Turkey: First Impressions of Istanbul

Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople…

A true melting pot, Istanbul is a place unlike any other in the world. As such, there’s a few things you should know before visiting this beauitful city!

Dress For The Occasion

For both genders, it is important to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring layers, as the city can be rather breezy. Also if you’re wearing a purse or bag, be smart about the type of bag it is/where it is on your body, as (like with many major cities) there will be pickpockets around.

For women – although Istanbul isn’t as strict with dress as other cities with a high Muslim population, it’s still a good idea to not wear clothes that show too much skin. This is both to be respectful, especially if you’re planning on going to any religious sites, and also to be safe, as many men will be all too happy to stare, follow, and make comments. To be more specific, wearing shirts with lots of cleavage or show off midriff, as well as wearing tiny shorts, would be something to avoid.

A Note – I wore clothes that covered my skin nearly completely and STILL got unwanted comments from men because apparently my pants were so tight, “they just couldn’t help it” even with my mom right next to me. So, you may get these comments no matter what (yay, womanhood).

When entering religious sites, women MUST wear a headscarf. If you don’t have one, sometimes one will be provided for you or you can buy one. Both women and men aren’t permitted to wear shorts or sleeveless shirts either (although bringing a jacket can fix the latter). Additionally, your shoes must be taken off before entering holy sites, so wear shoes that are easily removable.

A Note – I would wear socks with whatever shoes you have planned for the day. Walking in bare feet over ground that thousands of other bare feet have touched would have NOT been ideal for me.

To break it down even more:

1. Dress semi-modestly (don’t dress like you’re in Vegas or going to the beach, even if it’s hot out).
2. People dress casually, but it’s more casual-European than casual-American. They don’t look like they’re just about to go to the gym, or a theme park.
3. Be smart about your shoes, you WILL be walking a lot and taking off your shoes at least once.
4. Women – bring a light scarf to cover your head if you’re going to religious sites.
5. Bring bags that can’t be pickpocketed easily.

Animal Lovers Rejoice!

Normally, when someone comments on the large amount of stray animals in a city they’ve visited, the assumption is that this comment is meant to be sad, or gather pity for the animals.

This is NOT the case for Istanbul.

Sure, like any place in the world there are going to be outliers, but Istanbul is actually shockingly wonderful to its stray populations and there are many laws to protect them (you can get thrown in jail for abusing or stealing animals, or even kicked out of the country).

A Note – This was the case when I visited in 2023. Since then, there have been laws passed that specifically target stray dogs and put them at more risk than before. The law says that they will be rounded up so they can be vaccinated and neutered/spayed before being put up for adoption. A side effect of this law is that the dogs who cannot be adopted for health reasons or aggression reasons may be euthanized – as a result, this law is nicknamed the “massacre law.” Currently, only dogs are being targeted, and the public is incensed, so hopefully this law will be altered to have less drastic results.

Some of you may have seen the documentary Kedi, following the famous stray cats in Istanbul, but I can assure you that seeing them in person is even better.

It was explained to me that in the Islamic faith, cats are considered to be pure, clean, and blessed. This is why they are allowed anywhere (and I MEAN anywhere) and the people are happy to have them. They are cared for, fed, given vaccinations, and loved by all who pass by them. They are also spayed/neutered, but those that slip through the gaps are given extra care when pregnant and their babies are doted on.

This love is also given to dogs in Istanbul, with many of the street dogs also vaccinated, fixed, fat, and happy for cuddles (at one restaurant, we saw a dog move around the eating arena wherever the sun was, then at 1pm, it walked down into the kitchen and came out with meat in his mouth. The owner said that although they didn’t own the dog, the restaurant ‘belonged’ to the dog just as much as anyone else), but a stark difference between cats and dogs is that dogs are not allowed in mosques, but cats are.

Again, this goes back to how cats are considered to be blessed and ‘clean.’ So, when walking through the Hagia Sophia, you’ll see cats also walking around and sometimes choosing to sit on tourist’s laps. When asked what happens when they need to go to the bathroom, the tour guide replied that they just go outside and there are no problems in regards to that.

No, Thank You (AKA The Art of Saying No)

This section could also be called – DON’T FALL FOR IT!

The positive side of it is called haggling, the negative side is called harassment. Both are anxiety inducing for me, but some people do genuinely enjoy haggling.

In that case, the Bazaars are where you need to go! Go and talk down the price of a colorful lamp or some spices, but don’t expect to actually get a good price on them either way.

It’s not just in the Bazaars though, people (mainly men) will wait outside of shops and try to talk to you and entice you to go inside their shop/the shop they’re promoting. Sometimes their waiting radius extends far outside their shops, and they’ll go to typical tourist areas to try and chat you up before they slip in a promotion for their shop.

Does it get to a point where you feel like you can’t trust any stranger that walks up to you? Yes. Shouldn’t that be the case anyways whenever you travel? Well, for safety’s sake, yeah.

So, what’s the moral to this story?

These men aren’t just chatting you up to be nice, they want you to go buy their goods. It’s ok to say no. If you DO like what they’re selling, haggle the price way WAY down and if you’re still unsure on whether it’s a good price or not, go around and see what other shops are selling them for.

Architecture Flex

As mentioned before, Istanbul has long been a melting pot of different cultures. This mix is shown throughout the city through architecture and design.

There are too many sites and influences to name in just this section, so I’ll stick to the basics:

Byzantine/Genoese

• The Walls of Constantinople
• The Prison of Anemas
• The Palace of Porphryogenitus
• Blachernae Palace
• The Hagias (Sophia and Irene)
• Galata Tower

Ottoman

• The Mosques (Blue, Fatih, Eyup Sultan, Yeni, Suleymaniye)
• The Dolmabahce Palace
• Topkapi Palace

Ancient Greek/Roman

• The Column of Constantine
• The Serpent Column

Time To Eat… EVERYTHING

Turkey has always been a country where East meets West, and this is especially reflected in their food, with Ottoman, Anatolian, Greco-Roman, Central Asian, and more influences utilized.

There’s a plethora of food to choose from in Istanbul, but you’ll notice that the unifying dish is bread. Then, oils and dairy. Finally, nuts and spices. Although meat is common to consume in Turkey, vegetarian dishes are also widely loved. However, vegan dishes are not so common, as dairy is hugely prevalent in Turkey – mainly yogurt.

First, start out with breakfast (the best).

A Turkish breakfast can be truly show-stopping, as its hard to find another culture so dedicated to a filling morning meal. It can be comprised of breads (simit especially) with spreads like jam, honey, and a hazelnut mix that would make Nutella jealous, as well as olives, eggs, vegetables (either by themselves or mixed in a dish), pastries, soups, sausages (sucuk – my absolute favorite), tea, and more!

Lunches and dinners aren’t too different from each other, but lunch is typically a lighter meal focused more on vegetables. Bean dishes, salads, and cheeses are common, although, a rise in fast food options have made doner kabobs perhaps the most popular option.

Dinner, like breakfast, will have many different dishes. One will likely be a vegetable dish, then a meat dish, then perhaps a soup and/or fruit or a dairy dish, and bread, of course.

Take A Bath (No, Really)

It may sound odd for people to recommend that you visit a bathhouse on your trip to Istanbul, but they’re being serious – do it.

Hammams were based on Roman bathing halls, but were altered in Arabic culture for the purpose of cleansing oneself before prayer. They were also a necessity in many cases, as many homes lacked cleaning facilities of that level. As such, it became a place to be cleansed and relaxed, but also was a bit of a social activity.

Nowadays, hammams are still very similar, but have also adapted some additional spa techniques from around the world. Additionally, some are more private, whereas others contain the same traditionally open setup.

The Basic Hammam Structure:

1. Undressing
2. The Warm Room (sweating and exfoliating)
3. The Hot Room (laying on a warm marble slab and receiving a foam massage)
4. Relaxing
5. The Cold Room (allowing you body temperature to normalize with refreshments)
6. Extras (this is where more massages might come into play, or some places may offer facials)

Too Much To Do, Too Much To See

You will never have enough time in Istanbul. This ancient city is vast and has many commonly loved treasures to see and experience, but there are also hidden gems, new spots, and reconstructed spots!

You WILL feel overwhelmed by the city (which is fair, considering it’s one of the biggest cities in the world – the 15th largest, I believe), and you WILL need help navigating it. Istanbul isn’t really a city you can go to without a plan, the traffic alone won’t let you.

But, don’t worry, the planning doesn’t have to be stressful! I HIGHLY recommend doing at least one tour during your time there, preferably more than one. This takes so much of the pressure off of you not only for transportation (or, at least some of it), but also for direction, handling money, information about what you’re seeing, etc. These tours range in price, but there’s certainly something for everyone and it’s worth it.

A Note – My favorite tour was the ‘Istanbul Taste of Two Continents Food Tour: Spice Market & Ferry’ found on Viator. We were able to see multiple different parts of the city and the guide not only had us constantly eating amazing food and sharing information about the history of Istanbul’s food, he told us about the history of the space around us and was very knowledgeable about the city overall.

I do also recommend getting a guide for visiting Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and The Topkapi Palace. They’re right next to each other so it seems easy to do on your own, but there are many rules that apply to those places and the time schedules can be a little confusing. Plus, there’s so much to learn about them all so having a guide is extremely helpful in telling you which parts to pay the most attention to, and how to avoid overly crowded areas.

A Note – If you’re staying at a hotel, the concierge will absolutely be able to help you with bookings if you need extra help. Sure, sometimes their recommendations might be a bit biased, but if you ask for multiple options and talk through them, you’ll be able to find exactly what your looking for.

The Little Things

• Currency in Istanbul is the Turkish lira, but some places will take euros.
• US citizens MUST have a visa to enter the country (you can get this at the airport but it’s better to do it beforehand).
• You should tip in Turkey, but it’s a lower amount than you would tip in the US. Also the tips are only expected by certain professions, like those who work in hotels or nice restaurants.
• You don’t have to take a taxi if you don’t want to, there are ferries and there is Uber.
• The traffic is insane in Istanbul. Add a minimum of 30 minutes travel time on top of the normal travel time you’re expecting.
• You can drink the tap water but it’s probably best to stick to a bottle.
• The Istanbul Airport is the ‘best’ airport and it’s insanely gigantic.
• You have to pay to pee in Istanbul, but it’s usually 1 lira or so.

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Any questions? Comment below or contact me!