So far, we’ve left the hotel each morning and turned right
to amble up the hill towards the Hippodrome area but today our curiosity got
the better of us and we decided to see what happened if we turned left.
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| Our hotel - Serdivan Apart |
Turning left led us into a not so touristy neighbourhood,
full of back street cafes, corner shops and sunbathing cats.
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| Turning left out of the front door |
We caught a glimpse of some of the
traditional wooden style Turkish houses, many of which appeared abandoned and
in ruins.
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| Traditional Turkish houses made of wood |
Eventually we came across the little Haghia Sophia, as the
name suggests a much smaller version of its larger sister. We weren’t able to see inside as it’s the Muslim
festival of Eid Al-Adha so many things are closed for the next few days but we
were still able to appreciate its decorative features from outside.
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| Little Haghia Sophia |
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| Decorative motif inside the vaulted ceiling |
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| Entrance to the Little Haghia Sophia |
Having looped round the back of the Blue Mosque we headed
off towards the Galata Tower and Taksim
Square for a second tour of this modern
part of town.
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| Galata Tower |
I’ve noticed that there’s a distinct difference between this
side of the river and the old town area where we are based. For a start, the shops tend to be larger, modern
clothing stores and popular international chains.
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| Heading up towards Taksim Square |
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| Galatasaray - an area of Istanbul & one of its footie clubs |
Unlike the quaint touristy
Sultanahmet area, this part of town is bustling with a young, trendy kind of
vibe where the traditional mixes with the modernity of a vibrant city.
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| You can never go hungry in Istanbul |
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| Ice cream vendors |
MORE ABOUT:
Galata Tower - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galata_Tower
Taksim Square - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23169879
Galatasaray - http://www.galatasaray.org/en/
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