Istanbul adventures!

This past May, I traveled to Istanbul to meet my cousin who was there for work. Not only was it a much-needed vacation, but I absolutely loved Istanbul and would go back any time... from the Hagia Sophia and numerous other mosques and tombs of sultans with their beautiful art and mysterious auras, to the surrounding culture - my favorite things included the ice cream (it's an event that everyone should experience), coffee and bookstores - it was a relatively short trip that I got a lot out of (something I've gotten good at from multiple trips like this I've taken).

I explored on my own and walked into many mosques and tombs; did a cruise tour in the afternoon with stops; and toured the Hagia Sophia, Archaeology museum and more. My cousin and I stayed in an upscale hotel, ate at a fancy restaurant (because Istanbul is cheap!), drank all the local coffee (disclaimer: that's an exaggeration), made friends at the spice market while trying all the Turkish delight and ice cream and discovered a fantastic jazz club. I would definitely go back to Istanbul again, but until then I have a good collection of books to read from the bookstore!

Below are photos, some say what they are, and others are from various mosques and other adventures. Enjoy!

Galata Tower 

The Hittite Kadesh Treaty at the archaeology museum 

Shalmaneser III

 

 

 

 

     

Click through these photos to see and read about the Sultan's tombs:

Hagia Sophia

Rumelihisarı

Taksi!

Starbucks (since I couldn't get Starbucks in Israel, and I love how they spelled my name!) 

Flip through these photos of Topkapi Palace:

The Spice Market