Istanbul I






Things you must do in Turkey (Serious Guide):
Eat all the pastrami hummus offered to you because it is godly and calories do not exist here.
Take pictures of cats because they are gods. Photograph them. Admire them. Apologise if you disturb their afternoon nap. You are merely a guest in their country.
Wander around the Grand & Spice Bazaars and haggle the hell out of those perfumes. You must perfect the ancient art of tutting, looking mildly offended at the proposed price, & walking away as though you have somewhere much more important to be. The vendor will have time to reconsider his entire business model before calling you back with the price you wanted in the first place. This is a matter of principle not price!
Conduct an experiment with the pomegranate juice vendors. Find a vendor in Sultanahamet & note the price. Walk three vendors down & repeat the experiment. Watch the prices go from 300 to 200 to 150 Lira. This is a study in Turkish street economics.
Arrive at the Blue Mosque in the middle of the day, see the queues stretching into what feels like another century, & decide that your time on Earth is, in fact, precious. Abort mission. Head to the Sรผleymaniye Mosque instead, where you can admire equally breath-taking Ottoman architecture without feeling like you’re queuing for concert tickets to see Beyoncรฉ. You might even encounter a friendly volunteer offering you a free Quran. Accept it if you’re interested, have a lovely conversation, & enjoy the unexpected cultural exchange.
Choose the ลerefiye Cistern over the Basilica Cistern. Trust me on this one.
Eat baklava & every type of dessert you can find. Every. Single. Night. You are here to experience the culinary heritage of at least 2 civilizations. Don’t disrespect that.
Try every street food in Kadฤฑkรถy. Simit? Yes. Chestnuts? Absolutely. Borek? Yes, Darling.
Visit a hammam & come out as a moisturized & exfoliated Sultan.
Leave Istanbul already planning your next visit.
You’re welcome & you cannot argue with me.
๐Until then,
Ada



























