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Free admission to Hurrem's grave, tickets to other places will cost a pretty penny: tourist on trip to Istanbul
At the end of September, my colleague Anastasia Shevyakova and her family from 86.RU decided to spend a week in Istanbul. Immerse yourself in the city's centuries-old history, see the sights, and go shopping. A plane trip for two from Yekaterinburg costs 167,000 rubles. The flight to Istanbul takes about 5 hours. The weather at this time is probably the best for leisurely walks and trips along the Bosphorus. During the day it was from +17 to +26 degrees, a little cooler in the evening. Read her story about the trip.
We decided to stay at the Aviasenna Hotel (4 stars) in the historical part of Istanbul. The small hotel is located on a cozy narrow street. Like many others, there is a restaurant on the top floor with a view of the Bosphorus. The hotel offers guests breakfast, which is included in the price of the tour. As they say, you will not go hungry, but you should not expect much pleasure either. The standard menu includes boiled eggs, cheese, cold meats, stewed and fresh vegetables, yogurt, jams and preserves, tea and coffee. We ate sausage and spinach casserole several times. Bakery products include several types of cookies called pie a la manna. Fruits include oranges and watermelon.
The hotel rooms are mostly doubles and small. Some rooms have a small terrace where you can sit in the evening. The staff is friendly, but may forget to provide towels or drinking water. Note that the rooms are not soundproofed. You can hear your neighbors talking, and if you are not enjoying the company of others in the same establishment, the music from the nearby restaurant may be disturbing in the evenings. After midnight, it is quiet outside. But keep in mind that as early as 6 am, you will be awakened by the sounds of prayers coming from the nearby mosque.
For example, a visit to the old Topkapi Palace, where the sultans lived with their harem for 400 years, costs 1,700 liras (about 4,700 rubles) per person, which allows you to get to the underground palace of Hagia Sophia and climb the Galata Tower. To the Dolmabahce Palace 900 liras (about 2,500 rubles) - 1,200 liras (3,300 rubles). The Blue Mosque and the Suleymaniye Mosque (where Sultan Suleiman and his wife Hurrem are buried) are still free.
How to exchange money and stay in touch
The national currency of Turkey is the lira. You can exchange rubles, dollars and euros at exchange offices. The city has a lot to offer. Tariffs at the airport are much lower than in the city. SIM cards in Turkey are expensive: from 500 to 600 lira (from 1,350 to 1,600 rubles). Of course, if you find one at the post office, you can buy it for 350 lira. I had a roaming connection for 7 days. The cost of the package from the Russian mobile operator was 1,000 rubles for the entire period.
It is difficult to go hungry in Istanbul. You are invited to a local establishment at every turn. In fact, to eat only in restaurants located in the historical center, you will need a lot of money. On average, lunch costs 1000-2000 rubles per person. The menu includes chicken and beef kebabs, shawarma, kebabs and burgers, salads, potato and vegetable side dishes, oriental desserts. Inexpensive and tasty - lentil-tomato soup for 90-110 lira (250-300 rubles). Many establishments charge a service fee of 10% of the order amount. No one will warn you about this, so it is better to find out in advance whether it exists or not. In shops and cafes, Russian is understood quite well. Istanbul's street food is worth a separate mention. Small mobile stalls sell roasted chestnuts, corn and sesame bread rings. The price ranges from 30 to 200 lira (80 to 500 rubles). At every step you can order freshly squeezed pomegranate and orange juice (250-400 rubles per glass). There are also small grocery stores in Istanbul.
In addition to the Blue Mosque and the Suleymaniye Mosque, there are probably other interesting places in Istanbul that you can visit for free. For example, Gulhane Park. It is located next to the Topkapi Palace. The park has many beautiful places, fountains and sculptures. There is also one of the reservoirs here, which used to store drinking water and now stores modern art. However, the toilets in the park are paid. And at present, payment is only possible with bank cards, which do not work for most Russians abroad. You can also take a ferry ride on the Bosphorus for a minimal fee, walk along the embankment and even feed the seagulls, of which there are as many in Istanbul as cats. By the way, the birds do not hesitate to steal food from four-legged creatures.
I would like to tell you about the new Istanbul airport separately, or rather, I would like to warn you and caution you. At the airport, you will never hear announcements about your flight's departure or arrival, the start of check-in or boarding. You will have to rely only on yourself and carefully monitor the information on the board. There was a situation when a couple did not make it on time and did not board the plane. Prices at airports are terrible. A hamburger at Burger King costs 1,200 rubles, a sliced green apple with two grapes - 900 rubles, a sandwich with sausage and bread - also about 1,000 rubles. For snacks, I recommend taking something from your hotel or a store.