GO HERE INSTEAD of the Blue Mosque (near Spice Bazaar) Istanbul, Turkey

One of the top things to do in Istanbul is to visit the famous Blue Mosque but it's been under maintenance and restoration for the last few years and doesn't look like it will be complete any time soon which really limits what you can see.

We came across a brilliant alterative to the Blue Mosque called Rüstem Pasha which is located very close to the spice Bazaar and though it's much smaller, it also has the gorgeous blue Iznik tiles which the Blue Mosque is famous for (and Rüstem Pasha was built by the Blue Mosque's architect's teacher - the legendary Sinan The Great).

The delicious fish wrap was incredible but be aware that the queue can get long, fast! We went almost at opening time to avoid too long a wait.

Sokak Lezzeti
Address: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Mumhane Cd. No:35, 34425 Beyoğlu/İstanbul

Another must-visit place in Istanbul is one of the underground cisterns. The biggest and most popular is probably Basilica Cistern but it's temporarily closed due to restoration works so we visited Theodosius Cistern which is smaller but older too. On the way to Theodosius Cistern, you can visit the Column of Constantine by getting off the tram at Çemberlitaş. Note that there is a light show that runs at Theodosius Cistern every hour so entry is based on session times.

Şerefiye Cistern (Theodosius Cistern)
Address: Binbirdirek, Piyer Loti Cd. No:2/1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul

Most people who pass through Sultanahmet Square to go visit the famous Hagia Sophia and/or the Blue Mosque, probably don't realise but it's where the Hippodrome of Constantinople once stood though there's not much of its remains left unless you know what you're looking at. The most impressive of the remains though is definitely the Obelisk of Theodosius. It looks so well preserved that it could be easily mistaken for a modern monument when it is in fact about 3,500 years old.

If you visit the spice bazaar in Istanbul, be sure to pay a visit to Mesut in his Marmara Lokum shop. Absolutely delicious and priced by the weight. Mesut can also vacuum seal the boxes for you to help keep them fresh and tasty for longer.

Marmara Lokum (Turkish Delight)
Address: Rüstem Paşa, Mısır Çarşısı No:26, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul
http://www.marmaralokum.com.tr/

We stayed in a very residential area in Istanbul and we had a few favourite local spots that we would regularly eat at. One was a place that made incredible pide that even til now, we haven't tasted better around Turkey! The chefs are brothers and their nephew too, while Kerem and his lovely mum run the store front. Wonderful people and amazingly tasty food.

Dikilitaş Pide Lahmacun (Beşiktaş)
Address: Dikilitaş, Hora Sk. 4/A, 34349 Beşiktaş/İstanbul
  / dikilitas_pide  

#istanbul #turkey #türkiye

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VLOG DATE: 24 May 2022
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