istanbul and the environs in a week
 

I'm considering to go to Istanbul for the first time in my life in early to mid September for a week (net). I love culture and photography. Which sites shouldn't I miss? Any interesting towns nearby that I could a side trip if necessary?

You will get enough information on Istanbul sites from other recent threads and trip reports, and the web.

In terms of nearby interesting locations for photography and culture, try Iznik/Nicea, about three hours away by ferry boat (Yenikapi-Yalova) and dolmus (minibus) Yalova-Iznik.

Byzantine and Ottoman structures, the famous Iznik tiles, scenic lake, city walls. plus recommended visit to DARKA a different type of development two kilometers away, for a meal or a drink and nice photography opportunities.

It will be difficult to find a restaurant open for lunch in the city because of Ramazan fasting. Darka social facilities will be open for whatever you wish.

The bosphorus and the Princes Islands are also extremely scenic in terms of both natural beauty and antique houses.

thanks. ramanda is actually my another concern. i was in morocco during ramadan several years ago and it caused some inconvenience mostly towards the end of it when people were preparing for the festive celebration. will istanbul be a bit more cosmopolitan that i can find a restaurant more easily?

We were in istanbul during Ramadan and had no problems at all. Never had a problem finding a place for lunch or dinner.
In fact, it was quite interesting being there during Ramadan; a number of shop owners invited us to join them for Ramadan dinner. We, of course, accepted one of the offers and it proved to be a highlight of our visit.
Enjoy your visit.

I am sorry if my post was confusing.

I meant the city of Iznik for lack of open restaurants during ramazan.

You will not notice anything different about the Ramazan in most of the districts of Istanbul that you will be visiting.

There are no preparations for the festive days in Turkey.

Just do not drink alcoholic beverages in the streets. (you can do so at restaurants with outside seating on the European side of the Bosphorus or at Beyoglu.)

Some shops will close for the first day of festivities. Businesses, banks will be closed for all three days. Shopping malls will open in the aftrernoon of the first day and continue being open for the rest of the holidays.

Bosphorus ferries and views along the water. If you were to start a few of your days in front of the Hagia Sofia and then go from there, you could fill a lot of your time. Many recommend the Chora church, we never made it.

We found the Rick Steves Istanbul guidebook very useful.

thank you all for your replies. will definitely take them into account in planning.

somehow i'm very much enchanted by the landscape in cappadocia. any advice if i squeeze in istanbul and cappadocia in 10 days or so?

Yes Watakeet,

6-7 days in istanbul and 3 full days in cappadocia will give you sufficient time to see and enjoy both places.

Again check the trip reports of visitors from 2009 and 2010 for tips on cappadocia.

We just returned and spent 6 days in Istanbul and 5 days in Cappadocia. It was a fabulous trip and I highly recommend Cappadocia Three days will give you time to see the highlights. We stayed in Goreme and rented a car. One bit of advice is to get a good map before you go. I usually find that the best maps can be bought locally, but this was not the case in Cappadocia. We navigated with tourist maps and got lost a lot. But, as our hotelier said, the more you get lost in Cappadocia, the more you see. That was true and we had a great time. More advice, as you drive, if you see a group of rug stands by the road, pull over, because it will be one of the incredible scenic overlooks.
Goreme is charming and small and a great base, where you can start with the Open-Air Museum. We visited Avanos because we love pottery and had a great time with one of the local potters, drinking tea and throwing a pot.
The Ihlara Valley and underground cities are further afield, but really beautiful. You can see a lot in three days and do spring for the hot air balloon ride too. It seemed expensive and we almost didn't go, but it was really an amazing experience. The views are breathtaking.
Have a great trip.

wonderful, thanks a lot. the next step is to get my boss approved my leave application.... :-)