Istanbul for free

Yet still the best way to experience Istanbul is by foot. Not only due to traffic and the partial closeness of sights, especially because literally around every corner there is something to see or to experience. One of these things in Istanbul are the Ottoman Fountains . For sure everyone visiting Istanbul will pass some of them, at least on the way from one famous sight to another. But they are often to beautiful and interesting to be just passed by. Therefore here some information about the Ottoman Fountains in Istanbul, which apparently are free to see, visit and touch. Important Ottoman Fountains in Istanbul Ahmed III Fountain, Ottoman Fountain, Istanbul In Ottoman Istanbul fountains were often built  with mosques, providing the part of the religious ritual of cleansing before and after prayer. But as often they were used for distribution of water to the public, usually as a charity. These architectural artworks show an almost forgotten part of the rich Turkish culture a...

Travel guide apps are not the only ones which make visiting a city more easy and relaxed. Also apps like dictionaries and guides for public transportations can be very helpful - for travelers and for locals. Here are three free apps which make it easy to get around and along in the beautiful city of Istanbul. With those one you will not get lost in Istanbul and find everything you want to see, while making your way back home. 3 Apps to easily get around in Istanbul Trafi Trafi Türkiye is probably the most useful app when it comes to finding the way by public transportation in Istanbul. And public transportation in this case covers bus, ferry, metrobus, metro/funicular, dolmuş and tram. Always there are multiple routes provided which allows to pick the most convenient one, without buses, with less walking, with ferries - you name it. Once you choose the route, it provides a listing of all the stops along the way with times, including any interchanges if necessary, a map of the jo...

Only a few people know that there is not only the renowned Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) in Istanbul, but also the Little Hagia Sophia (Küçük Ayasofya Camii) . So unfortunately it is often literally overseen by many tourists, even though it is also located in Sultanahmet, only a few minutes downhill from the Hippodrome. And moreover the oldest surviving Byzantine monument in Istanbul. Little Hagia Sophia (Küçük Ayasofya Camii) - free and beautiful The Little Hagia Sophia, Istanbul Being older as the big Hagia Sophia and supposedly a miniature version of the Hagia Sophia, the attribute little makes perfectly sense. It was built by the same architects during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. But actually it differs in terms of architecture and therefore mainly the name stuck, making it the Little Hagia Sophia over times until today.  Nevertheless it is very beautiful and provides an interesting interior design and architecture. Originally build as a church, being th...

Istanbul Energy Museum by C.Kremenak  CC The Energy Museum Istanbul at Santralistanbul is one of the few free museums in Istanbul. And sadly often overseen by visitors as it is not along the typical tourist routes people take while visiting Istanbul. Nevertheless it is well worth a visit. Especially as not only the entry is free, there is even a free shuttle service . Energy Museum Santralistanbul Originally called Silahtaraga it was a power plant providing Istanbul with energy from 1914 until 1983. Being assigned to the Bilgi University in 2004 it was converted into a campus in 2007 and received its new name "Santralistanbul". Becoming a centre for arts, culture and education and Turkey´s first industrial archeology museum. Santralistanbul by P. Sten CC The museum itself is located in the area where once the turbine-generators and the steam boilers where situated. In the Energy Museum one can see turbine-generators from companies like Siemens and AEG, and the s...

One of my favorite viewpoints, and yet most of the times overseen by people, is the Halic Metro Station . Situated in the middle of a bridge crossing the Golden Horn the Station provides a great view up the Golden Horn and down to the Bosporus. Recently it also has two small passenger bridges at both ends inside of the station, which provide an even better view to all sides. Without the need to leave the station at all. Also the Halic Metro Station is a good starting point to explore Balat, Fener or to visit the Süleymaniye Mosque , probably the most beautiful mosque of Istanbul , which also provides a nice view.  View from Halic Metro Station Here are some pictures taken by me at the Metro Station to give you an idea why I think is one of the most stunning viewpoints in Istanbul, especially at night. The view goes from Eyüp with Pierre Loti over the Fatih and Süleymaniye mosque, the Yeni mosque down to Topkapi, the Galata Bridge and the Galata Tower. View from Halic Metro ...

Yet another hidden gem in the always surprising city of Istanbul is located on the Asian side, in Kadiköy. There, located in some in the first glimpse normal streets of a standard neighborhood of Istanbul, around almost every corner there is an impressive piece of street art to find .  Backstreet Street Art The street art in the backstreets of Kadiköy mainly features murals  which have been painted during the Muralist Festival   2012 and 2013. For those who wonder what a mural is, a mural is is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. But now some of those impressive and marvelous murals should speak for themselves. Here are three out of eleven wall high murals, not counting all the graffitis which are to be found around the area.  Occupy Antartica from B.Shanti of the artist collective " Captain Borderline ".  Elephant at Night by South African rooted artist Freddy Sam  Re...

Turkish Food is well known for its variety and tastiness. That applies to the snacks and the main dishes as much as to the side dishes. Here are the most famous, and eventually the most tasty, ones: Typical Turkish side dishes Pilav - the most plain version of Pilav is just plain rice cooked with oil or butter, called sade pilav. It normally comes in variations. Cooked with eggplants or chickpeas and combined with chicken or other meat. And of course spiced up with pepper, salt or cumin. Another variation is Bulgur Pilav, where the rice is substituted by wheat. Cacik -one of the classic refreshing dishes. Yogurt with a mixture of shredded cucumber, garlic and mint. In the summer time often served with ice cubes, even more refreshing! Mücver - Lightly fried in olive oil it is made of shredded zucchini, eggs and flour, sometimes green onions, mint and white cheese are added - as one likes.  Fried vegetables - those are a lot to find in Turkish Cuisine, basically every veggie...

Even though Istanbul does provide a lot of museums, the majority of them are unfortunately - for the budget traveler - not free, not even cheap. One of the very few exception is the Turkish Bank Museum - Türkiye IS Bankasi Museum or Isbank Museum.  Turkish Bank Museum Istanbul Turkish Bank Museum Istanbul According to the name of the Museum one normally would suspect it is a museum about the Turkish Bank, but that is only half of the museum. Being situated in an old bank building in Eminönü it is a sight by itself. Built 1892 and used as the Isbank main branch from 1926 to 2005 it is a museum since 2007, and hosts changing exhibitions - about three to four throughout the year. Besides an exhibition about the history of Türkiye IS Bankasi itself and about the technical development of banking over time, this years main exhibition is about Canakkale 1915 . The Canakkale 1915 "From the depths to the trenches" exhibition will run until the mid of August and is also in En...

After providing an overview of the breakfast served in Turkey and typical drinks in Turkey , now an overview of the cold street food in the city. The probably most well known of them is the sesame ring called Simit, which can literally be found on every corner of the city in the red push-cars on the street. For a mere 1 TL one gets a decent snack, sometimes even with chocolate cream or cream cheese, the latest is highly recommended to try. Turkish Cold Street Food Simit Simit - crispy round savory roll covered with sesame, kind of a Turkish bagel. The street version, the sokak simit (cold) is very crispy. Some street vendors also offer to prepare it with cream cheese or chocolate cream. Simi are dipped in water which is sweetened with molasses and are dipped into sesame seeds before baking. This process keeps them moist and tasty. Besides the only contain half of the calories as a boiled bagel. Prices are between 0.75 and 1.40 TL for the plain Simit, cream cheese or Nute...

View from Camlica up the Bosphorus Camlica Hill is probably the number one spot for watching the sunset over Istanbul. It offers a unique perspective on the city, overlooking the old town - Sultanahmet, the areas of Besikatas and Beyoglu, the first Bosphorus Bridge and the main Istanbul waterway, the Bosphorus. If the weather conditions allow it, it is even possible to see the Princes Islands and the famous Mount Uludag near Bursa. Camlica Hill - The view over Istanbul View from Camlica down the Bosphorus Camlica is located about 4km from Üsküdar and divided into two hills: Kücük Camlica (‘Little Pine Hill’) and Büyük Camlica (‘Big Pine Hill’). Büyük Camlica is the highest point in Istanbul at 267m above sea level. Therefore providing the best views of Istanbul. Nevertheless Kücük CAmlica is worth visiting too, being more peaceful and offering beautiful gardens, forests and walking trails. Especially during the spring time Camlica is worth a visit, as in anticipati...

Courtyard entry Mosques in Istanbul In Istanbul one will literally get to see thousands of mosques, the Blue Mosque being the most famous one and renowned one. These mosques are kind of the trademark of Istanbul and its silhouette, with some being more outstanding than others. One of the most stunning mosques of the city is the Süleymaniye Mosque. Some even say it is the most beautiful one of Istanbul. In any case it is well worth a visit, even more worth as the Blue Mosque. And the best thing about all the mosques in Istanbul is that the visit is free, as long as one follows the dress code. Shoes off for everybody and women need to cover her head, shoulders and legs. Süleymaniye Mosque Graveyard/ Tomb/ Dome The mosque was finalized, after seven years of construction, in 1557 to honor Süleyman the Magnificent and is situated on the third hill of Istanbul. The architect of the mosque was the widely known and worshipped Mimar Sinan, who is supposed to be the most famou...

Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art The Elgiz Museum for Contemporary Art is the only museum in Istanbul which is actually free all the time. Besides only the art galleries and the SALT exhibition spaces are free of charge all the time. The Elgiz Museum for Contemporary Art The museum opened in 2001 and was founded by the collectors Sevda and Can Elgiz with the idea of promoting the development of contemporary art in Turkey by providing space, support and international visibility to projects by young Turkish artists.  The Museum is backed up by the Elgiz Collection which consists of work of renown artists such as Ömer Uluç, Abdurrahman Öztoprak, Tracey Emin, Jan Fabre, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, Andy Warhol, Julian Schnabel, Sol LeWitt, Peter Halley, Paul McCarthy,Robert Rauschenberg and Doug Aitken, permanently integrating new works of young artists. Roof Exhibition Space at Elgiz Museum The Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art provides a total of 35...

Raki, typical turkish drink The Turkish cuisine goes well beyond Kebap and Raki, providing a high variety of dishes and drinks for every time of the day and every occasion. But for those not familiar with the names of Turkish food and drinks it might not be easy to experience all of it, if one does not want to go for trial & error. Therefore here a list of typical Turkish drinks and translations of common drinks, and don´t worry, a list of Turkish Foods will follow soon! Turkish Drinks Raki - THE national spirit of Turkey, anise-flavoured, high level of alcohol, not sweet at all, either consumed straight - called sek - or combined with some chilled water and/or ice cubes as a 4cl shot, a tek. Cay - Tea, which one can find literally on every corner, black, and relatively strong Ayran - Yet another famous turkish drink, salted yogurt, supposedly the national drink of Turkey at all. Kahve - The turkish version of Coffee, one should sip carefully at the end as the coffee ...