Exploring Istanbul, Unaccompanied and Unburdened.

Outside the Grand Bazaar

My Grandmother was taught to be a lady at all times. She in turn taught my mother to be a lady at all times. My mother climbed out of the window for most of her elocution and etiquette lessons. It dawned on me whilst walking down a main public street eating a family-sized Italian Pizza in the style of a tree chipper, ordered as a result of language confusion, that this could be why sometimes I stray away from elegance. This was only the first night in Istanbul though, tomorrow would be better, more cultural.

I had checked in on my own into a business hotel; Novus Pera Hotel which was in the Pera district of Beyoglu. I had only booked it a few days before. I’d looked for cheap and clean, and this place had at least virtually fulfilled my expectations. In-person, it had performed beyond that. At £45 per night I had expected small and basic, but what I got was newly renovated, stylish, well thought out and surprising. The room was decorated in the style of a downtown New York loft with faux luggage piled in the corner and three black metal French windows opening onto Juliet balconies. The view was terrible, I was looking into the living room of Istanbul’s residents from the front and both sides, but I was already pushing my luck with this room, so felt it was unfair to let this small point affect my overall judgement.

The Steps Near Taksim Station

The hotel owners welcomed me themselves and insured, with the concern of elderly uncles that I had activities to occupy myself with every day and knew exactly where I was going. I was their first solo female traveller, and they made it their duty to keep track of where I was.

My wanderings began every day by taking the Taksim Tunnel Station tram downhill to the main city. The historical tram cut out at least an hour of walking down zig-zagging stone steps and I was eternally grateful at the end of the day when I was able to avoid climbing back up them.

I chose to see the major attractions of the city, rather than finding my own path as I usually would with company. I had travelled on my own before but not for long. I was content on this occasion to follow the queues. My main three destination goals were Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palaces, the Blue Mosque, and The Grand Bazaar. I visited each with enthusiasm, I was in awe of the beauty and shared cultural history of Hagia Sophia, felt chagrined at Topkapı Palace (I was a little too enthusiastic with pictures and got yelled at for trying to take a picture of the sacred relics), underwhelmed at the Blue Mosque which was half under construction and overwhelmed at the Grand Bazaar where I bought nothing but haggled with many.

My only regret from the whole trip was not researching what was entailed in a Turkish bath. It was undoubtedly pleasant, but those experiencing it without prior knowledge may be somewhat surprised at the level of intimacy one encounters during the treatment. Men and women are exfoliated in all areas of their bodies, apart from pubic. I was a little alarmed when my attendant scrubbed my chest with a Kese (a rough cloth mitt that is particularly effective in scrubbing dead skin), but, after asking my hotel hosts, I found that this is completely normal and part of the bathing ritual. My experience in the Hammam left me feeling clean, relaxed and my skin was softer than it had been in weeks, especially after travel.

I had packed two week’s worth of activities into seven days and managed to feel rested at the same time. Being unaccountable to another, seeing only want I wanted to see, walking at my own pace and not worrying about entertaining another made this trip all the more special. I experienced sights, sounds, tastes and smells solely from my own perspective which made exploring all the more memorable.