Istanbul Help Please

[Hlitner]

17 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

Hank, I am reminded that we did not walk all the way downhill.  We explored some of Eyup Cemetery which is on the hillside before catching the gondola down.  There should be online info about Eyup Cemetery, a really quite interesting place to visit, although recommending a short stroll through it is a somewhat strange suggestion.

 

We did that day on a port day, not when on a city break. if you  have not yet ferried along the Golden Horn or visited Eyup, I can recommend it.  The museum visit would depend on your interests although the exhibits are extremely varied and both inside and outside.  There will be info and images of it online.  It was very quiet the morning we were there with only a handful of visitors other than ourselves, but we enjoyed it.  Lucky lucky Mr Koc to own all these "boy toys".😀

 

We do appreciate your post/advice.  I printed-out your info and DW put it in her trusty folder that she takes on our trips :).  That little visit to Istanbul is going to cost us in terms of lost sleep.  Since we decided to simply route ourselves to Tokyo, via Istanbul we have left ourselves with a big jet lag problem.  But since we old folks are not the best sleepers, so be it.  Since we are only going to spend 2 days in Istanbul, that is hardly enough time to recover from the 7 hour time change.  And than its back out to the airport for a late-night flight to Tokyo and another 6 hours!   Should be lots of fun.

 

Hank

[edinburgher]

14 hours ago, Hlitner said:

  I printed-out your info and DW put it in her trusty folder that she takes on our trips :).

Hank, very kind of you to acknowledge.  It was a suggestion I thought you and others reading this might find useful although it is more likely to appeal to returning visitors rather than first timers.

 

It was an interesting day for us as everything we did and saw was new to us and there wasn't anything we didn't like.  It was also really easy to DIY our day and the museum was far more interesting than we had expected it to be.I just now looked and reviews are still very good.

 

There will be online info and images about ferries along the Golden Horn to Eyup, including their location, ticketing and timetables, the museum and Eyup itself including the gondola ticketing, so a little homework required to help your day go smoothly.

 

Sorry about potential jetlag issues, but Istanbul is worth it and the more you explore it the more you find and the city is worth a couple more days of jetlag pain.

 

if you were referencing the Princes Islands and the ferries, again some homework is needed as these ferries leave from closer to the train station (or at least they used to)

[cruisemom42]

Many people ignore the wonderful archaeological museum in Istanbul, located next door to Topkapi Palace. It has a great array of artifacts from Turkey's past, where it was always a crossroads for the great ancient civilizations. 

 

They have several statues of Alexander the Great. As well as a renowned carved sarcophagus that is an unbelievably beautiful work of art depicting two scenes from the life of Alexander and includes some of his companions.

 

There's also a great deal of Roman and Byzantine sculpture and other items. Items from Troy (although some have now been moved to the new museum onsite there). Part of the huge chain that once stretched across the Golden Horn to halt enemy ships.

 

In a separate building on the same grounds (the Ancient Orient Museum), there is the original and world's first known "peace treaty" inscribed on a stone (between the Egyptians and the Hittites, who were based in Turkey). It's so significan that a copy can be found at the UN headquarters in NYC. You can also find here some AMAZING glazed tiles with figured animals that were part of the Ishtar gate in Babylon. (Scroll down link to find the discussion). 

 

Of course many of Turkey's treasures have ended up in other museums...like the famous Pergamon museum in Berlin. But these museums in Istanbul are definitely worth a visit.

 

 

[Hambagahle]

Thank you two for all this great information.  I have made a list.  Both of us walk - we are golfers and everyone at our club walks the course - but walking on hard and usually uneven ground is another thing.  We will have to see how it goes!

[edinburgher]

11 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

these museums in Istanbul are definitely worth a visit.

Of course they are, also the three we visited in Berlin, the main reason for our city break to that city.

 

Unfortunately not everyone shares the same passion for archaeology and history, why I made some different suggestions. Topkapi and the Archaeological Museum would be impossible to  schedule into a one day port call if other "top sights" were to be prioritised,  but could be accommodated on a two day call should anyone be interested and we too highly recommend the Archaeological Museum complex.. 

 

On subsequent visits visitors could be looking for something different.

 

The Princes Islands are different from Eyup as the ferry can be used like a HOHO bus as you can choose which islands to come off at and visit before reboarding and heading to the next,  but like the buses,where  in busy cities getting back on can be tricky, on the most busy days such as holidays and on the most popular islands  there could well be  lines at the ferry docks .All islands are pedestrian only, so getting around can be by rented bicycle, walking, or by horse drawn carriages.  It is also possible to simply stay onboard for the round trip ferry journeyaqnd there are great views of Istanbul from the sea

 

There should be much info and many images online.

Edited Sunday at 03:07 PM by edinburgher

[CardowMD]

@cruisemom42Thank you so much for the recommendation for the Archeological Museum. It has been on my list from day 1. Plan to tour after an intensive Topkapi palace site tour.
 If you are ever in Rome. The Villa Guilia Museum, in Borghese Gardens, is the National Etruscan museum, where I spent a few hours exploring. 

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, CardowMD said:

@cruisemom42Thank you so much for the recommendation for the Archeological Museum. It has been on my list from day 1. Plan to tour after an intensive Topkapi palace site tour.
 If you are ever in Rome. The Villa Guilia Museum, in Borghese Gardens, is the National Etruscan museum, where I spent a few hours exploring. 

I’ve enjoyed Villa Giulia twice. Fabulous collection. 😊

[edinburgher]

14 hours ago, CardowMD said:

thank you so much for the recommendation for the Archeological Museum. It has been on my list from day 1. Plan to tour after an intensive Topkapi palace site tour.

Quite the plan for a single day as I think you might find Topkapi more tiring than you expect, especially if you include the additioal harem section, which is not huge but will use some more of your time.

 

And the Archaeological Museum is not one building either, but a few.  If taking the tram from the port to either, you would want to get off one stop before Sultanahmet at Gulhane, which will be announced sounding like "goolhanny". Should you miss it for any reason, get off at the next stop which is Sultanahmet and walk back downhill.

Edited 23 hours ago by edinburgher