How to Get Lost in Istanbul and Love Every Moment Of It

Unraveling the aura and legends of ageless Istanbul

Silviu-Florin Salomia
Globetrotters

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Ortakoy Mosque on a Cloudy Day seen from the water | Photo by Author

Thousands and thousands of travelers rush by as the muezzin breaks the constant humming of the crowds with its thundering voice, calling Muslims to prayer.

You sit there, in what seems to be the center of the Universe, surrounded by voices and faces, smells and colors that you’ve never seen together…

Stunning stained glass windows from Istanbul | Photos by Author

Istanbul is noisy and crowded, but it’s also more alive than everything I have ever seen. With its eclectic mix of visitors, tiny streets packed with lamp shops and ice cream stands, rushing peddlers magisterially balancing their tea trays, colorful cats that everyone seems to love…

Street portraits from Istanbul | Photos by Author

Istanbul gets into your soul and makes you fall in love. Istanbul smells of roasted corn and chestnuts, of fried lamb and a plethora of unknown spices. In just three or four hectic days of wandering around the metropolis, I got to see more sweets and delicacies than I knew existed.

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