Istanbul the magical city

 

photo by Engin Yapici from unsplash

“A city is a place where there is no need to wait for next week to get the answer to a question, to taste the food of any country, to find new voices to listen to and familiar ones to listen to again."

If you think this is a description of Istanbul city you’re almost right 

I moved to Istanbul about four years ago and since then I fall in love with it each time, Istanbul is a big city and any trip from where you live will take about one to two hours depending on where you are going and what transportation do you use, a car or public transportations, while Istanbul considered the largest city in Turkey as the country's economic, cultural and historic hub, and has a population of over 15 million residents

The city's local public transportation system is a network of commuter trains, trams, funiculars, metro lines, buses, bus rapid transit, and ferries. Fares across modes are integrated, using the contactless Istanbulkart, introduced in 2009, while Trams dates back to 1872 when they were horse-drawn, but even the first electrified trams were decommissioned in the 1960s, It also has the world’s second subterranean rail line (after London's Metropolitan Railway) called The Tünel which opened in 1875

Photo by Fatih from Unsplash

While people have multiple opinions about living in the city, I'd say it’s better to try it for yourself before making a whole judgment about it, Unless you hate traffic and how noisy big cities are, other than that it is truly a wonderful, beautiful place, during my day’s off I go out and discover the unseen places, I’ve made a whole want to go list saved in google maps, and with each site I go I feel like a tourist it never stops amazes you

I have an urgent curiosity during my visit to any country to know the history of the cities, I used to believe I love to live in a quiet place in a wooden house inside a forest or a little house near the lake but that was not the case, I love hearing the sound of cars in the morning, the smell of fresh bread, seeing people walk to get to work or school, these little things that made a life

Walking in the old streets of the city is like walking in an outdoor museum. You will be amazed by the magnificence of each piece, with the accuracy of the details carved into it, the beauty of its architecture, the diversity of colors used in each shape, and the simplicity at the same time. I spent hours wandering around Istanbul's historical places, reading everything written and comparing its history and what I had previously read. It is really unique and wonderful how civilizations possessed the simplest tools with a few possibilities available around them, to produce a work of this magnificence 

While the wonderful part of living in such a city is that it has Rivers, lakes, forests, and beaches, all a few minutes away from modern and ancient cities, as each district held a unique historical mystery, Even a small trip through Beyoglu street clearly reveals the history of the district

Photos taken by Ruqaya Alnajafi 

I was walking near eminonu  between the old alleys on the cobble-stoned streets, in order to go to the Postal Museum, I got lost and randomly notice an old beautiful building dating back to the eighteenth century, decorated with beautiful architecture, it turned into a cafe, preserving its archaeological character, I went inside and sat to feel some of its history and it was more beautiful from the inside, besides this building, you will find several buildings holding the same character here 

Photos taken by me

And if you are close to this area, you can go to the Pera Palace Hotel, about 2 km from your location. I visited the hotel three times and did not get tired of it. The hotel contains several rooms and a salon confined only to those inside the hotel, but there are two rooms allowed to visit: the room of Agatha Christie and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Tourists also come to see the elevator, which is the oldest elevator in Europe. Entering the hotel, you will immediately feel that you are  I went back in time to the nineteenth century, the furniture, and the shape of the place is really impressive, they managed to preserve their shape

The hotel was originally built in 1892 to host the passengers of the Orient Express and was named after the place where it is located. It holds the title of "the oldest European hotel in Turkey".

Photos taken by me

While isitklal street is one of the most crowded places in Istanbul, the bombing certainly did not affect the people to visit it more, besides the historical place walking in the street is like walking on a runway

Photo taken by R.A

After a walk through history, I walked in the alley to go to the seaside, the city is usually full of green places and the seaside is often lined with trees and parks, people in the summer usually go on a picnic, or do exercise when the weather starts to become warmer you get a slight of fresh air with warm sun, or ride a bicycle  

I also tried to go the other day to the old Balat Street, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Istanbul it contains many buildings and old alleys, I sat in the famous Natvelini Café to try it, I saw it on many pics on the internet but never had the chance to go see it, the café represents Turk history in the seventies of the current century

Photo by Süheyl Burak

I had some time, so I decided to go to the Kadikoy area located on the Asian side by ferry, you must go first to Eminonu which contains a port that takes you where you want to go, it was my first time riding a ferry to cross to the Asian side and was an amazing experience, you can see a lot of the historical buildings and museum and enjoy while enjoying the sea and feeding the birds, after I arrived I walked four minutes to the alley and let me tell you it was so crowded, I took a walking tour and returned 

 

But You should know one thing about Istanbul you will not have time to visit all the places, so you have to divide your visits into days and choose the areas that are closer to you.

Photos taken by R.A

on weekends early in the morning, I go to enjoy breakfast at mum’s cafe located in Beyoglu, before the city regains its vitality, the place is filled with tourists, because of the proximity of the site to the famous Galata Port Tower, the area becomes crowded with people holding their cameras and taking pictures and posing in front of the landmarks

And in case you wanted to go to the local bazaars, during the days of the week, a Farmer’s Market is held usually in every area, divided according to the day of the week 

Istanbul Old buildings 

Photo by R.A

The multiculturalism that the city has gone through is clearly shown in the form of the city Since various cultures have lived together here throughout history, Istanbul has an exceptional cultural structure, The Pera of this period was a place where Armenians, Greeks, Jews, Europeans, and Ottoman citizens lived together, giving it a unique, cosmopolitan structure

The history of the city during its time as Byzantium, Constantinople, and then Istanbul, as well as the history of the transformation processes in between, has been presented from religious, political, and economic perspectives and from various angles of daily life with many different models

historical buildings may be the best way to trace the past, as Many of the old buildings resemble European buildings dating back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and can be seen in many areas of old Istanbul, 

and the reason for this resemblance is due to the aftermath of World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Republic.  Turkish architects, so architects from European countries were brought in so that the urban form took a new style based on the classical style, limited only to public buildings.

In the 19th century, Western influence began to show itself in Turkish lands and Istanbul had a colorful urban fabric consisting of different cultures, social structures, and economies woven together. The Western influence made itself felt in the architectural designs as well. 

However, civilizations preserved the shape of the city and added to it its own identity

And I believe cities have so much effect on humans, in their behaviors  how they think and our mental health you can be happy or not affected by a city you are living in without knowing why