The Mosaic Museum was hard to find, in my opinion--probably I couldn't have found it without a good bit of help. But it was worth finding!

Evidently the museum itself was once a courtyard of the Great Palace of Byzantium, but this is no splendid ruin. It's just a small enclosed space, and nearly the whole exhibit is a large Roman-style mosaic that was the courtyard floor--a large area, but much of it is not intact.

The intact images are delightful, though--lots of fanciful animals cavorting, men hunting or fighting. Part of the charm of very old mosaics lies in wondering what meaning they had to those who saw them when they were new--the emperor Constantine lived in this palace! Was this mosaic already done then? What did he think when he saw it?

Really, just about the whole exhibit is the large floor, so the museum doesn't take that much time (I was there less than an hour). But it is worth the effort to find this place!

Loved the Mosaic Museum. Funny you had trouble finding it. For some reason we kept passing it. Agree that it is worth a visit.

The Spice museum was wall to wall people-just awful. I thought it was like that because it was a Friday afternoon. We actually did decide to check out the Grand Bazaar and it was much less crowded. But more like a mall in terms of what was being sold.

Thanks, yestravel! Y'all may have been passing the museum on the other side of the little shopping arcade that surrounded it. Or you may just be better than I am at finding places (believe me, most people are).

I approached the museum through the courtyard of the Blue Mosque. I was trying to figure how to get down to it, and made the mistake of holding a map and looking uncertain. So a carpet tout came up and started talking to me.

He actually was very helpful in guiding me to the museum's entrance.. I thanked him profusely and said goodbye. Then an hour later, as I walked back through the courtyard, there he was waiting for me!

I felt so bad about that! So I followed meekly as he led me to a shop. ("My family's shop," he claimed.) Figured I'd buy some little thing so the tout could get his commission for delivering a customer. But the shop turned out to be quite expensive, and buying a ring for the equivalent of several hundred US dollars is not a whimsical purchase for me. So I left without buying anything--just a time waste, and no commission for anyone.

But the museum was very good!

And maybe I should have tried the Grand Bazaar, since it was less crowded. Oh well.

My husband's conference ended, and we had one more full day in Istanbul, so we headed out to Seraglio Point for a visit to Topkapi. It was overwhelming--all the exhibits of splendid jewel-covered items in the Treasury, all the architecture and adornments and furnishings of a palace that housed sultans for centuries--just overwhelming.

There was so much to see that within a couple of hours I felt "over saturated" and not able to take in all that I was seeing. My husband is always one to scrutinize every item in every gallery, and he definitely got more out of our visit to the palace I did.

Even a cursory visit to Topkapi would probably take at least half a day. Ours took a good deal longer than that, but then we were walking very slowly.

Since my report has rambled so, I'll list here the places we saw in Istanbul that I thought were most worthwhile, most of which were discussed above--

Ayasofya (or Hagia Sophia)--ABSOLUTELY worth seeing! I'd say to budget at least 3 hours for it, preferably more.

Blue Mosque--Very much worth seeing, but getting in takes a while, as all visitors must remove their shoes. To explore the grounds, courtyard, etc., would probably take an hour or more (our group visit allowed us much less than that).

Whirling Dervishes at the Mevlevi Lodge--Very much worth seeing! The ceremony takes an hour, but tickets must be bought a couple of hours in advance. The ceremony is held on some Sundays at the lodge.

Church of St. Saviour in Chora (Kariye Müzesi)--Absolutely worth seeing! It rates 2 hours or more.

Archaeological Museum--Worth seeing! With the main building closed for a while, an unhurried visit to the other buildings in the complex could be done in less than 2 hours.

Mosaic Museum--Worth seeing! But there's not all that much there--can be covered in less than an hour.

Topkapi Palace--Absolutely worth seeing! Needs a half-day, minimum--really, more like a whole day.

Ferry ride on the Bosphorus--It's worthwhile getting out onto the water, but the 2-hour-plus ferry ride I took is probably not the best way to do it. Some people from the conference got out on smaller boats, and they seemed to have a better time of it.

(Unfortunately, based on my experience, I can't really say that I think the Spice Bazaar is worthwhile. It is interesting, but the crowding was so distressing to me that I can't recommend it.)

For most of the attractions above, I VERY STRONGLY RECOMMEND getting a Museum Pass, which allows one admission to 6 or 7 different museums. It doesn't save money on admissions, but allows the pass holder to skip ticket lines, saving lots of time! The pass costs 85 TL and is good for 72 hours from first use--should be available from any hotel concierge.

Correction: The "Muze" museum pass does save a small amount on admissions, if the holder goes to ALL the museums it covers. But the main reason to get one is still for the time it saves in avoiding buying tickets.


I have some more general notes that I hope may be of some help to someone planning a trip to Istanbul from the US--

Passport requirements are nothing extraordinary: There should be 6 months of validity remaining on the passport, and one fully blank page for entry/exit stamps.

In addition, US visitors need a visa to enter Turkey. A visa is available online from visacentral.com. It means paying an additional fee for convenience, but avoids having to buy a visa on arrival at the Istanbul airport.

We also signed up with STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program), to receive email notices and advisories from the US State Dept., and to have our names and hotel on record as in the country--we signed up at step.state.gov .

Here are some more notes, either related to going to Istanbul, or more generally travel-related--


Jet-lag prevention--For a short trip like this one, I can't afford to lose days to jet lag (as I used to do on European trips). I've had a lot of success with preventing jet lag on trips in recent years, and happily was successful this time.

This method is based partly on research I've read about, and partly on my own trial and error. For a late-afternoon flight (like this one) or an early-evening flight, I'll eat a late, large lunch in the departure city (Atlanta), and then won't eat ANYTHING more till breakfast is served on the plane (in this case, over Rome). I drink ONLY water on the flight--do need to stay hydrated!

According to research, this is a simple method to reset circadian rhythms, so that on arrival, day seems like day and night like night. Works for me.

To get a little sleep on a transatlantic flight, I wait till boarding is complete, then settle in my uncomfortable economy-class seat with earphones and sleeping mask. I take some melatonin, and before too long I feel sleepy and doze off for up to 90 minutes. As I wake, I may read a little and sometimes successfully fall asleep again. This is NOTHING like a good night's sleep, but it prevents arriving exhausted.

(This is in stark contrast to my husband's pattern. He is a much more experienced traveler than I am--has made several dozens of European trips, as well as been on countless US flights--yet he doesn't prevent jet lag at all. He's always just cowboyed up and toughed it out, but as he grows older I think it takes a bigger toll. Part of why he got sick on this trip, I think, is because he got in such peaked condition on the long trip from the US to Turkey.)

I was too lazy, though, to try my method on the return trip--spent the first week at home jet-lagged.

There are several things I brought (or failed to bring) to Istanbul that I think deserve mention--


A long, shawl-like scarf was a practical thing to wear in the slightly chilly weather of late October, and proved highly practical when I needed a head-covering to visit the Blue Mosque.


After being told in advance that shoes must come off to visit a mosque, I had a couple of woven-paper bags on hand so my husband and I could carry our shoes with us.


Usually I have an extra pair of eyeglasses with me. This time, my only extra pair were my prescription sunglasses, so of course this was the trip where I broke my eyeglasses! I mean, broke them to the point of it being usable. My sunglasses were much less than optimal in dim galleries in Topkapi, and I looked kind of stupid when I wore them at night. BRING AN EXTRA PAIR OF EYEGLASSES (that are not sunglasses)!!


Batteries, batteries, batteries! If you use a camera that takes batteries, take MANY more extra than you think you'll need! I went through my extras and had to buy more TWICE during this week! (My old digital point-and-shoot may be dying, but I did get some good shots!)


All the warnings I received about crime proved excessive--I had NO experience of crime during my time in Istanbul (other than observing a few young drug users, described upthread). But Istanbul, like all large cities, surely does have pickpockets and thieves. Before the trip I got some items intended to deter theft, and stand by my decision to do so:

I bought a black nylon Baggalini purse (which I called my "paranoid purse")--it has a crossbody strap, and is intended to be a backpack. I crossed the strap the other way and wore the purse in front, which looked casual but normal. Or I could clutch it to my body (as I did at the Spice Bazaar) and look like a real nervous Nellie.

The strap has a zippered compartment in it, to keep cab money, etc., in, without having to open and dig into the bag. The Baggalini bag cost $70 or $75 at a Clarks store, and should prove useful for a long time.

(Also at Clarks

Premature posting--sorry--

(Also at Clark's I got a pair of black Clark's Wavewalk shoes, and they proved VERY comfortable for long walks! Most of the trip I stayed in yoga pants, knit tops, and these shoes, which looked casual but by no means sloppy--never felt self-conscious. The shoes were a great buy at about $110.)


Among the warnings I received about crime was the notice that radio scanners are now used in some places for identity theft, by taking information from sensitive strips on passports, credit cards, etc., without any contact with the victim. To prevent this, cards and passports can be stored in "RFID-protective" wallets and holders, and I got such a wallet for myself--it held my cards and my passport. My husband scoffed and declined to use any such measure--he also declined to use the money belt his father lent him. We used credit cards only at the hotel, and paid cash everywhere else.

As I say, we never faced any pickpocketing or pilfering. On our return home, I did have a phone message from my credit card issuer, questioning our Istanbul hotel charges (I had forgotten to call and inform them of our trip). The issuer also said that my credit card number had appeared on a list of "potentially compromised" numbers--our account was being issued a new number, destroy our current cards, etc.

Was the compromise linked to using the cards in Istanbul without notifying? Had my husband compromised security by not using an RFID wallet? Was this something else entirely? The young woman on the phone did not know and could not tell me. We haven't checked to see about our passports.

Speaking of passports, that's something else I failed to do this time--before a trip, it's a good idea to make TWO photocopies of one's passport photo and infor. One photocopy stays in a secure place at home, and the other in a secure place in the hotel room--makes it easier if theft happens.

We got around the city in taxis, and found that very easy and relatively economical. Cleverer people than I figure out how to take the tram and underground funicular (!) to get from the area above Taxim Square down to the old city, but cabs worked fine for us. There was one VERY slow rush hour ride.

On our group trip we rode on a bus, and as usual in old places I marveled at the nimble driving--the driver took the bus down some narrow streets very deftly, more deftly than I could take my Miata! The drivers go fast and close to each other on the highways. They obviously know what they're doing, but I don't think I could possibly emulate them--don't have those reflexes.

I enjoyed the food on this trip, though we did nothing very adventurous--


Breakfast every morning was at the Hilton, and it was as bounteous as what we usually encounter in a European hotel breakfast room. Lots and lots of different foods, and plenty of tea to accompany it! (Not Turkish tea, but breakfast tea with milk.)

Others eating were also hotel guests, and most were the usual middle-aged couples and older groups one sees. But a few couples were unusual--the man would be my age, more or less, and the woman would be quite young, early to mid-20s. Each young woman was strikingly pretty, tall, leggy, model-looking.

The explanation became clear when I saw that there was a surgeon's conference being held at the convention center next to our hotel. Now I understood, and I thought it was SO NICE for these successful, middle-aged, male surgeons to bring their beautiful young daughters on a trip to Istanbul!


My husband and I had lunch at a museum café or two, but if I was alone I'd just get a little glass of Turkish tea--the little tulip-shaped glass of fragrant tea served with sugar. I avoided Turkish coffee, fearful of coffee nerves--there was such crowding in the huge city that I was already on edge all the time! At the coffee/tea houses I would see hookahs ("bubble pipes"), and figured they were there to appeal to tourists. But several times I saw folks who looked like locals using them.

My only solo lunch at a restaurant was at Borsa, a VERY good restaurant close to our hotel. I had the best tomato soup I've ever had in my life! The waiter had brought a little dish of sharp cheese, like pecorino, with the bread, and I shaved off bits of it to add to the soup. SO GOOD!

Bookmarking! Can't wait to read this.

smalti, you're very understanding of older men taking young inexperienced relatives, if not daughters, with them on their expense accounts to see the world and gain some culture, despite the burden and the potential liability. I totally admire their sacrifice.

Thanks, TDudette! Hope you enjoy the report!


That 's true, otherchelebi, that is an admirable sacrifice! My husband thought the men were being very noble too!

I forgot to mention above the very nice view from the breakfast room windows--it was a good way to start every morning, looking at the view of the Bosphorus and the hills, while drinking pot after pot of tea!


Anyway, as I say, solo lunch was not my thing, except once at Borsa, a very good restaurant I saw recommended by otherchelebi on another thread. We had dinner there our first night as well--I had lamb manti, a Turkish dish which is sort of like meat-filled tortellini or ravioli. It's covered with a yogurt sauce--very nice!


For dinner I'd return to the hotel to meet my husband. He would be in his conference meetings all day, and then usually have another meeting at the Hilton, so he'd be tired and just want to eat at one of the hotel restaurants. Mostly we ate at the little bar/grill with the 2nd floor balcony that had a good outdoor view.

One night he ordered fish & chips, and the fish turned out to be fried salmon! That was a first for both of us to see, though I read that serving salmon is still relatively new in Turkey.

I tried Efes beer, a Turkish brew, and liked it! One night a group of us had a bottle of red Turkish wine, and found it very good.

We had a couple of dinners in the Lebanese restaurant on the Hilton's 9th floor, where the lamb was very good! Tried a dessert there, called "pumpkin in syrup"--this seemed like a kind of candied pumpkin and was VERY good. Plenty sweet, even leaving off the syrup.

And I did eventually finish the 5-liter bottle of water I bought at the start of the trip, and carried up to the hotel room! Staying hydrated on a trip is not easy, but it's important!

We saw some things in Istanbul that we will never come close to forgetting, and I'm so happy that we finally got to make this trip! I will never, ever forget the Ayasofya!

However, I do realize that it would have been better if we could have made this trip some years ago--I've reached an age where the level of intensity that is always to be found in Istanbul is hard on me. The intensity comes mostly from the sheer number of people there, and from the inevitable constantly high level of activity that accompanies that! The population of Istanbul is officially listed at about 14 million, which is a LOT of people, but many of the people we talked with said that the population is really closer to 20 MILLION!! What a huge number that is!

So, given that I'm no spring chicken, and given that I'm used to dealing with my medium-sized city at home, Istanbul took a toll on me. My husband had difficulty mainly with the very long trip from the US to Turkey, and the toll long hours of flight took on him.

If we return someday to Istanbul (and I hope we will), there are things we can do for an easier, perhaps better, visit--

We could break up the excruciatingly long flight, by stopping, say in Rome, for a few days before continuing to Turkey, making the travel easier.

We could pick a hotel by our own needs (rather than being driven by a conference location's convenience). Select a hotel in the Sultanahmet district and walk to attractions. Take a break during the day and rest briefly in our room, then resume sightseeing (as I saw recommended on another thread).

Limit our time in Istanbul to perhaps four days.

But probably the best way to improve a trip to Istanbul is something I can only suggest to others: TRAVEL TO ISTANBUL WHILE YOU ARE STILL YOUNG, AND BEST ABLE TO TAKE ON THE INTENSITY OF THIS PULSATING CITY!

I wish a wonderful trip to all who go!

Great report smalti!

Now what! You hit your bucket list in a big way this time.
Thank you for taking me back to Turkey albeit I only read the first part of your report. I'll come back for the rest at my next tea break.

Too bad about the crowds and the scaffolding at the Hagia. Seems to me that they had some sort of staggered entry process when we went there. We were able to really take our time roaming around.

We stayed at The Four Seasons (someone else paid) - is the Hilton up close by? If I did it again I'd stay closer to the old part of town.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Cathie--glad you enjoyed it!


Thanks, cybor! Taking some time at the Hagia Sophia is indeed crucial! (For me, it is the best thing in Istanbul, easily.) And staying close by it, in the old part of town, would be the best thing for a second trip!

Your trip review was very helpful to me. We are going to Istanbul for the last 4 days of October. I am wondering what the weather was like in late October. Would you say you needed winter type clothes? Do you remember about what the temp was?
Thanks! I have printed out your list of things to do and I am so grateful to have it.