Istanbul, day 3, Istiklal Street

Wednesday, July 9



If you missed it {Istanbul Day 1} and {Istanbul Day 2

On our third day in Istanbul, we had about a half a day to explore as we were slated to catch a plane to Cappadocia later in the afternoon. So, we set out to conquer the walking tour of Istiklal Street, or Istiklal Caddesi as they say in Turkish:) 

The major sites in Istanbul are divided between the "old city", called Sultanahmet {where the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace are} and the "new city" of Beyoglu {where you will find Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, and the Galata Tower}. 

Our walk started at the top of Taksim Square, where a tribute to the national hero Ataturk Kemal was situated. The bright red trolly rattled it's wheels, and we followed it down the hill past old buildings, churches, and rows of Turkish delight shops. Rick Steve's walking tour included a little stop off at the "best turkish delight shop" in all of Istanbul. So of course we bought a few pieces, and sampled them as we meandered down the street. Most of you probably have only heard of turkish delight from Edmund's obsession in Narnia books. I must say i'm not a huge fan, as it was really sweet and sugary, but I think maybe it's an acquired taste? 

What I loved about this walk was how genuinely local it felt.  We were surrounded by local Itanbulites, just making the rounds and doing their grocery shopping. I fell in love with their colorful scarves and dresses:) 

At the bottom of the walk is the Galata Tower. Surrounding the tower is a pretty courtyard, and some lovely places to eat and drink. One of my favorite parts of turkey was their fresh juice stands! You could pick any combination of fruits, and they juiced and pressed it right there in front of your eyes {my kind of snack!!}. My favorite was apple, carrot, and pomegranate!

If you are going to Turkey, don't you dare miss Istiklal street. It was such a highlight:) Enjoy the pictures!














































19 comments :

  1. Wow, now I can't wait to visit myself!

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  2. Wish I was able to see this part of Istanbul! But I was so excited when I saw your Day 3 post! I love living through your pictures :)

    xo, gina

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  3. ...Through your lenses, Istanbul looks so MAGICAL--I always enjoy looking through your photos, :-)...

    Betty J. Ogburn

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  4. I love living vicariously through your world travels. These photos make me want to pack my bags! :)

    Kenzie
    theashcraftbunch.blogspot.com

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  5. What an adventure! You sure took some awesome photos!

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  6. I love viewing your photos -- almost makes me think I'm experiencing your journey for myself! How on Earth are your photos always so vibrant and full of eye popping color? Please, pleaseee, teach me your ways!

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  7. These pictures are incredible!!! I am dying to go to Turkey. When I was studying abroad in New Zealand, lots of their chocolate had turkish delight inside of it, and I can't say I really liked it either. But I think you're right about it being an acquired taste because plenty of people over there loved it!

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  8. beautiful (as always!) :) thank you for sharing with us! I am curious to know also (as I saw a comment above) if your photos are the vibrant color from your camera solely or if you use some sort of editing? Either way lady you have a gift and an eye for capturing beauty! :)
    Happy Wednesday!
    :) Rebecca

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  9. Absolutely beautiful pictures (as always)! I love how you capture light and color. Have you considered doing a blog series on photography - what kind of camera you use, how you pick subjects, any photo editing that you do? I would love to read about it!

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  10. Katie, what a beautiful mix of scenic, macro and fun shots! Istanbul looks absolutely lovely and you did a superb job capturing it!

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  11. These photos are so beautiful! I love all the bright colours of the food and drinks!

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  12. I wish I could hop in your suitcase for all of your worldwide adventures. I love that picture of the pretzel stand. So cool. You have such a great perspective in all these shots!

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  13. What eye-popping colors and intricate details! And I'm not a fan of Turkish Delight, either :)

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  14. What eye-popping colors and intricate details! And I'm not a fan of Turkish Delight, either :)

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  15. Beautiful photos. It feels like we're there with you :)

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  16. Love your photos, as always! I would love to get to go to Turkey someday! :) Also, where is your necklace from? I love it! :)

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  17. Stunning photos, sweet Katie! Ah, my heart is so happy seeing these. I love your travel style! Have you blogged that before?

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  18. What a lovely photos and what a lovely city! Want to go there sometime soon

    http://www.thetouristoflife.com

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