Feedback on Istanbul sights
Apr 7th, 2011, 02:48 AM
#1
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Feedback on Istanbul sights
Hi Everyone,
Request some feedback on Istanbul sights. I am planning to be there next month. Have been going through Rick Steeves, Lonely Planet and Fodors. If someone can please answer the following questions for me - will really help me plan my itinerary.
a) Ciragan Palace - I understand it houses the Kempinski Hotel. But is it open to non guests for viewing?
b) Yildiz Park & Fatih Mosque - Look beautiful from the pictures I saw on the Net. Are they worth a visit?
c) Dolmabahce Palace - read in Lonely Planet that at times has a very long queue at the entrance. Any way the queues can be avoided?
Thanks
Request some feedback on Istanbul sights. I am planning to be there next month. Have been going through Rick Steeves, Lonely Planet and Fodors. If someone can please answer the following questions for me - will really help me plan my itinerary.
a) Ciragan Palace - I understand it houses the Kempinski Hotel. But is it open to non guests for viewing?
b) Yildiz Park & Fatih Mosque - Look beautiful from the pictures I saw on the Net. Are they worth a visit?
c) Dolmabahce Palace - read in Lonely Planet that at times has a very long queue at the entrance. Any way the queues can be avoided?
Thanks
Apr 7th, 2011, 06:45 AM
#2
a) Ciragan palace was a burned out shell up to 1989, when it was included in the plans for the development of the new Kempinsky hotel. Interestingly, the insurer Allianz of Germany and Munich Re required an earthquake viability report which was provided by two engineers who worked for me. Currently it includes some restaurants, a grand ballroom, some multi-function rooms, a number of super delux suites up to 400 sq. meters, and overly-ornate central closed courtyard with hidden escalators and pink decorations. There is also a walkway between the palace section and the new hotel building.
It operates as part of the hotel complex so those parts that are public in any hotel would be open to the public there also.
b) Yildiz Park is large and will require a steep climb if you start at the bottom, across from the entrance to the Kempinsky hotel. The Yildiz palace and the two royal pavillions now operating as cafes are near the top of the park, and it is a good idea to take a taxi either to a top entrance or to drive in and deposit you next to Yildiz Palace.
It is a nice park,but will make more sense if you have more than a week in istanbul and if it is possible to visit Yildiz Palace also.
If you will have visited the Blue Mosque and Suleymaniye, and Yeni Cami and Rustem pasa, you can easily give Fatih mosque a miss just as you can forget about Eyup and Mihrimar mosques unless you are architecturally interested in Ottoman structures.
c) I drive by Dolmabahce Palace Tuesday, Thursday about 10:30AM and Wednesday 9:30AM and do not remember tour buses, so it may be an idea to do it early in the morning before the slave drivers have whipped up their charges into orderly groups and marched them there.
It operates as part of the hotel complex so those parts that are public in any hotel would be open to the public there also.
b) Yildiz Park is large and will require a steep climb if you start at the bottom, across from the entrance to the Kempinsky hotel. The Yildiz palace and the two royal pavillions now operating as cafes are near the top of the park, and it is a good idea to take a taxi either to a top entrance or to drive in and deposit you next to Yildiz Palace.
It is a nice park,but will make more sense if you have more than a week in istanbul and if it is possible to visit Yildiz Palace also.
If you will have visited the Blue Mosque and Suleymaniye, and Yeni Cami and Rustem pasa, you can easily give Fatih mosque a miss just as you can forget about Eyup and Mihrimar mosques unless you are architecturally interested in Ottoman structures.
c) I drive by Dolmabahce Palace Tuesday, Thursday about 10:30AM and Wednesday 9:30AM and do not remember tour buses, so it may be an idea to do it early in the morning before the slave drivers have whipped up their charges into orderly groups and marched them there.
Apr 7th, 2011, 09:03 PM
#3
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Otherchelebi,
thanks for your advice. i am in Istanbul for a week hence thought to visit Yildiz Park - also my wife and I love to explore "green" places like nature trails, parks, mountains, etc. As suggested by you, we will enter using one of the top entrances.
Request a small help - will you be able to suggest some good restaurants around Ortakoy Square / Ortakoy Mosque? Post a visit to Domalbahce Palace / Yildiz Park we wanted to spend time at the Square.
thanks for your advice. i am in Istanbul for a week hence thought to visit Yildiz Park - also my wife and I love to explore "green" places like nature trails, parks, mountains, etc. As suggested by you, we will enter using one of the top entrances.
Request a small help - will you be able to suggest some good restaurants around Ortakoy Square / Ortakoy Mosque? Post a visit to Domalbahce Palace / Yildiz Park we wanted to spend time at the Square.
Apr 7th, 2011, 11:01 PM
#5
naddy,
you will need to take a taxi from Dolmabahce to Yildiz park.
you can then see cirgan-kempinsky when you walk down the park.
the walk to Ortakoy from kempinski is not long and the distance does not deserve a taxi.
ortakoy square and the mosque are lovely
unfortunately, i cannot recommend any of the restaurants in ortakoy. banyan is ersatz thai, radisson blue restaurant is fine but not specifically turkish. fish restaurants on the square have bad food.
i recommend that you grab another taxi for just 800-1000 meters or so from Ortakoy to Assk Kahvesi or Mia Mensa (next to each other) especially if the weather is nice, check their menus and decide. Their entrance is next to the Macro supermarket, first large building after the Kurucesme park on the seaside after you pass under the first Bosphorus bridge.
Of'course, if you do not mind the distance and being away from the sea, you could take a longer taxi ride to Sabanci museum (free if you eat at Changa) and eat a fabulous lunch at Muze de Changa, and in the midst of some excellent green area and next to the terrific tulip gardens of Emirgan park (for which you would need to come down to shore road and then up again.)
you will need to take a taxi from Dolmabahce to Yildiz park.
you can then see cirgan-kempinsky when you walk down the park.
the walk to Ortakoy from kempinski is not long and the distance does not deserve a taxi.
ortakoy square and the mosque are lovely
unfortunately, i cannot recommend any of the restaurants in ortakoy. banyan is ersatz thai, radisson blue restaurant is fine but not specifically turkish. fish restaurants on the square have bad food.
i recommend that you grab another taxi for just 800-1000 meters or so from Ortakoy to Assk Kahvesi or Mia Mensa (next to each other) especially if the weather is nice, check their menus and decide. Their entrance is next to the Macro supermarket, first large building after the Kurucesme park on the seaside after you pass under the first Bosphorus bridge.
Of'course, if you do not mind the distance and being away from the sea, you could take a longer taxi ride to Sabanci museum (free if you eat at Changa) and eat a fabulous lunch at Muze de Changa, and in the midst of some excellent green area and next to the terrific tulip gardens of Emirgan park (for which you would need to come down to shore road and then up again.)
Apr 8th, 2011, 12:56 AM
#6
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otherchelebi
thanks a lot for your help. As suggested by you, will take a taxi / car to the top.
Need your opinion on 2 more things -
a) Good Restaurants around Ortakoy Square
b) I know people advice against using rental cars in Istanbul - but approx how much will it cost to rent a car with a chauffeur for a day
Thanks a lot
thanks a lot for your help. As suggested by you, will take a taxi / car to the top.
Need your opinion on 2 more things -
a) Good Restaurants around Ortakoy Square
b) I know people advice against using rental cars in Istanbul - but approx how much will it cost to rent a car with a chauffeur for a day
Thanks a lot
Apr 8th, 2011, 07:10 AM
#7
a) i already reponded above but can repeat that There Are almost No good restaurants around Ortakoy square except for the restaurant of the Radisson hotel.
b) please ask Burak at www,allaboutturkey.com (mention my name) he arranged for a minibus with a very respectful driver for our guests last year.
b) please ask Burak at www,allaboutturkey.com (mention my name) he arranged for a minibus with a very respectful driver for our guests last year.
