Hey Steemit community! The @backpackingchef here!

Today I wanna share with you one of the most beautiful cities I've laid eyes on, so beautiful, that countless civilizations made it the pinacle of their kingdoms. Including the Byzantines, Romans, Ottomans, Greek and even Spartans. An awe-inspiring city where Asia meets Europe!

Istanbul

Blue Mosque lit up for sunset

Istanbul, home to 15 million people, has the largest population of all the cities in Turkey, even though Ankara is the capital!

It is one of the oldest cities in the world, formerly known as Constantinople, and has a vibrant and long history to match.

View of Istanbul nearby Galata Tower

There are many reasons to visit Istanbul, the beautiful mosques, the breathtaking castles, the mouthwatering spice markets, and of course the world famous grand bazaar.

There is one huge problem about visiting Istanbul! The Turkish people are just as warm and inviting as their coffee! You'll never want to leave!

Enjoying a Turkish coffee

One of the favoured past-times in Istanbul is fishing for sardines off the Galata Bridge. Every day, thousands of locals flock to the bridge to catch fresh sardines from the Golden Horn.

If you're in the mood, you can hire a rod and some bait off several locals at the bridge, with extra gear, for those who forgot something, or have a spur of the moment feeling to try their luck at fishing.

And if you don't manage to catch anything and your stomach gets the best of you, you can head below the bridge to grab a fresh sardine sandwich for 6-10TL that the fisherman have just caught!

Galata Bridge fishermen

If you decide to come explore Istanbul, your experience is never complete until you visit the Sulten Ahmed Mosque, also known as Blue Mosque, and the Hagia Sofia.

The beautiful Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque was erected as a sort of rivalry to Hagia Sofia, the Hagia Sofia was originally a christian church of great significance, and later was converted into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire period.

Turkish bride taking her wedding photo

It's popular among the turkish to take their wedding photos at cultural or religiously significant sites, usually the brides seem to find the most beautiful places in Turkey to pose, and if you're lucky, you'll get to see them in their wedding dresses!

The Hagia Sofia

The Hagia Sofia has some of the most beautiful architecture and mosaics I've ever seen. You will probably notice the outside of the mosque looks slightly unusual. It's because originally it was built as a church, then converted into a mosque.

The minarets were added at several different times, as well as extensions and repairs to the initial building, and for some reason they all seem to be of slightly different style than the original church.

The breathtaking interior of Hagia Sofia

The inside however, is a completely different story. It is indescribably beautiful, filled with mosaics, golden tiles and beautiful religious icons. I strongly recommend checking it out!!

The Grand Bazaar

Head to the Grand Bazaar to get all your Turkish souvenir needs, anything from handmade Turkish rugs, tea and coffee sets and beautiful clothes, to handmade backgammon and chess sets, and all the turkish delight (lokum) you could eat. If you like bartering and finding hidden treasures, this is the place for you!

Colourful Turkish Delights

Right near the Grand Bazaar, is the spice markets, filled with every spice imaginable! They have a huge array of cheeses, marinated goods such as olives and peppers, tea and fresh ground Turkish coffee for sale.

The smells here are to die for! Grab some bread some cheeses and a few marinated and pickled goods here and there, and make yourselves a picnic for this next place you have to check out!

A view of the Bosphorus straight

Next thing to do, is admire the view of the Bosphorus strait. You can get a ferry across to the Asian side of Istanbul from Eminönü tram station and see the citys coastline from the water.

The Maiden's Tower on the Bosphorus

Make sure you sit down, relax and have a turkish tea and pull out your picnic prepared earlier from the nearby spice market, as you watch the sunset over Istanbul, with the Maiden's Tower in the background, as you think to yourself, "I could definitely enjoy living here!".

Thanks a lot for all your continued support #Steeemit community, I love hearing from you all and I'm here to answer any questions you have about the places I visit! Please upbote and follow if you like my content, and if you have any stories to share about your time in istanbul please let me know!

Next time, I head to Hiroshima for the anniversary of the atomic bomb, tragically dropped on this beautiful city. And I'll even throw in a Hiroshima style recipe just for you all here on #Steemit!

I'm the @backpackingchef and I can't wait to tell you more of my stories!