.

How to Travel to Istanbul

The cheapest airline is Egyptair normally. It is not a direct flight. You need to transit in Cairo, Egypt.

Flight MS 1961

Depart 01-Dec-14 (Mon) 00:50 Bangkok (BKK)

Arrive 01-Dec-14 (Mon) 05:50 Cairo (CAI)

Flight Time 10hr 00min | Economy

Aircraft Boeing 777-300

Stops 0

Flight MS 737

Depart 01-Dec-14 (Mon) 10:05 Cairo (CAI)

Arrive 01-Dec-14 (Mon) 12:25 Istanbul (IST)

Flight Time 02hr 20min | Economy

Aircraft Boeing 737 All Series

Stops 0

The round-trip ticket through Skyscanner.com costs ฿27,259 THB all inclusive.

If we talk about the in-flight meal, I would say it is pretty good. Thais people will like this kind of food. They offer 2 choices of meat, chicken and fish for the main dish on the way from Bangkok to Cairo. Chicken served on board with Egyptair is always very tasty for me and I like to eat it with fried rice. In addition, the aircraft on the way to Cairo is not new and pretty old actually but huge. It is comfortable before we have to change into the small aircraft from Cairo to Istanbul. You need to keep it in mind that the passengers of this airline are mainly Arabs and they are big as well. Furthermore, the toilet is small and not clean. The service depends on how you perceive, I don't have high expectation so it is fine in general. However, if I ever have a chance to go back to Istanbul I will choose to fly a direct flight for 10 hours with Turkish Airlines on Airbus A330. Anyway, it is truly depending on your personal preference.

This is the example of Istanbulkart card for public transportation in Istanbul. You are able to use it with metro, tram, bus, and ferryboat. Top up credit is available with far expiration.

Transit network map of Istanbul http://urll.us/pgCsRE

If you are looking for a modern tram station, you need to find this kind of sign.

Photo from the internet

It seems to me that the modern tram is the most convenient way to travel in Istanbul. It covers pretty much the whole town but please be prepared during rush hour.

Photo from the internet

Even though bus is another mean of public transportation, you should avoid taking it if you can. Istanbul has a large number of population so buses are always full. In addition, the traffic is usually very busy. Therefore, this might waste your time of traveling.

Photo from the internet

There is also a metro in Istanbul. I don't have a chance to use it though because I travel by the modern tram to most of the main tourist attractions.

Photo from the internet

Old tram in Istanbul is very pretty but the routes are limited. Most of them travel for a short distance. Anyway, don't forget to hop in for once.

Istanbul sightseeing map http://urll.us/hSWDJC

Istanbul is famous for its outstanding Ottoman architecture, arts, culture, rich history, and ancient civilization. 99% of Turkish people are Muslims and the rest are Christian and Jewish. As I have said earlier Istanbul has a huge number of population, As a result, the town is pretty hectic and the traffic is busy during rush hour in the morning and evening. It is also so loud everywhere and all public transportation are full. On the other hand, the cost of living is not high. You can live with 100 THB for a meal. Drinking water is 20 THB roughly. Taxi fare starts at 38 THB. The accommodations is range from guesthouse, apartment, to hotel.

Food Variety

There is a variety of food selections you can find in Istanbul. It is including chicken, beef, lamb, seafood, and bread mainly but no pork due to a huge Muslim community.

This is what we have got from the restaurant located near Grand Bazaar. It is Roasted Chicken served with some bread, Tomato Fried Rice, and Turkish Salad. Grilled pepper smells so good and the chicken is very tasty. I would say this dish is fabulous so don't forget to give it a try if you are here!!

One main things that can be noticed easily if you want to eat real local food is that the variety of food will be displayed for you to choose in that restaurant. This is pretty similar to the famous Thai Rice and Curry. You can pick anything you want and the staff will place it on the tray. Then you can add water, drinks, soup, or salad. Once you are done, they will calculate the total price of your meal and that is when you have to pay. By the way, the bread is normally free in this kind of restaurant. The food is not expensive either.

One of the most important highlights when it comes to eating in Turkey is this dessert called "Turkish Delight" or "Lokum" in local language. Turkish Delight is in cube dusted with icing sugar. It is sticky and very sweet perfectly to eat with coffee or tea.

Baklava has been originated since the silk road time in Gaziantep. Gaziantep is the birthplace of Baklava because the main ingredient of Baklava is pistachio and pistachio is planted mostly in this region. Gaziantep is still the main production site until nowadays as well. Other ingredients include flour, sugar, and oil. Baklava is creamy and very sweet. This is one main reason why it is perfect to eat with bitter tea in Arab style. After you try enjoying it this way, its taste will be unforgettable.

There are many varieties of Baklava made in different shapes and different proportions of ingredients but the main ingredients remain to be pistachio, flour, and sugar. However, Buklava is not cheap. It costs 500 - 700 THB for 1 small box. I guess it is at this price because this sweet pastry is very special and unique.

Credit: Sea Sun Tour

Actually Turkey offers such a wide range selection of food. You can find restaurants, tea house, fruit stall, fruit juice stall, street food stall, and so on definitely everywhere. I don't even have enough time to try everything.

It is very easy to look for street food. The most popular one would be grilled corn and boiled corn. It can be a snack or pre-dinner as it is cheap.

Stuffed Mussel

The stall is very simple. They just put Stuffed Mussel in the tray on the table by the street. This can be seen all around. They also serve this menu in the restaurants. To eat, you need to squeeze some lime on them then you will feel the good combination of mussel and lime juice. The prices are different by the size of mussel but not expensive generally.

You can also get some roasted chestnuts. You can try it first normally so make sure you get the freshly cooked one because what I have are old. They are hard and tasteless.

An ancient recipe of beverage I would like to recommend is Boza.

Vefe Bozacisi

Boza is a malt drink made from fermented wheat. It is a summer drink and takes up to 3 days to prepare. Even though it has a thick consistency that you can feel full after drinking a glass, you can still drink it as a refreshment. Boza will be served with cinnamon powder on top. You can whether drink it or eat it with spoon. It tastes sour and sweet with mild scent. So make sure you have got a chance to when in Istanbul

Another famous menu in Turkey that can be found absolutely everywhere is this Simit. Simit is a circular bread, typically encrusted with sesame seeds. This kind of bread is like a snack for Turkish people. They always have some of them at home.

This is another simple food cart offering freshly grilled fish by the street. Grilled fish is served with a long piece of bread and some vegetable. This hot grilled fish is very delicious and it is not expensive at all. You can also see some grilled food carts like this around the town.

The fish is super fresh. I think they have the latest caught of the day. Locals do some fishing around Galata Bridge which is nearby and once they catch some fish, they sell them to these food carts directly. It means these fishes are always fresh.

Lastly, a must to try is Turkish tea. It is cheap and you can find it in every restaurant. Turkish tea is rich in flavor with nice scent and it has a very attractive beautiful color.

Don't forget to try it for any reasons!

Although I haven't tried all the local food and beverage in Turkey, I guess this is pretty much covered all the important ones. Therefore, I would like to end talking about it here.

It is finally time to travel to all main tourist attractions in Istanbul. These are all the spots I visit. It might not cover all because of the unexpected bad weather.

Hagia Sophia - Istanbul, Turkey

Credit: Google.com

Hagia Sophia or Aya Sofya Museum used to be an Orthodox church built in the reign of Constantine the Great. The church has turned into the mosque and a museum respectively.

Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) has been recognized as a UNESCO Heritage site since 1985 and this is how it looks like from the inside. Even though the admission price is expensive, I would say it is a must to visit when in Istanbul. However, I am sad that some parts of the museum are under restoration process so I can't take photos of everything especially the panoramic view that I want. Anyway, for those who love this kind of architecture would love it here, I confirm.

"Zoe Mosaic" (upper left), "Komnenos Mosaic" (upper right), "Deisis Composition" (lower left), and "Minbar" (lower right)

Deisis Composition (Doomsday) - In the mosaic, Virgin Mary and John the Baptist's prayers to Jesus Christ for the mercy of people during the doomsday are portrayed. There are several debates regarding the exact dating of Deisis Mosaic since the lower part of the mosaic was mainly destroyed but the valid date that is currently accepted is the 13th Century.

Zoe Mozaic is an ancient Byzantine mosaic. It is a portrait of Jesus Christ giving a bless to the Emperor Constantine XI who holds a purse of gold coins for the donations to the Great Church on the left and the Empress Zoe who holds a scroll of parchment on the right.

Komnenos Mosaic is a portrait of Prince Emperor II. Ioannes Komnenos and his wife Hugarian origin Eirene with Virgin Mary standing with Jesus Christ in her arm in the middle. This mosaic symbolizes the donations made by the emperor's family for the restorations of Hagia Sophia and devoted for the Prince.

Aleksios (in another corner of the mosaic board - next to Empress Eirene), he is the son of Prince Emperor II. Ioannes Komnenos and Empress Eirene who passed away when he was young because of his illness. This mosaic board dates back to 12th century.

Credit: http://www.oknation.net/blog/print.php?id=844101

The beauty you perceive when you look up to the ceiling.

This photo I edited through Photoshop Filp program because one side of the museum is under the restoration process. I am pretty sad and feel very pity that I won't be able to take the wide angle with no obstacle.

So this is what I see when I enter the museum. It is a pity, isn't it? If you take a closer look into this photo, you will see people on the lower right corner and then you will be able to imagine how big this Hagia Sophia is.

I would like to say goodbye to Hagia Sophia with this photo of Hagia Sophia at dawn. I also would like to recommend you to come during this time if you would like to get beautiful photos with such a beautiful lighting. The fountain won't be turned on yet either so you could get an amazing reflection of Hagia Sophia on the water surface.

The next destination is “Taksim square".

We are going to walk from Istiklal Street to Taksim Square. Istiklal Street is a famous avenue in Istanbul where people enjoying walking around especially in the late afternoon when the weather is nice. The street is full with beautiful buildings, shops, and restaurants on both sides. Although it is pretty far walking from Istiklal Street to Taksim Square, it is such an enjoyable walk. There are so many interesting stuffs along the way such as attractive old houses, old book stores, small nicely-decorated cafes, and so on.

Istiklal Street

The highlight of Istiklal Street is that there is a red old tram right in the middle of the street. In other words, you can take this tram to Taksim Square directly while enjoying the scenery along this busy street. I would say it is a good option if you don't want to walk and it is not expensive either.

I have arrived at Taksim Square. It is very beautiful.

A closer look with more details.

I have been walking around and it is getting dark now. Well, this street even get busier. This time is also when the street musicians start to play the live music which is totally nice.

This is the atmosphere in the evening.

Istiklal Street

Galata Tower

The next tourist spot at Galata Tower will enable you to view the whole city. The best time to come would be during the sunset. However, you need to plan well because a lot of people are lining up at this time of the day. I would suggest you to come roughly 1 hour before the sunset. I wait for more than 1 hour to be able to come up here but I can stay as long as I want. The space at the top of the tower is limited. I can't even use the tripod for taking photos. Anyway, let's see how beautiful it is!

This is how Galata Tower looks like from the outside.

This is the scenery when the sun starts to go down. I have been up here waiting for this kind of light since 4 PM. I realize the time once again when it has already passed 7 PM. It has been an enjoyable time because you can see the panoramic view of the town from this particular point.

You can spot Galata Bridge.

I get this photo of Topkapi Palace by using Telephoto lens 200 mm.

Topkapi Palace or Harem is in the historical area of Istanbul. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. If you are one of those people who like to spend time walking through a place and seeing things slowly, this is the place for you.

Click here for more information http://www.oknation.net/blog/mena/2013/01/19/entry-1

And the time that I have been waiting for has finally arrived, the twilight time. After the sunset, the town is lit up which is totally beautiful. I love it and this is so worth it for waiting and queuing for hours.

Aqueduct Bridge Roman in Turkey.

Aqueduct Bridge is comparable as the marvel of engineering. It is a Roman water-providing system which is one of the most remarkable engineering development in the ancient time. Before building an aqueduct, engineers assessed the quality of a potential water source by examining the clarity, rate of flow, and taste of the water. They also took note of the physical condition of the locals who drank it. Once a site was approved, surveyors calculated the right path and gradient for the conduit, as well as its channel size and length. Slaves evidently provided manpower. Aqueducts could take years to complete, making them costly—especially if arches were needed. Most of the water are used for the bath because there were numbers of bathhouses in the past and bathhouses need a large amount of water.

Credit: http://goo.gl/ZmhB4n

Hippodrome

Hippodrome was an arena used for horse racing and a social center. It was built in the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus and can accommodate up to 100,000 people. There are also 3 important monuments in Hippodrome as follows.

- Obelisk of Pharaoh Thutmose, Constantine the Great brought this obelisk from Karnak, Egypt during the time they relocate numbers of monuments from the Ancient Kingdom.

- Serpentine Column, the top was adorned with a golden bowl supported by three serpent heads. It was moved from the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

- Column of Constantine VII, it was built in 940 with no certain history.

Credit: http://www.tripdeedee.com/traveldata/turkey/turkey03.php

Dolmabahce Palace

At the end of the street from Taksim Square to Bosphorus is where interestingly beautiful Dolmabachce Palace located. It was ordered by the Empire's 31st Sultan, Abdülmecid I, and built in 19th century. The construction cost a lot of money which later caused the Ottoman Empire eventually slid into state bankruptcy. However, Sultan, Abdülmecid I passed away shortly after this palace was built successfully. His brother Sultan Abdülaziz then ascended the throne but he didn't like it here. He ordered to build a new palace on the other side of Bosphorus Strait which is today's Beylerbeyi Palace. He didn't think about the treasury funds crisis and Dolmabachce Palace was already fully decorated with fine arts and carpets. His main reason was that Dolmabachce Palace always remind him the waste of money building it up. It also reflected the bad value. That's why he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in this fancy palace.

Grand Bazaar

Grand Bazaar is a big market where all souvenirs, clothing, flags, beautiful lamps, desserts can be found. It is the same here that each shop offers different prices for certain stuffs. Therefore, you should go around and compare the price in case that you would like to buy something. In addition, don't forget to try to bargain here because it normally works. You can get up to 20-30% discount.

Spice Market

There are not only spices here in this spice market but also so many selections of desserts and dried fruits. The prices are different in each shop and it is so good that you can try them before buying. The vendors are way too friendly. They will start to talk to you and let you try everything. Well, we would say that the desserts are quite expensive here.

The Basilica Cistern

Yerebatan Sarnici/ Basilica Cistern, the largest cistern in Istanbul

This cistern is also known as 'Underwater Palace' because it is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. It is like a huge underground tunnel with the size as big as a basilica. Basilica Cistern is capable of holding 80,000 cubic meters of water. Inside the cistern is very dark and it has a high level of humidity.

Yerebatan Sarayi

One of the thing you shouldn't miss to see in this cistern is the two Medusa column bases. I have studied a bit about why this Medusa is here before I came. In Greek mythology "Medusa is a beautiful maiden and the youngest daughter in Gorgon family. She was raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple, the enraged Athena transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone". Greeks believe that if there are these Medusa column bases in here, this place will be well-protected. Tradition has it that the blocks are oriented sideways and inverted in order to negate the power of the Gorgons' gaze.

Maiden's Tower / Leander's Tower or known as Kız Kulesi among locals

We have moved to Üsküdar side overlooking Maiden's Tower. To get here, you need to take the ferry. We take it from Kabatas at Kabatas Motor Iskelesi on the route Kabatas - Üsküdar and get off at Üsküdar. The ticket is cheap at 2 TRY per person. It doesn't take long to arrive at Üsküdar before another roughly 1 kilometer of walking to get to this viewpoint. People live here quite a lot, that's why traveling by car is not easy and you better walk. Once you arrive, you will see this relaxing spot where you can view the tower while enjoying some food and drinks. What a relaxing place!

History of Maiden's Tower

Maiden's Tower was built during the reign of Alexios I Komnenos who was an important person driving the city into Crusades between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In those days, Islam had spread their kingdom and it started to expand toward Constantinople. As a result, Alexios I Komnenos had asked the Pope for help to suppress Seljuk Turks. During this time, it is assumed that this tower might be built as a custom naval station on a small rock in front of Chrysopolis (today's Üsküdar).

After defeated by The Ottoman Empire, Sultan used this tower as a clock tower before it was destroyed during the earthquake of 1509, and burned in 1721. Since then it was used as a lighthouse until in 1763 it was erected using stone. The tower has been restored several times because of the earthquake and nowadays it it a tourist attraction and restaurant.

Credit: http://papersanook.blogspot.com/2013/04/maidens-tower-leanders-tower-kz-kulesi.html

This viewpoint is pretty popular among the locals and tourists. It is especially during the sunset when people come to chill and enjoy the stunning sunset view. There is a shop where you can order some drinks such the tasty Turkish coffee as an example, and some snacks. They even have the umbrellas for you to escape from the heat if needed during the day. The seating is very comfortable and the weather is so nice. We really like it here.

Once the sun starts to go down, the beauty level of this spot increases. The sunlight on Maiden's Tower during this very moment is way too beautiful.

Maiden's Tower is lit up after the sunset. It is so pretty with such a perfect background.

On the way back from Maiden's Tower to the ferryboat pier, you will see Bosphorus Bridge. It is a perfect time to capture the bridge with colorful lighting. This is very beautiful.

Galata Bridge

Galata Bridge is a well-known bridge in Istanbul. The bridge area is full with restaurants, cafe, fresh seafood market, street food stalls, and so on. Most of them are at reasonable price and you can choose any of them. You can also take the ferryboat from here to a place nearby or even further away to another town. The area will become totally crowded in the evening including people and traffics. You can also able to feel the real busy city life during this time. hahaha

It is truly romantic during this magical golden hour, perfect for a couple to take a walk around seeing this and that.

This is also the time that locals start fishing. What they have caught will be sold to restaurants directly. This is why you can always find fish menu here super fresh.

Locals at all ages do fishing here.

The unique floating restaurants can be found by Galata Bridge as well. It is very popular among tourists because this is where they can get fresh seafood and amazing experience.

This is the wide angle of the square at one end of the bridge. It is where locals and tourists come to sit and chill and also a busy bus stop. So this place is crowded most of the times.

The beauty of Blue Mosque at night.

Let's continue to travel to Bosphorus Bridge and Ortaköy Mosque!

From this spot you can see Bosphorus Bridge and Ortaköy Mosque at the same time. I would say they are well located which make the scene very nice. There is a lot of cafes, restaurants, and souvenirs shops around here. No wonder why this spot attracts so many tourists. They come and take photos to capture their journey.

Last but not least, this would be the last program of my journey in Istanbul. I didn't have a chance to go to some of the main tourist attractions because of the bad weather. It rained for the whole day so I couldn't go anywhere. And this last program is to take the Bosphorus Cruise Tour. It seems to me that it is important to wrap up my trip with this program and I choose to do it on my very last day here. It is a chill day cruising in Bosphorus Strait. This strait belongs to Turkey separating Turkish Thrace in Europe from Anatolia in Asia and it is about 30-kilometer long.

Firstly, you need to find a pier that they sell cruise tour ticket. The pier that I am now is close to Galata Bridge. You can choose to take the cruise according to your preferred time but I would highly recommend the one in the late afternoon. The cruise tour during this time will offer you a stunning sunset view with nice chill weather.

Bosphorus Cruise Tour will take you to see many main tourist attractions along the shore. It is very enjoyable. Drinking water, tea, and some snack are also available complementary on board.

Let's go and sail into Bosphorus Strait! I would say it is very worth a ride and will be one of the most memorable experiences here in Istanbul as well.

Thank you for your kind support. I am trying to assemble all the photos and contents.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Look how enormous it is!

Let's take a closer look for a clearer sight!

Sultan Ahmed Mosque is also known as Blue Mosque. Blue Mosque is as beautiful as Hagia Sophia in term of the architecture and colors.

Normally Muslims are commanded to perform prayers five times a day including at dawn (5 AM-6 AM), at noon (12.30 PM-1.30 PM), in the afternoon (3 PM-5 PM), in the evening (6.30 PM-7.30 PM), and at night (after 8 PM). Therefore, this Blue Mosque is opened in 3 different period of times, 9 AM-11 AM, 12.30 PM-2.15 PM, and 3.15 PM-4.30 PM.

Therefore, please make sure you come at the right time. Blue Mosque welcomes tons of people every day and before you can enter, you need to take off your shoes, put them into the transparent bag, and buy the ticket.

Once you enter, you will see an extremely enormous beautiful hall. The design is the culmination of two centuries of Ottoman mosque development. It incorporates some Byzantine Christian elements of the neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture. Blue Mosque is the biggest mosque in Turkey. It can accommodate up to 100,000 people. Blue Mosque is also located in the historic area of Istanbul that has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985.

[Spoil] Click for the hidden text Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Blue Mosque is named after Sultan Ahmed who built it up. It is considered as the mosque of history of Istanbul. Sultan Ahmed conquer his dream building this big mosque up when he was only 19 years old. It took 7 years (1609 - 1616) to have it completed. Sadly, he passed away right after at the age of 27. It was not even a year after the completion.

Well, you might wonder why it is called Blue Mosque. Here is the reason. When you are visiting the mosque but there is no sunlight, you will only see the red and brown tiles. This happens because the tiles at lower levels are traditional in design, while at gallery level their design becomes flamboyant with representations of fruit and flowers. These more than 20,000 ceramic tiles were made under the supervision of the craftsman from Cappadocia. The price to be paid for each tile was fixed by the sultan's decree, while tile prices in general increased over time. As a result, the quality of the tiles used in the building decreased gradually for example red tiles become brown, green tiles become blue. Some of the tiles are recycle from the Harem in Topkapi Palace once they were damaged from the fire in 1574.

Credit: http://www.oknation.net/blog/mena/2013/01/04/entry-1

The dome is at 43 meter-high with beautiful pattern design.

The photo taken from the fountain outside Hagia Sophia.

The tourists here are from everywhere such as Asians, Europeans, Americans, and Arabs and there is a lot of them. At noon and in the evening, the town will be pretty crowded. It means traveling during this time can be difficult. Talking about the locals, people might think that locals here are scary but I would say that they are nice and friendly. More importantly, they don't cheat on tourists. In addition, you might have heard that there might be a civil war here. I can confirm that this kind of thing can rarely happen here. So, it is totally nice and safe to travel here.

This is the view of Blue Mosque from Hagia Sophia. Well, let's move to the next tourist spot, Santa Maria Draperis Church which is located on Istiklal Street.

Santa Maria Draperis Church is a Christian Church which is stunning. Istanbul consists of Jewish, Christians, and Muslims living well together. Therefore, you can see synagogue, churches, and mosques all around.

If you like to see architecture from the ancient time, you should definitely come to Turkey and you will fall in love with it.

This travel review of a journey in Istanbul, Turkey has come to an end. How was it?

If there is any mistakes, I would like to apologize. It is truly my first time writing this.

In summary, for me Istanbul is truly romantic so it is perfect for honeymooners and couples. Even you are alone or in a group with friends, you will find it enjoyable too. The city is rich in history. You can find beautiful houses and building in European styles all around. The well-preserved architecture that has been here for thousand and thousand years is amazing for you to see. Moreover, the public transportation is very convenient. The weather is good with nice refreshing wind all the time since Istanbul is located in the strait. The local food is also uniquely delicious. Istanbul is worth a visit for once in a lifetime and you won't be disappointed. Thank you very much :: Mai and Nut

This is where you can go and have a look through my twin brother and I traveling in different places. We are twins who love traveling so much.

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