one white guy

I’m only a few days back in Uganda and my sweating self already longs for Istanbul’s winter chill again. After skipping a few American winters, I wasn’t quite prepared for a Turkish one, but even that was overcome with the adventure of my trip. Ten days, three brothers, lots to see and no agenda. It was awesome.

Honestly, you could probably see most of the main sites in Istanbul in two days; the city is very accessible and the attractions are close. With nine days there, my brothers and I got a much more thorough tour. Each day was its own adventure, but here are the highlights of what we saw and did in Turkey:

Aya Sofya: I must have seen a photo of the Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia) in middle school or something, because I remember wanting to visit for the longest time. It was almost surreal living just a few minutes’ walk away and standing outside its gate within an hour of landing in Turkey. Sofya had me at hello. On our tour, it was just as grand and staggering as I’d always imagined. It’s incredible to think how old it is and how many people have visited and worshiped there, staring up at the same intricate mosaics and immense domed ceilings. Bucket list: checked.

Galata Tower: This medieval tower stands overlooks all of historical Istanbul, both Europe and Asia, and provided some awesome views of the city. We ascended around noon one day, so we got to hear the Muslim call to prayer ring out from hundreds of different mosques at once. That epic, full-stereo sound – somewhat unique to that specific place in the world – was pretty awesome to experience.

Bosporus Cruise: We had great weather for our sail up the Bosporus Strait, which divides Turkey into Europe and Asia. After bouncing between both coasts, we docked in Asia right at the Black Sea, where we broke into explored an old castle and ate awesome seafood. Coming back down that evening, we watched the sun set majestically behind Istanbul’s historic skyline.

Ephesus: Our one excursion outside of Greater Istanbul was a day trip to the ruins of Ephesus along the Aegean coast. Fun fact: our guide figured that only 17% of the city has been excavated and displayed. Along with a ragtag tour group of South Africans, Nigerians, and New Zealanders, we oohed and ahhed over the beautiful Library of Celsus, Amphitheater, Home of the Virgin Mary, and Temple of Artemis. We also ended up – quite randomly – at a sad leather jacket fashion show and a local carpet manufacturer. Handmade carpets were fairly interesting. Bored local fashion models were not.

Other than those highlights, we also saw the Archaeology Museum, Basilica Cistern, Beyoglu shopping district, Blue Mosque, city walls, Dolmabahçe Palace, Egyptian Spice Market, Grand Bazaar, Kariye Museum, Military Museum, New Mosque, Old Book Bazaar, Prince’s Mosque, Suleiman Mosque, Takfir Square, Topkapi Palace, and ferried over to Asian Istanbul for an afternoon stroll.

Looking back, Turkey was everything I needed it to be. Ten days with my brothers in a completely new country and culture helped me to mentally finish up 2011 and get ready for the New Year. Huge thanks go to my parents for sending us and giving me exactly the Christmas present I needed. Y’all are the best!

Got any questions? I’ll answer it all in the comments.