Istanbul for all senses

If you walk through the “classic” old town in Istanbul, you can experience a true feast for all the senses. Of all the activities we packed into our far too short three-day trip, this walk was clearly one of my highlights.

We started the walk at the Golden Horn, at the Eminönü tram stop. Just across the street is the Yeni Camii – the so-called “New Mosque”, one of the largest mosques in the city. Its forecourt is bustling with activity. Men, women, children stand around in groups discussing or scurry around packed with shopping bags. In addition, there are countless pigeons and seagulls. Pure joie de vivre on the Bosphorus.

A little further into the district, at the end of Tahtakale Market, is the Rüstem Pasha Mosque. The entrance is not so easy to find, as it can only be reached via a narrow staircase from the street. Those who seek and find will also be rewarded. The Rüstem Pasha Mosque is one of the finest examples of architecture by Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. The mosque is not very frequented by tourists (which may be due to the hidden location), so for me the visit was almost more impressive than in the Blue Mosque.

If you follow the Marktgasse from here (just let yourself drift in the crowds), you will end up in the Egyptian Bazaar. The historic market hall is home to the city’s spice paradise. Countless stalls attract visitors with a veritable explosion of colours and smells. I always have a bit of inhibitions about photographing everything at markets, but I still couldn’t resist capturing the colorful spice world with a few snapshots.

After the Egyptian bazaar, we climbed leisurely up the hill through the narrow streets. In this part of the city there are countless small shops for textiles, gold and everyday objects. By the way, tourists are the minority in these alleys. What is striking is that the wearing of a headscarf is more widespread than average in this part of the city. The return of the importance of religion is particularly noticeable here and people tend to be conservatively oriented. A total contrast to the Western-oriented district of Beyoglu.

Once at the top, the adventure “shop labyrinth” really begins. The Yaglikcilar Caddesi leads you directly into the Grand Bazaar. A stroll through the whole bazaar can quickly take several hours. We contented ourselves with “marching down” a main line. Also worth seeing is the Old Book Bazaar, where you can find books in every conceivable language and on every topic. It is located between the Grand Bazaar and the Beyazıt Mosque.

As you can see, there is so much to discover in this small part of Istanbul’s old town that you could easily spend two or three days with all the sights. Either bring enough time with you or “pick” your personal favorites in advance and head for them in a targeted manner.