{"id":459,"date":"2025-10-03T15:24:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T12:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aleksblog.com\/en\/?p=459"},"modified":"2025-10-03T18:39:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T15:39:19","slug":"to-do-istanbul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aleksblog.com\/en\/to-do-istanbul\/","title":{"rendered":"50 Best Things to Do in Istanbul"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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50 Best Things to Do in Istanbul<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\"Aleks<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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For a long time, I had all kinds of prejudices about Turkey, imagining it as some kind of tacky seaside resort, full of tourists on every corner, checkered market bags, and all sorts of clich\u00e9s..<\/p>\n

Everything changed when I saw a photo of Cappadocia<\/a>. A week later, I was sitting on a hotel terrace, watching the sunrise with those huge, colorful balloons floating over the valley. And then Istanbul happened to me. It was love at first sight \u2014 and forever.<\/p>\n

I love Istanbul for everything it has \u2014 its incredibly rich history and culture, its streets and ferries, the tea that exists only there, the chaos of a city with millions of people, the muezzin\u2019s songs in the mornings, the crazy mix of smells from the Bosphorus and street food, even that very balik ekmek by the Galata Bridge that makes all the snobs wrinkle their noses.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve put together a big list of the 50 main things you have to do in Istanbul<\/strong>.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\"\u0421\u0442\u0430\u043c\u0431\u0443\u043b\"<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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To make it a bit easier to navigate Istanbul, I\u2019ve grouped all the main spots and the todo list by neighborhoods.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\"Istanbul\"<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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I\u2019m almost embarrassed by this scheme, but it\u2019s very visual.<\/p>\n

Two common misconceptions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    Galata Bridge connects Europe and Asia.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    No, this is all the European side, divided by the Golden Horn. The Bosphorus Bridge connects the European and Asian sides. The \u00dcsk\u00fcdar district is already in Asia.<\/p>\n

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      Sultanahmet is a district of Istanbul.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      There\u2019s the Fatih district, which includes 57 quarters, among them Sultanahmet, Emin\u00f6n\u00fc, Fener, and Balat.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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      \"\u0421\u0442\u0430\u043c\u0431\u0443\u043b\"<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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      Fatih District<\/h2>\n

      The highest concentration of sights per square meter. Here\u2019s what you must not miss:<\/p>\n

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        Topkapi Palace<\/strong> \u2013 the largest and most accessible sultan\u2019s palace. The harem is there too. Allow 2.5 hours for the visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n