In this post I’m going to tell you about 5 things to do in Istanbul on a first visit to this wonderful city.
Smoking a shisha or water pipe.
The water pipe or narghile is very typical of Arab places or Turkish culture. So, one thing you have to do in Istanbul is to visit a shisha smokehouse. And I’m talking about a shisha smokehouse, because although you can try the water pipe in many bars and terraces, it’s worth visiting some specific place where locals (and also travellers) come specifically to enjoy this moment which for them is a social act.
It should be borne in mind that the sweet taste of the aroma of the shisha gives rise to enjoy not only regular smokers, but also non-smokers (this is my case, for example). One of our favorite places to take the shisha is the Corlulu Ali Pasa Medresesi, near the Grand Bazaar. It is an old madrasa, full of carpets and with a sweet smell of a water pipe that invites you in.
Have a mint tea overlooking the Golden Horn.
You can have a mint tea (or apple tea) in many places of this city. However, one thing to do in Istanbul is to enjoy the sunset from the top of Café Pierre Loti. There you will enjoy a wonderful view of the Golden Leather, so we think it is an excellent place to have a mint tea and let the hours go by.
Take a Turkish bath.
Truly, enjoying this Ottoman pleasure is something you should not miss in this city. Among the historical Turkish baths are the Cemberlitas or the Cagaloglu, which are the most expensive (the full service will cost you about 50 euros). If you don’t want to spend so much money you can book the Aga Hamami on this link. It is also a bath with centuries of history and will allow you to know what Turkish baths consist of.
Go to a spectacle of the dervishes giróvagos.
Another thing to do in Istanbul is to go to a dervish show. It is a mystical dance typical of a Sufi order that has its origin in Konya. The truth is that you can also go to their dances in this city, but this would be within a trip throughout Turkey, as Konya is located 700 km from Istanbul.
A good place to get to know the dances of the derviches giróvagos is at the Hocapaşa Culture Center. You must book on this link. The drinks are included with the show and the truth is that nothing is expensive.
Take a Bosphorus cruise.
Another of Istanbul’s classics. If you have at least three days in Istanbul, you can spend an afternoon on a Bosphorus cruise. It will allow you to get to know, from a new point of view, some of the palaces of this strait (such as the Dolmabaçe Palace or the Berleybeyi Palace) or to reach the fortresses close to the Black Sea, such as Rumeli Hisari. You can hire cruises in English or Spanish.
Listen to the spectacle of the muecines from the top of Torre Galata.
You know that something to see in Istanbul is the Galata Tower, of Genoese origin. An ideal time to climb to the top of this watchtower is mid-afternoon, coinciding with the call to prayer from hundreds of minarets in the mosques of Istanbul. Pay attention to the days before what time the muecin sings (each day changes time) and climb to the top of the Galata Tower a few minutes before. It’s a magical moment. In addition, the views from the Galata Tower are truly spectacular.
