Istanbul is a city that will captivate forever

FROMthe news of a new morning in Istanbul just envelops you. A cup of aromatic strong coffee invigorates and uplifts the mood. And now you are already on the deck of a powerful ferry, which smoothly cuts through the blue waters of the Bosphorus. You, throwing back your hair disheveled by the wind and looking fascinated at the birds flying past, pensive Turks with fresh newspapers, the spiers of minarets visible in the distance, and you can’t believe - here it is, Great Istanbul, a hotbed of morals, an oasis for pickpockets and a Mecca of travelers ... It is right in front of you and is ready to accept you in his oriental hospitable arms...

I discovered Istanbul from the moment I heard Dj.Romeo's song “One Night In Istanbul” 5 years ago, then I decided that I would definitely see this city. And I was not mistaken!) It was under this song that I subsequently made a slide show of our trip. Before Istanbul, I have repeatedly been to Turkey, but Istanbul is not the Turkey that opens up to you from the Antalya coast, it is much larger, more beautiful and more interesting.

Istanbul is a “town in a snuffbox” and a real country within a country. Istanbul is not big no, it is a colossal, large-scale, impressive, a whole giant anthill. He made a lasting impression of Moscow on me - the same feeling of a small person in a huge city. Yes, Moscow, but only with minarets.

Istanbul is incredibly beautiful and generously endowed with historical sights. The Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, a scattering of bazaars, the city is full of must-see places, coupled with a huge number of narrow ornate streets, eateries and canals.

Istanbul is incredibly multifaceted, it is secular and at the same time extremely oriental, it is inhumanly green, greenery and bushes sprout here like weeds, they are everywhere like salt in the sea, here you will see a portrait of Ataturk everywhere - he is a local star, the city is located both in Europe and in Asia, divided into parts by the Bosphorus, there are many bridges and even more people.

Only in Istanbul there is a real culture of fast food. It is impossible to stay hungry here - and here it is godlessly tasty. Even if you can’t stand shawarma and others like it, forget it and try it, you haven’t eaten so tasty yet. Istanbul has the most fragrant black coffee, it is sold everywhere. With the first sip of such a piping strong drink, you will fall in love with Istanbul and long for its signature coffee for a very long time.

For me, Istanbul has become a hail of smells - spices, perfumes, spices, dressed leather, the aroma of fresh pastries, salty sea breeze, flowers, incense, marshmallow, baklava, coffee, cinnamon, oils ... everything is mixed together here, every chair in the cafe smells, every turn on the cobbled streets, each bought a magnet.

In Istanbul, there is nothing clear and real in the usual sense for us, it denies monochrome - associations and mixes reign here, political correctness and a mixture of styles, impurities are everywhere, but all this gives an incredible sense of unity, like an ornate pattern on a catchy Turkish national costume.

I love sunsets. And the sunset over Istanbul is a striking sight - a fiery pink sky, low-flying birds and sharp towers of minarets. The sunset from the ferry is especially good.

I knew I was going to love Istanbul, a rugged oriental city with a touch of western chic. Very colorful. Very much. Istanbul hits all organs of perception at once, touches all the strings in the soul and receptors in the body.

Time has passed ... We have been at home for a long time, the hard and busy day, the cold on the plane, the delay of the night flight and wild fatigue have faded from memory ... they were replaced by a feeling of fullness and joy. Istanbul is beautiful and friendly, it is not at all pretentious and welcomes everyone who comes to it with peace and interest!

Alexandra Yarovaya for Travelgide.ru