Istanbul, once known as Byzantium and then Constantinople stretches across two continents, population 14 million. The tourist area is centered around Taksim Square and Istiklal street for entertainment and the historic sites are located across the Galata bridge in Sultanahmet. Public transport consists of trams, a metro and buses and they are not well connected, taxis are probably the easiest way to get around.
I needed a visa which I got online for USD$66, it gives me a total of 90 days in a period of 6 months multiple entry.
I arrived in a drizzle which turned to snow and it kept snowing for the next 3 days, freezing temperatures, luckily the snow and rain stopped for the last two days of my stay. Do not come here in winter hahaha.
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- Heading out of Tunis
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- Tunis Airport
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- Ice on the wing
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- Istanbul Airport
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- Taxi into Beyoglu
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- Bridge
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- Dinner
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- Istiklal street
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- Baklava
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- Food
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- Food
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- Raki
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- Efes
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- Music
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- Food
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- Construction
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- Turkish coffee
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- Pudding Shop
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- Blue Mosque
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- Blue Mosque
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- Blue Mosque pet
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- Blue Mosque
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- Blue Mosque
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- Blue Mosque
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- Blue Mosque
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- Blue Mosque
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- Blue Mosque
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- Man with red hat
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia
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- Hagia Sofia pet
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- Efes dark
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- Bomonti
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- Street art
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- Street art
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- Baklava pyramid
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- Tram stop
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- Basilica Cistern
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- Basilica Cistern
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- Basilica Cistern
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- Basilica Cistern Column of tears
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- Basilica Cistern Medusa
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- Basilica Cistern Medusa
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- Obelisk
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- Obelisk
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- Obelisk
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- Queue for Topkapi Palace
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- Topkapi Palace
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- Topkapi Palace
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- Topkapi Palace
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- View from Topkapi Palace
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- Man freezing without red hat
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- Topkapi Palace
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- Topkapi Palace
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- Topkapi Palace
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- Tourist trap
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- Inside
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- Lamps
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- Tea cups
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- That way
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- Balls
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- one of 3000 mosques
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- Galata bridge fish kebab boats
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- Fish Kebab
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- Fish Kebab
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- One way street
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- Polis
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- Fish kebab boat
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- Sweet
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- Nuts
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- Cruise
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- Cruise
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- Cruise
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- Cruise
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- Taksim square
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- Food
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- Baklava
Chris's space 
Nice photos! Maybe your next visit will be in spring or autumn. The public transport is actually pretty good once you suss out how it works.
Reblogged this on Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac and commented:
If there’s ONE place I’d like to be right now — if I could hop on a plane and choose one destination, it would be Turkey! And Istanbul, in particular. Thank you, dear friend, for your lovely travelogue. You are the best kind of tourist — not only do you do all the traditional sights about town, but you go into the smaller places, the markets, the bazaars, the local restaurants. Enjoy your travels, and keep the posts coming. I HAVE to go there some day. 🙂
Since I’ve stayed in Istanbul over the summer, I’ve always wondered what the winters would look like. I guess it’s not the most ideal time. I couldn’t stop a chuckle when I saw the caption: “Man freezing without red hat!”