The first thing you notice as the plane touches down in Istanbul is red: red stretches as far as the eye can see on the rooftops of the thousands of buildings that form the city. This turns out to be an accurate indication of what is to come, because really the best way I can describe Istanbul, is with the color red and the smell of warm cinnamon. Both are rich, decadent, and connote an oriental influence.

            The first thing we did while in Turkey was actually to leave the city and travel to the east of Turkey to visit a friend in Samsun. Samsun is a pretty small city widely known in Turkey as General Ataturk’s landing spot and not much else. Our friend Abigail (check out her blog “Merhaba”) met us at the airport late at night and we made plans to meet early the next morning. It was a lucky coincidence that Abigail was still in Turkey and I am so glad that we could take advantage of that and explore a less touristy city with someone familiar with the language and culture. She took us to her favorite lunch spot and afterwards we had the most delicious baklava I have ever tasted in a teeny bakery off the main street. We walked all over the city and hopped from chai house to eatery just catching up and swapping international exchange stories before meeting 2 of her American friends for a traditional Turkish dinner called pide (it’s basically Turkish pizza). We were sad to say goodbye, but excited to go explore the cultural epicenter of the only country in both Europe and Asia!

            Back in Istanbul, we spent the first day orienting ourselves in the city and exploring the Topakapi Palace and the Aya Sofya museum. One of the first things we noticed as we walked through the massive gates of the Topakapi palace, were 6-10 wolf-like dogs sprawled out in various places across the extensive green lawns. Venturing into the heart of the palace, we shambled through a room decorated in beautiful reds and gold with the biggest bed I have ever seen. Deciding to skip the treasury (the line was distressingly long and really how many crown jewels can you see in one month anyway?) we walked around a really cool exhibit on the clothing worn by royals and entered the most beautiful building in the palace, the chapel. Forbidden to take pictures, we simply absorbed the traditional blue tiling, highly ornate ceilings, and beautiful gold and jeweled artifacts dotting the walkways. We snacked on some roasted hazelnuts and sesame bread on our way out and considered a few Fez for our brother before jumping in line for the Aya Sofya, an impressive building which once housed a Sultan’s harem. Upon entering the building we were greeted by a colossal archway decorated with gold religious symbols.  The Aya Sofya itself is a massive room with a balcony wrapped all the way around the perimeter upstairs and beautiful chandeliers hanging low in the room, illuminating complex mosaics and golden details. Wandering through the enormous open space, I tried to imagine the busy and exotic harems I had read about in novels occupying the area and found it surprisingly easy with all of the glowing light and extravagant decorations. Next up, The Grand Bazaar!

            We started off our “Bazaar day” on a tour which would take us to the spice Bazaar and then on a river cruise down the River Bosphorus. The spice bazaar seemed plain from the outside; it was a simple stone building in the shape of an L resting on the edge of a square full of pigeons. However, upon entering, we were caught off guard by the neon signage and earthy-colored rows of spices extending on either side as our noses filled with the powerful smell of cinnamon and jasmine and several spices which I couldn’t name. We were offered nuts of all kinds and pieces of Turkish Delight by enthusiastic vendors looking to tempt us into buying something. We did end up buying some Turkish Delight and took plenty of pictures before rejoining the group for our river cruise.

            I definitely recommend the river cruise down the Bosphorus, if only because somewhere down the line as you are half listening to the tour guide and enjoying the breeze, you will look out and realize that you are perched between two continents, Asia to your left and Europe to your right. It was such a cool feeling as I sat there and saw two continents stretching out into the distance on either side of me, at which point I really felt like a traveler, out to do nothing more than explore the world and all of its many cultures and traditions. Despite the amazing views and beautiful riverside palaces, that defining moment was truly the best part of the morning’s tour. After climbing back on the bus with several other tourists at the end of the cruise, we were finally headed over to explore one of Turkey’s most famous landmarks, The Grand Bazaar.

            You could easily spend days in the Grand Bazaar, either perusing each stall diligently and navigating through the many passageways, or trying your very best to get out once you are satisfied with your purchases. Despite the confusing and mazelike design, a day in the Grand Bazaar is an experience like no other. Following a tour group down an odd pathway, the bazaar rose imposingly before us flanked on either side by long streets jam-packed with vendors selling everything from freshly peeled apples to gym socks. Entering the bazaar, armed with cash and recently caffeinated at Starbucks, we were immediately bombarded by a tidal wave of sound and a visual rush of color and motion. Stretching out before us was a long corridor lined with stores selling everything and anything you could possibly imagine, a rainbow of goods reflecting or creating their own light and adding to the dynamic crush of visual stimulants so diverse it was overwhelming. Coming from every direction were the cries of venders hawking their goods to anyone who passed them by. I was especially popular, as I was carrying a large camera and many of them sought to be photographed. Shouts of “very good price here!” and “you speak English? Parlez Francais?“ were magnified tenfold as they reverberated off of every wall and sparked competitions among the sellers as they vied for attention.  Continuing down the maze of hallways and offshoots, I snapped photos ceaselessly and mentally reviewed the “rules of haggling” in my head. We ended up coming out with two beautiful bracelets handmade in Turkey and a serious headache after getting lost for a little while. The Grand Bazaar is a remarkable place and an incomparable experience fueled as much by the inevitable confusion and mild stress associated with losing your way as it is by the excited feeling you get while haggling over a beautiful piece and the unmatched vibrancy and energy you find yourself in the midst of. Simply put, the Grand Bazaar is an intrepid traveler’s dream come true.

            After having read about it and being told by 2 separate people that the Blue Mosque is unmissable, it was clear that it was worth a visit. After removing my shoes and dutifully wrapping a scarf around my head to obscure my hair I shuffled behind a small line of tourists towards the entrance. I cannot even describe the sense of awe that overcame me as I stepped into the building. Stretching out above me was the staggeringly ornate ceiling of the mosque and beneath my feet, one of the softest carpets I have ever stood on. Like nearly all the other tourists, I was standing tall, head was craned backwards and eyes fixated on the blue tiles blanketing the ceiling, a stark contrast to the local men bowing in prayer at the front of the mosque, noses to the floor. I felt as though I couldn’t take enough pictures. Not since the Sistine chapel had I seen such a beautiful and wholly captivating architectural masterpiece.

            It’s hard to pick favorites, especially when I have been lucky enough to see some of the most beautiful cities in the world, but whenever I am asked, “What was your favorite place this year?” My answer is Istanbul. It’s hard to describe why, but the clash of cultures and vivacious mix of color, smell and sound quite simply resonated with me in a way that few other cities (so far, only London and Tokyo) have.