Morning Walk in Istanbul

My plane touched down just before 5:00am at Istanbul International Airport. I was on the way home from Thailand to visit my family in the US and was going to be taking a stopover to break the trip up a bit and to get the chance to explore somewhere new.

I took a taxi into the old part of the city to the hotel where I was going to be staying. It was around 6:30, but it was still as dark as midnight outside. It was also very cold! In fact, Istanbul had even had its first snow just a few days before I arrived. Coming from Thailand, I was woefully unprepared for the weather! I ended up looking pretty ridiculous in my Chaco sandals, but at least I had a hoodie with me.

Even though check-in was at 2pm, the guy working at the hotel took pity on me after my long flight from Bangkok and let me go up to my room early. After a nice hot shower and a change of clothes, I was ready to set out to explore Istanbul. I needed to pick up a plug adapter, so I took a walk to find a nearby local shop.

Istanbul is an endlessly fascinating city. It's ancient - one of the oldest cities in the world - with archaeological evidence of human settlement going back to the 6th millennium BC. Records of a city proper go back to around 600 BC, and Istanbul (or Constantinople, as it was known for much of its history) is full of life.

It's a vibrant place with history around every corner.

Even early on that cold, dark morning, I was amazed to see so many people walking around.

I can see why so many people fall in love with Istanbul.

the tomb of Fuad Paşa, a grand vizier who died in 1869

My walk took me to Sultanahmet Square, a large square in the Old Town that used to be the site of the Hippodrome of Constantinople, where horse and chariot races were held for hundreds of years during the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras. Today, several monuments of these ancient days are still standing in the square, including the Walled Obelisk, which marked the southern end of the ancient chariot-racing track. The exact age is unknown, but it definitely dates back to late antiquity, and was renovated in the 10th century.

the Walled Obelisk

Another incredible monument in the square is the Obelisk of Theodosius, a monument originally built by Pharaoh Thutmose III (1479–1425 BC), which was moved to Constantinople by Emperor Theodosius I in the 4th century AD.

the Obelisk of Theodosius

Just beyond the square lies the incredible Blue Mosque. Unfortunately, I did not have time to go inside on this visit to Turkey.

the dome of the Blue Mosque

I stopped in at a local bakery for a simit and a cup of coffee. Simit is a type of very popular Turkish street food, similar to a bagel. 

a local bakery

These sesame-encrusted dough rings cost around 10 lira (about $0.35) each. I ate it as I walked back to my hotel.

simit

I had signed up to join a walking food tour, and after changing into long pants (it was really cold!), I set off again on foot to head to the meeting spot. 

I could have taken the metro or a taxi, but it was only about 20 minutes from my hotel, and I have always believed that the best way to see any city is on foot.

People in Istanbul love to walk, but one thing that makes it a little difficult is how hilly the city is (at least on the European side of the Bosphorus). It was like walking in San Francisco.

I think I'd get in pretty good shape if I had to walk around Istanbul every day.

I was to meet my tour group at a coffee shop near the New Mosque. Istanbul is such an ancient city that the "New Mosque" was built in 1665! It was an imperial Ottoman mosque constructed under the orders of the Valide Sultan (Queen Mother) of Sultan Mehmed III.

the New Mosque

The mosque's official name is Valide Sultan Mosque, or Queen Mother Mosque, but everyone still calls it "the New Mosque" to this day.