I had vacation from school from 24th-31th March. me and my friend long time ago we decided to go for travel together so we planned it for this spring. Easiest and closest destination for me was Turkey, which is not my dreamed country, also I have been there already twice , but ok.. It’s huge country and I have not seen everything of course
My friend made plan, so that i didn’t really had no time no desire to search and read about everything. So just I trust and agreed on made plan.
Plan of trip:
Istanbul 3-4 days
main islands of Prince islands
Canakkale – 3 days
Troy, Gallipoli
Fly to SAW (Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (named after Sabiha Gökçen, the first female combat pilot in the world. Located 35 km (22 mi) southeast of central İstanbul, it is on the Asian side of the bi-continental city. It was built because Atatürk International Airport (on the European side) was not large enough to meet the booming passenger demands (both domestic and international).
Took from there Havataş bus shuttle for 12 turkish lira and was in Istanbul Taksim square in about 1.5 h.
By my stupidity I didn’t turn on rouming of my phone (I was trying at arriving but I should do it before leaving Georgia:( so I was without phone, my friend was already in Istanbul and promised to meet me on Taksim square which is most crowded place in Istanbul, so without phone it was of course impossible
as I said before I had no time, or was lazy and didn’t prepared well for trip I mean no information, including address of hotel :))) so I knew the name and that it is somewhere in Sultanahmed area 🙂 funny right?
so here am I in the middle of crowded square, alone with pink bag, in the middle of huge Istanbul. I saw small cute old tram, the sign of metro, no map. I asked if this tram goes to sultanahmed, this someone speaks no english, me-no turkish, so as i got he said not this one but next one, other direction, ok i wait
I got ticket for 3 lira, “Sultanahmed”?- “tamam”, ok, than some other driver came I asked again “sultanahmed” ? he said something i got the answer was no but he will help me to get there so i stay. Last stop, everyone went out, he said u- no, keep sitting, we went little more than he accompanied me to “funicular”, let me pass (without buying jeton) and said “sultanahmed”, “oh, ok tesekkur ederim”.
Funicular is underground transport like metro which goes from Istiklal street; [ Tünel -This line is the oldest underground metro line in continental Europe, and the second in the world after London (arguably third in the world, if one counts Brooklyn, New York’s abandoned Atlantic Avenue Tunnel-as WIKI sais]
So I went out at Karaköy ; Here I looked arround I know I have to go to direction of blue mosque and hagia sofia, I see big bridge one side, across of it are some big mosques, but on the opposite side I can’t see anything so I decide I have to cross the bridge and will get closer to Sultanahmed area.
The bridge was Galata bridge and i was right!
well than there was somehow long walk, info-center(with rude host-man), map, on the way I got lot of invitation on coffee and tea :), finally I found sign _ “Paris Hostel” 🙂 I was waiting for something more French, but there was absolutely nothing French, not even small, tiny photo of La tour Eiffel 🙂 but it’s ok, I am in Turkey.
Was sleeping all afternoon.
well as it my third time in Istanbul, I have already seen almost everything, so I just walked in neighborhood (Sultanahmed) area.
Next day Princes islands
here I will stop little more on these islands.
Prens Adaları or more commonly Kızıl Adalar [Red Islands] are a chain of nine islands off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, in the Sea of Marmara.They consist of four larger islands, Büyükada (meaning “Big Island”; Greek: meaning “prince”) with an area of 5.46 km2 , Heybeliada (meaning “Saddlebag Island”; with an area of 2.4 km2 , Burgazada (Greek: Αντιγόνη Antigoni, the name of a mythological figure) with an area of 1.5 km2 , Kınalıada (meaning “Henna Island”; Greek: Πρώτη Proti, meaning “First”, being the closest island to Istanbul) with an area of 1.3 km2 ,and five much smaller ones, Sedef Adası (meaning “Mother-of-Pearl Island”), Yassıada (meaning “Flat Island”), Sivriada (meaning “Sharp Island”), Kaşık Island (Turkish: Kaşık Adası, “Spoon Island”, named for its shape), and Tavşan Adası (meaning “Rabbit Island”;
the only transport being horse and cart, they are incredibly peaceful compared with the city of Istanbul.There goes ferry from Istanbul (only for 4-5 lira).
During the Byzantine period, princes and other royalty were exiled on the islands, and later members of the Ottoman sultans family were exiled there too, giving the islands their present name. During the nineteenth century, the islands became a popular resort for Istanbul’s wealthy, and Victorian-era cottages and houses are still preserved on the largest of the Princes’ Islands.
The islands have become more and more ethnically Turkish in character due to the influx of wealthy Turkish jetsetters.
Büyükada (meaning “Big Island”; Greek: Πρίγκηπος, Prínkēpos) is the largest of the nine islands comprising the Princes’ Islands in the Marmara Sea, close to Istanbul.
As on the other islands, motorized vehicles – except service vehicles – are forbidden, so visitors explore the island by foot; by riding a bicycle (numerous bicycle shops rent them with hourly prices); or in horse-drawn phaeton carriages which function like taxi cabs, also offering “round-the-island” sightseeing tours.
A convent on Büyükada was the place of exile for the Byzantine empresses Irene, Euphrosyne, Theophano, Zoe and Anna Dalassena. After his deportation from the Soviet Union in February 1929, Leon Trotsky also stayed for four years on Büyükada, his first station in exile. Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid was born in the island.
Heybeliada (meaning “Saddlebag Island”; Greek: Χάλκη Chalki) is the second largest of the Princes’ Islands in the Sea of Marmara. It is a neighbourhood in the Adalar district of Istanbul. The large Naval Cadet School overlooks the jetty to the left as you get off the ferry. There are two interesting pieces of architecture on the grounds of the school. One is Kamariotissa, the only remaining Byzantine church on the island, and more importantly the last church to be built before the conquest of Constantinople. The other is the grave of the second English Ambassador to be sent to Constantinople by Elizabeth I of England, Edward Barton, who chose to live on Heybeli to escape the bustle of the city.
To the right of the jetty lies the town with its bars and cafes, a hotel that stays open all year round, and many lovely wooden houses.
At the top of the central mountain is an eleventh-century Greek Orthodox monastery, it housed the Halki seminary, the main Greek Orthodox seminary in Turkey and Theological Seminary of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The monastery attracts tourists from all over Greece and Turkey.
To prevent the island from becoming polluted, the only motorized vehicles permitted on the island are service vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, and the like. The only forms of transport are by foot, horse and buggy and service transport. There is no airport; the only way of getting there is by boat.
lot of cats on islands
in the street they have house for cats ! 🙂
island’s special tea
island’s cafe
next day Istanbul-Taksim square, Istiklal avenue ( Grande Rue de Péra):
street performences:
next day I went to Sapphire tower, located in Istanbul business district- Levent, highest skyscraper in Istanbul and Turkey, 54 floors= 238 meters but overall height is 261 m. somehow. There are luxury residency, offices, shopping center
went there by metro
view from the top for 15 Tr.
will continue later about Canakkale and Troy 🙂
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