Returned last night from a trip to Mersin/Kizkalesi and Istanbul, so I thought I'd leave some comments. I haven't included any of my pictures here because I have over 500 to sort through. But maybe I'll try to do it over the next couple days.
- Flight: Turkish Airlines is the best airline I have ever flown, period. Their customer service was amazing: I was able to change the first leg of my flight (from Adana to Istanbul) by four days and they did it for me for FREE. That's right, I changed my flight the day before I left and they didn't charge me a dime. Turkish Airlines also serves food (a full meal) on every flight (even if it's only 1 1/2 hours) for free. And it's good food too.
- Language: If you plan to visit Turkey, I highly recommend at least learning some basic Turkish. At least try to learn your numbers and "Where is...". More people speak English in Istanbul, but once you get outside it is less common.
- People: The people of Turkey are amazing. They are extremely patriotic and proud. There were Turkish flags everywhere, and of course portraits of Ataturk in every building. Also, they are incredibly friendly and helpful. My camera battery died on my second day in Istanbul so I went to a camera shop prepared to purchase a charger... instead, the shop charged my battery for me for free while I ate breakfast.
- Mustafa Ataturk: Do your research. DO NOT ENTER THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT KNOWING WHO HE IS. You will just look like an idiot if you ask people about him, and his picture is everywhere.
- Mosques: Every mosque in Turkey will have calls to prayer throughout the day (and night). If you are staying near one, chances are it will wake you up at 4:30am.
- Weather: In the summer, it's hot. I would recommend visiting mid to late May (as I did) because it's still off-season for tourism, and the weather is reasonable.
- Money: They use the Turkish Lira (at the time of this post, $1USD = 1.5TL). Prices are very reasonable, you can get a full meal for about 8-10 TL.
- Food: Delicious. You'll find Kebaps on every corner, but I recommend trying to get something more than just that. My favorite meal was Iskender. Also, try Ayran -- It's basically a drink that combines water, salt and yogurt. They drink lots of tea too.
- Turkish Eye (Evil Eye): This is a stone/amulet that if you have it then it will basically protect you from other people's bad intentions. Keep an eye out (no pun intended) for them, because you will see them everywhere in Turkey, including restaurants and even the Turkish airplanes.
- Whirling Dervishes: Make sure you check out a show somewhere to see them. I got to see them during dinner (it cost me 35TL but it was worth it). Truly a remarkable experience.
- Transportation: In Istanbul, you can walk almost everywhere you need. Otherwise, use the tram. It's convenient and cheap (one ride is 1.75TL). The bus system is smaller cities can be incredibly confusing for tourists (especially if you don't know Turkish). If you want to visit other cities, you can fly (Turkey is huge, this may be the easiest thing to do) or take the train (rare) or take buses (most people do this). They are currently building more rail system but it's nowhere near the rest of Europe's rail.
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Mersin and Kizkalesi
Disclaimer: I visited Kizkalesi as part of an EU-sponsored program.
Kizkalesi is a small city for tourism on the southern coast of Turkey, due north of Cyprus. There's not much there besides beaches, some ruins and a castle in the water. For the most part, they seem to serve Turkish tourists and many people have very poor English. You can easily get a room at a hotel on the beach for a very good price.
Getting to Kizkalesi is a problem. First, you have to fly to the Adana airport. Then you take a shuttle to Mersin (packed city, not much to see there). From Mersin, you have to take the minibus to Kizkalesi. If you don't speak Turkish then you had better have a darn good sense of direction. I have never seen anything quite like the Turkish bus system.
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Istanbul
The gem of Turkey. Istanbul is easily one of the most amazing cities I have ever visited. Every single one of you must visit this city sometime in your life.
- Hagia Sophia: Deceptively large and such an amazing site. The Hagia Sophia (pronounced Aya-Sophia) served as a cathedral and as a mosque, and retains images and writings from both. The line gets really long, I recommend visiting about 5:00pm to avoid the tourist rush and the groups of school children. The Hagia Sophia is MUCH more enjoyable when there are few people there. Entrance = 20TL.
- Sultan Ahmed (Blue Mosque): One of the few mosques in the world with six minarets. Gorgeous architecture, simple yet ornate, definitely a must-see. You must remove your shoes before entering, no shorts allowed, women must have their shoulders covered. Head scarves are recommended, not required. Entrance = Free.
- Yeni Camii (New Mosque): While I'm on the topic of Mosques, this one is located right on the water, near the Egyptian Bazaar. Clothing rules are the same as the Blue Mosque. Not as elaborate or large as the Blue Mosque, but nice to stop into to see the difference between the two. Entrance = Free.
- Basilica Cistern: Located across the street from the Hagia Sophia, this is an underground Cistern. The line to get in generally isn't terrible and it's more of a quick side trip during Istanbul. But it's still very nice to see and the columns within are impressive. There are two pillars inside with Medusa heads carved into them. Entrance = 10TL.
- Topkapi Palace: Topkapi Palace has two sections, the main palace section and the Harem. I did not go to the Harem because it was an additional 15TL and I didn't want to pay it. The Palace itself is very cool and the Treasury is amazing, with extraordinarily ancient artifacts including Moses' Rod, parts of the Beard of the Prophet, and more. Photos are not permitted in the Treasury. Prepare to spend half a day at the Palace, and bring some water because it is a lot of walking. Topkapi also has a nice garden you can wander around. Entrance = 20TL.
- Grand Bazaar: Huge shopping area with a ton of shops. You can get lost in here without any difficulty and you could literally spend hours just wandering around. You'll want to head down here (or to the nearby Egyptian Bazaar) for your souvenir needs. Prepare to haggle, don't accept the prices they offer. Entrance = Free.
- Egyptian Bazaar: Personally, I enjoyed this bazaar way more than the Grand Bazaar. It was smaller and a lot more fun. You can buy all sorts of souvenirs here, spices, tea, fruit, etc etc etc. I had so much fun in this place. Entrance = Free.
- Dolmabahce Palace: Pronounced Dolma-bahche. This was the Palace used by so many Sultans and finally by Ataturk. The lines to get in are INCREDIBLY long (we waited for one hour) and you can only go inside on a guided tour, you cannot walk around on your own. Additionally, photographs are no longer allowed inside the Palace. If you go, I recommend you go first thing in the morning or else you'll waste half your day standing around. The bed in which Ataturk died is here, so tons of Turkish people come here to see it. There are two sections to the Palace (administrative and harem) and I recommend seeing both. Entrance = 20TL. If you are a student, you can get in for 1TL but ONLY if you have an International Student ID Card (ISIC). They will not accept any other student ID.
- Galata Tower: An old tower in the middle of the city, the only purpose to visit is to go up top for a nice panoramic view. There is an overpriced cafe and restaurant as well. Nice to see, not something you necessarily have to do if you're short on money. Entrance = 10TL.
- Bosphorus Cruise: There are a million cruise boats that will take you up and down the Bosphorus so you can see the city from the water. I took the 90 minute cruise and got some nice pictures. Entrance = 10TL (10TL was the cheapest I found, other people wanted 20TL).
- Prince's Island: There are some major islands off of Istanbul, and it takes 90 minutes to get there by water. They have lots of restaurants and you can rent a bike for an enjoyable (and strenuous if you don't like hills) ride around the island. My assessment is that you should only go out there if you've got a long stay in Istanbul and you've seen about everything else. Do not go here if you don't have time to see all of the sites I've already listed. Entrance = 8TL for the ferry roundtrip. I paid 5TL for an hour per bike.
[This message has been edited by texasaggie04 (edited 5/22/2011 5:03a).]
- Flight: Turkish Airlines is the best airline I have ever flown, period. Their customer service was amazing: I was able to change the first leg of my flight (from Adana to Istanbul) by four days and they did it for me for FREE. That's right, I changed my flight the day before I left and they didn't charge me a dime. Turkish Airlines also serves food (a full meal) on every flight (even if it's only 1 1/2 hours) for free. And it's good food too.
- Language: If you plan to visit Turkey, I highly recommend at least learning some basic Turkish. At least try to learn your numbers and "Where is...". More people speak English in Istanbul, but once you get outside it is less common.
- People: The people of Turkey are amazing. They are extremely patriotic and proud. There were Turkish flags everywhere, and of course portraits of Ataturk in every building. Also, they are incredibly friendly and helpful. My camera battery died on my second day in Istanbul so I went to a camera shop prepared to purchase a charger... instead, the shop charged my battery for me for free while I ate breakfast.
- Mustafa Ataturk: Do your research. DO NOT ENTER THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT KNOWING WHO HE IS. You will just look like an idiot if you ask people about him, and his picture is everywhere.
- Mosques: Every mosque in Turkey will have calls to prayer throughout the day (and night). If you are staying near one, chances are it will wake you up at 4:30am.
- Weather: In the summer, it's hot. I would recommend visiting mid to late May (as I did) because it's still off-season for tourism, and the weather is reasonable.
- Money: They use the Turkish Lira (at the time of this post, $1USD = 1.5TL). Prices are very reasonable, you can get a full meal for about 8-10 TL.
- Food: Delicious. You'll find Kebaps on every corner, but I recommend trying to get something more than just that. My favorite meal was Iskender. Also, try Ayran -- It's basically a drink that combines water, salt and yogurt. They drink lots of tea too.
- Turkish Eye (Evil Eye): This is a stone/amulet that if you have it then it will basically protect you from other people's bad intentions. Keep an eye out (no pun intended) for them, because you will see them everywhere in Turkey, including restaurants and even the Turkish airplanes.
- Whirling Dervishes: Make sure you check out a show somewhere to see them. I got to see them during dinner (it cost me 35TL but it was worth it). Truly a remarkable experience.
- Transportation: In Istanbul, you can walk almost everywhere you need. Otherwise, use the tram. It's convenient and cheap (one ride is 1.75TL). The bus system is smaller cities can be incredibly confusing for tourists (especially if you don't know Turkish). If you want to visit other cities, you can fly (Turkey is huge, this may be the easiest thing to do) or take the train (rare) or take buses (most people do this). They are currently building more rail system but it's nowhere near the rest of Europe's rail.
----------------
Mersin and Kizkalesi
Disclaimer: I visited Kizkalesi as part of an EU-sponsored program.
Kizkalesi is a small city for tourism on the southern coast of Turkey, due north of Cyprus. There's not much there besides beaches, some ruins and a castle in the water. For the most part, they seem to serve Turkish tourists and many people have very poor English. You can easily get a room at a hotel on the beach for a very good price.
Getting to Kizkalesi is a problem. First, you have to fly to the Adana airport. Then you take a shuttle to Mersin (packed city, not much to see there). From Mersin, you have to take the minibus to Kizkalesi. If you don't speak Turkish then you had better have a darn good sense of direction. I have never seen anything quite like the Turkish bus system.
----------------
Istanbul
The gem of Turkey. Istanbul is easily one of the most amazing cities I have ever visited. Every single one of you must visit this city sometime in your life.
- Hagia Sophia: Deceptively large and such an amazing site. The Hagia Sophia (pronounced Aya-Sophia) served as a cathedral and as a mosque, and retains images and writings from both. The line gets really long, I recommend visiting about 5:00pm to avoid the tourist rush and the groups of school children. The Hagia Sophia is MUCH more enjoyable when there are few people there. Entrance = 20TL.
- Sultan Ahmed (Blue Mosque): One of the few mosques in the world with six minarets. Gorgeous architecture, simple yet ornate, definitely a must-see. You must remove your shoes before entering, no shorts allowed, women must have their shoulders covered. Head scarves are recommended, not required. Entrance = Free.
- Yeni Camii (New Mosque): While I'm on the topic of Mosques, this one is located right on the water, near the Egyptian Bazaar. Clothing rules are the same as the Blue Mosque. Not as elaborate or large as the Blue Mosque, but nice to stop into to see the difference between the two. Entrance = Free.
- Basilica Cistern: Located across the street from the Hagia Sophia, this is an underground Cistern. The line to get in generally isn't terrible and it's more of a quick side trip during Istanbul. But it's still very nice to see and the columns within are impressive. There are two pillars inside with Medusa heads carved into them. Entrance = 10TL.
- Topkapi Palace: Topkapi Palace has two sections, the main palace section and the Harem. I did not go to the Harem because it was an additional 15TL and I didn't want to pay it. The Palace itself is very cool and the Treasury is amazing, with extraordinarily ancient artifacts including Moses' Rod, parts of the Beard of the Prophet, and more. Photos are not permitted in the Treasury. Prepare to spend half a day at the Palace, and bring some water because it is a lot of walking. Topkapi also has a nice garden you can wander around. Entrance = 20TL.
- Grand Bazaar: Huge shopping area with a ton of shops. You can get lost in here without any difficulty and you could literally spend hours just wandering around. You'll want to head down here (or to the nearby Egyptian Bazaar) for your souvenir needs. Prepare to haggle, don't accept the prices they offer. Entrance = Free.
- Egyptian Bazaar: Personally, I enjoyed this bazaar way more than the Grand Bazaar. It was smaller and a lot more fun. You can buy all sorts of souvenirs here, spices, tea, fruit, etc etc etc. I had so much fun in this place. Entrance = Free.
- Dolmabahce Palace: Pronounced Dolma-bahche. This was the Palace used by so many Sultans and finally by Ataturk. The lines to get in are INCREDIBLY long (we waited for one hour) and you can only go inside on a guided tour, you cannot walk around on your own. Additionally, photographs are no longer allowed inside the Palace. If you go, I recommend you go first thing in the morning or else you'll waste half your day standing around. The bed in which Ataturk died is here, so tons of Turkish people come here to see it. There are two sections to the Palace (administrative and harem) and I recommend seeing both. Entrance = 20TL. If you are a student, you can get in for 1TL but ONLY if you have an International Student ID Card (ISIC). They will not accept any other student ID.
- Galata Tower: An old tower in the middle of the city, the only purpose to visit is to go up top for a nice panoramic view. There is an overpriced cafe and restaurant as well. Nice to see, not something you necessarily have to do if you're short on money. Entrance = 10TL.
- Bosphorus Cruise: There are a million cruise boats that will take you up and down the Bosphorus so you can see the city from the water. I took the 90 minute cruise and got some nice pictures. Entrance = 10TL (10TL was the cheapest I found, other people wanted 20TL).
- Prince's Island: There are some major islands off of Istanbul, and it takes 90 minutes to get there by water. They have lots of restaurants and you can rent a bike for an enjoyable (and strenuous if you don't like hills) ride around the island. My assessment is that you should only go out there if you've got a long stay in Istanbul and you've seen about everything else. Do not go here if you don't have time to see all of the sites I've already listed. Entrance = 8TL for the ferry roundtrip. I paid 5TL for an hour per bike.
[This message has been edited by texasaggie04 (edited 5/22/2011 5:03a).]
