Heart of the Byzantine Empire

Yes, the title of this blog post sounds like a history textook heading.  Apparently, soon after my trip to Turkey we started learning about the Byzantine Empire at school and I hope that explains why I tend to use Constantinople instead of Istanbul and Byzantine Empire instead of Turkey.  During winter break last December, my family and I visited a few parts of Turkey which includes modern day Constantinople itself. Besides Istanbul, we also visited Cappadocia and Bursa, among the wonders and must visit places in Turkey. There are uncountable reasons to love Turkey, trust me!  

  

    On December 19th we boarded the plane and after 5 hours in the body of the plane,we finally landed in Antarturk Airport. We stayed in a Turkish-style apartment hotel which was a few minutes walk away from Istiklal Street.  The hotel owner who looked after the hotel himself was very warm and welcoming. The hotel was really pretty, from the interior designs, to the view. They also had really fast wifi.

      On the first full day in Istanbul we explored the Sultanahmet area where the famous Hagia Sophia is located. The architecture of the Hagia Sophia is just amazing. I mean, it was built in the 6th century, around 1500 years ago! And if you actually think about it, it has been a worship place for 3 different religions; the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Islam. Today, it is a museum. Oh did I metion that THERE WERE CATS EVERYWHERE?!!! The cats weren't just average-sized cats but they were all so chubby and cute that it was at the point that I couldn't resist to go up to every single one I see and hug them. Like literally, be sure to bring some cat food when you visit Istanbul.


    To get from one place to another wasn't hard as most of the attractions were located near to each other. The transportation was efficient and you can pretty much get trams, trains and taxis everywhere. 

        On the 5th day in Turkey, we left Istanbul for Cappadocia. It was a 12 hour bus ride (a pain in the ass, i know) but after seeing the place it was totally worth it. Right before the day we arrived in Cappadocia it was snowing and we were indeed lucky to be there when it was covered with snow. As you all know, Cappadocia is very famous for their carpet and pottery industry. During that one day trip, we got a chance to visit the famous pottery maker, Chez Galip who you'd probably mistaken him as Albert Einstein. (( http://www.chezgalip.com ))

        The next morning was time to say goodbye to Cappadocia. The flight to Istanbul was around 50 minutes. The next few days were spent in Istanbul until the 27th when we bid goodbye to Turkey and head back to Dubai.

        

      All in all, the trip was amazing and astonishing. I returned home with  souvenirs to remind me of Turkey, thousands of pictures and of course, unforgettable memories. I am indeed looking forward to a revisit. I just love their unique and interesting cultures and I would highly recommend Turkey as your next holiday destination.

                                                                     Alanis xx