Istanbul trip safe and easy to see sights?
 

My father wants to go to Istanbul to see the Rahmi M. Koc museum. His brother's WWII plane and some of his artifacts are there. His plane went down in Turkish waters in a raid. My question is how easy would Istanbul be for a 91 year old to visit? Also, would it be safe for him? He wants my husband and myself to go with him. He lives in Oklahoma.
Are there things to see that are easy to get to and don't require lots of walking. He wants to go without a guide or tour. Is that advisable? He wants to choose what he wants to see. Any advise would be appreciated. (getting around town and what to see) Thank you

Istanbul is as safe as many European cities and probably safer than either Madrid or Barcelona with their high rates of street crime against tourists.

We felt very safe in Istanbul.

>> how easy would Istanbul be for a 91 year old to visit?
That depends on a lot of factors, and to name just a few: time of year you are traveling (hot in the summer), where your hotel is located, how you get from A to B, his stamina and ability to walk, the amount of sightseeing you want to do in addition to the Rahmi M. Koc museum, etc.
Keep in mind that areas of Istanbul are hilly, but it's a compact city, with wonderful things to see and do, delicious food and friendly people.
Check a city guide and a map, make a list of sites that are interesting to you, and take it from there. We had 4 very full days in Istanbul, and only scratched the surface. SO plenty to keep you busy if you want. If not, pick just a few places and enjoy the trip.

We found Istanbul both easy to navigate and safe. Perhaps hiring a driver would be a good idea for your father due to the hills.

These posts sound promising, thank you. Another question about where to stay that is accessable to the sights and not hard to walk around?

I just returned from Istanbul. The museum of interest is really away from everything else. The museum along with other things would probably calls for taxi which are really ubiquitous in the city. While a taxi reduces walking, it is usually not the fastest way to move from point A to point B due to chronic traffic congestion. If there is a tram, metro, train, funicular, or ferry, taking one of these would be usually faster. Ferries are difficult to get in and out. On passenger boats, you have to climb up about 5 steps without handrails to get in/out of ferry. There are men at the steps to help people who cannot climb these stairs.

I don't think it is possible to find a place to stay accessible to more than one site. I stayed practically across from the Blue Mosque, but even so, it involved going down a short hill on a cobble stone road where cars zoom by inches from you. I used the tram a lot, but the stations are not that closely spaced and at Eminönü tram station, if the tram ends there, it opens the track side door to let people out and the platform side is for getting on only. What is the problem with this picture? The track side exit is almost one foot high from the ground. First time the tram did this, I thought it was a mistake, but no, it worked that way every time.

Even if the access to the front entrances are flat, the structures often have stairs considered hazardous to U.S. building codes. Stairs at historical buildings come in irregular heights, some times require stunningly high steps, as well as pieces missing.

You would have to state what you intend to visit. "accessible to sights" can mean anything depending on what you mean by "sites."

I think it depends upon your father's physical condition. Istanbul is hilly and there are lots of cobblestones. Crossing the street can be challenging. And you've received lots of good information about the accessibility of the ferries and trams. That said, we were just there for five days and felt safer than we sometimes do in other European cities.

Agree that safety not an issue. I don't know the museum you mention but possibly, you could stay in a more central location, Sultanahmet for most of the major sights (like Tokapi Palace and Aya Sofiya)and your hotel could probably arrange a driver to take you to the museum. A lot depends on your 91 yr old father's stamina and walking capability.