Things to do in Amsterdam

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 Amsterdam Every year, to celebrate my birthday, I travel somewhere, in 2019 I went to Morocco , in 2020 to Israel and this year (2022) I decided to visit Amsterdam. It was a long time since I wanted to visit this city and there I have a friend that I wanted to see, so with these three points combined, I decided to visit Amsterdam in winter. I spent five days in Amsterdam and I visited the city plus some places outside like Zaanse Schans, Zandvoort and Haarlem. One important thing is that I forgot my camera so all the pictures were taken with my phone, maybe the quality is not high but I think they are anyway beautiful. Amsterdam is the capital and the most populous city of the Netherlands, with a population close to a million. It is colloquially referred to as the "Venice of the north" due to the large number of canals which form a UNESCO world heritage site since 2010. Amsterdam was founded at the Amstel, the city's name derives from the Amstel dam, originating as a sm

Things to do in Istanbul, Asian part | Travel Blog

Istanbul

While in the first part I was talking about European Istanbul in this post I will describe the Asian region. 
The other side of the Bosphorus is quite different and very interesting. The areas of that part of the city are quite distinct between each other and very characteristics. I have to say that some places to visit were close because of the pandemic situation, so I had time to visit these areas that most probably I wouldn't.

Kuzguncuk

This is one of the places I loved the most, mainly because it surprised me positively. The architecture is particular, I didn't expect it in Istanbul: wooden houses full of colours, nice shops, restaurants and cafes with tables and chairs on the street.






The word Kuzguncuk means "little raven" or "barred window of a prison door" in Turkish. The name is said to come from Kuzgun Baba who lived in the area during the time of the sultan Mehmet II. I have to say that I felt a different atmosphere here on the Asian side, Istanbul indeed has two souls.

Beylerbeyi Palace

Near Kuzguncuk, immediately north of the Bosphorus bridge, there is the imperial Ottoman summer residence. It was used also to entertain visiting heads of state and its position facing the Bosphorus is amazing.





The palace now is a museum, is possible to visit it indoors and outdoors, and the thing that I enjoyed the most is the view of the Bosphorus from the sidewalk directly on the water (3rd picture in the above block). 

Kadikoy

Another characteristic area of Istanbul is Kadikoy, it is a residential area also full of bars, restaurants, bookshops and it is the cultural centre of the Anatolian side of Istanbul. 
I liked the atmosphere of this district, active with a lot of people and energy, with different places to visit and things to do.




The most characteristic thing of this district is the nostalgic tram T3, it looks like an ancient tram line but it was introduced in 2003. The line is 2.6 km long with 10 stops, the tram has a single track loop to do that goes clockwise.

Spices Bazaar

Back to the European side, on the last day, I went to the spices bazaar. It is the most famous covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar, and comparing this one with it it looks small, but it is one of the largest of the city.




The Bazaar is located in the Fatih district and it is part of the complex of the New Mosque. I love all the bazaars that I visited, and this one is also one of these, the smells and the colours are unique, maybe a bit touristic and less traditional than the Grand Bazaar but also beautiful.

Galata tower

The last thing that I visited in Istanbul was the Galata tower that is a medieval tower in the Karakoy district. During the period when the republic of Genoa was occupying the city the tower was called the "Tower of Christ". 





The tower is 60 m tall, and it hosts a restaurant and a club and you can visit it and see the view of the Bosphorus by buying a ticket. From 2013 it is included in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage temporary list in Turkey. In the last two pictures, you can see the narrow streets that lead to the tower and the Galata bridge on the golden horn.
Istanbul surprised me positively, for the city itself and for the people that was amazing. After this trip, I went directly to Kyrgyzstan where I stayed for two months, another incredible adventure.

Comments

  1. The bazaar is pretty and the palace looks stunning. Great photos!

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  2. Istanbul sounds amazing. I can't decide where sounds interesting as I would love to see all of them. You photos are brilliant. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Thank you for your comment! Istanbul is big, with a lot of great things to see!

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  3. Woow, these are really great photos. You are really talented. You can definitely share them on your instagram or any other platform to gain a great audience. The Beylerbeyi Palace is very beautiful. I hope to be able to visit it someday.

    Thank you for sharing such great photos and information. It is always fun learning about new places.

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    1. Thank you for the nice comment!!! you can find my instagram account here on the left of the page.

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  4. This was so interesting to read! I've learnt about some new places to add to my list when I visit Istanbul such as the Spices Bazaar. The building which it is in is beautiful. I loved the details on the ceiling. Also, the Asian part of the city looked really cool. I'd be really interested in checking out the Galata Tower. I love anything built in the medieval period, so this would be top of my list. Great post!

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    1. Thank you!! Nice to know that this post it was useful for another traveller!

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  5. There seems to be much to explore and learn about in Istanbul -- it seems like an amazing place to get some great travel memories!

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    1. Yes it is! Istanbul is huge and full of great places!

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  6. Beautiful scenery 😍😍😍

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  7. I have visited Istanbul already, but you brought back my memories. I would love to go again, after such an inspirational post.

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    1. Thank you for the nice comment! It's nice to know that I reach my goal!

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