The word is a very exciting place

Now this post is about all things cultural, which naturally Istanbul is in abundance of. First up, the gallery of modern art. Now I'm not usually a huge fan of modern art, but this gallery was actually rather good, even if the art inside was rather odd. It's a big, open space with plenty of room to move around. Some of the art was downright creepy, while others were thought provoking and rather beautiful. There's not a great deal of street art around, but I did see these painted posters in a wall that I walked past one day. They are in celebration of 400 years of relations between the Tukish people and The Netherlands. Now for a truly barmy Turkish experience, head to the Grand Bazaar. Now as per any tourist hot spot, the prices are high, but the building itself is incredible. It's huge, with beautiful little details, like pointed arches, painted decorations and pillars. However, the real treat is mingling with the Turks inside. James has been so good to...

This post features some of the spectacular sights less frequented by visitors. The first is the Panorama 1453 museum, dedicated to the defeat of the Byzantine empire by the Ottomans. Now bear with it, it's a far ride away from the main centre by tram, but you can couple it with a few things nearby, (particularly the ruins of the old Constantinople city walls). You get given a headset on the way in, as all the boards and information is only in Turkish. The info guide is supposed to be a smart one that knows where you and plays the right audio. This is not the case. It will randomly chop and change between boards, and even at one point was playing boards from a different floor. Actually inside the Panorama you couldn't hear it because of the sounds bring played. But, that said, the Panorama is really, really good. If you've ever seen the Berlin wall panorama, then you'll know what I'm on about. The attention to detail is incredible, you really feel as though you ar...

Istanbul is a very ancient city, almost as old as history itself (and my old biddy!) A beautiful and rather forgotten sight is Valens Aqueduct, a colloseum Aqueduct spanning part of the city, crossing main roads, streets and parks. It's truly a sight, especially at rush hour! The archeology museum is good, if a bit messy. It's hardly surprising, there's a tonne of building work and restoration going on, so parts are closed and blocked off, others have been temporarily squished in. That aside, the bits that had been finished looked really good. There was stuff from all over the place, carved plaques from Yemen, sarcophagi from Syria, mummies from Egypt, and some stunning Ottoman empire ceramic tiles too: And also worth visiting, is the Topkopi palace. Think, osbournes house, but Turkish and more colourful. The place was insane, every single spare big of space was decorated, with ceramic tiles, frescos, wood, you name it, there was no expense sp...

Istanbul,(formerly Constantinople) is not called the capital of the world for nothing. Not only is it the largest city I've ever visited, with a whopping 14 million people, but it's certainly one of the grandest and most well known. It's the most known city in Turkey, and the whole world knows Istanbuls name. There was a hell of a lot to see and do in Istanbul, so I've had to do 6 separate posts to fit it all in. I've tried to group things together so hopefully they make sense. I stress the word tried. First up, is the jewel of Istanbuls crown, and one of the world's most well known buildings (unless you are my mother, who had no clue what it was) is the Hagia Sofia (Aya Sofya). Now there was a lot of scaffolding up and about, but I didn't care. Nothing could have prevented me marvelling at the sheer beauty of the inside. Before I say anything, please don't be put off by the outside. It's in no way a reflection of what the inside really is. ...