Arriving in Istanbul on the red eye from Bangkok, we immediately headed to the Hotel Dersaadet in Sultanahmet. April is an amazing month to visit Turkey... there are fewer tourists, prices are reasonable, and the fresh Spring air was a relief from Bangkok's humidity. The proximity of all the major sites is quite remarkable, within just a few square kilometers, there is more historical buildings and museums than one could possibly soak up in a week (we had 3 1/2 days).
We headed off to see the Blue Mosque (which is basically next door to the hotel). The mosque is quite incredible, probably even more striking from the outside than from within. We then headed the 300 meters over to Aya Sophia (Haghia Sophia), which was a Byzantine church build 1,000 years prior to the Blue Mosque. Frankly, while not as beautiful from the outside, it was a lot more interesting than the Blue Mosque. We spent the better part of the morning there, only stopping for fresh pressed pomegranite juice and Turkish coffee.
We meandered over to the Basilica Cisterns, and seeing a well usually isn't all that interesting, but the beautiful engineering and the eerie glow of the place make this a necessary stop. We then walked up to the Grand Bazaar. Now, for those of you coming from the West, the bazaar might seem a little overwhelming, but frankly, Chatuchuk Market in Bangkok is more frenetic, and probably about the same size and scale. We even saw similar products (at obviously inflated prices). However, it's worth a stroll, as the colors and architecture are amazing. We stopped for lunch (which was expensive and horrible), then moved on for more window shopping, and decided to buy a Turkish coffee set. We settled on a price and moved on to the Spice Bazaar. Again, a tourist really wouldn't buy much here (apart from Turkish Delight), but the architecture, sounds and smells are worth the walk down from the bazaar. We walked right by a local place that was grinding fresh coffee (locals only in line), so we obviously had to stop and buy some coffee.
After walking through the spice bazaar, one comes out in front of the "New Mosque" (which is 400 years old. It's a beautiful building, and right across from the Galata bridge. As our jet lag hadn't quite set in, we walked over the bridge towards Galata Tower (a Genoese fortification), but now fortified with cute stores and restaurants.
We spent another 1/2 day in Topkapi Palace, where the Ottomans ran their empire. Definitely worth a 1/2 day for any visitors coming through, but get here early, as it's a popular tour stop.
We also spent another 1/2 day on a Bosphorus cruise up to the Black sea and back. You can stop along the way, or take the ferry to the end, hop off, catch some lunch, then hike up to some ruins, then catch the ferry back. It's very nice, especially if you're tired or just need an escape from the streets of Istanbul. Again, coming from Asia, Istabul (while very populous) isn't as crazy as say, Ho Chi Minh or Bangkok, but if you're coming from suburban America, this cruise is a welcome escape.
We also were able to take in a Turkish Bath... now, this is recommended, but depending on who you are, you might need to be very careful where you go. For couples, we went to Suleymaniye Hamami (next to the Suleymaniye Camii), and would recommend it. If you're male, then you can pretty much go anywhere, and for single women reading this, well, I really have no idea.
All in all, Istanbul is one of the world's top 10 greatest cities, and if you're an experienced traveler who doesn't really like museums, then 3-4 days is plenty, but for real history buffs a week is recommended.
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