Istanbul - Things to do

Here are the list of things that you should try out when you are in Istanbul;

1. Check out Basilica Cistern

2. Go to the asian side of turkey as most tourist places are in the european side. It is also called as anatolian side. Take a ferry or a bus over the bosphorus.

3. Go to the princes' islands, no cars are allowed on these islands and they offer great cafes and shopping destinations. Take the ferry to there and keep the bosphorus optional. Rent a bicycle when you are there to discover the area or a horse carriage whatever works.

4. Eat an iskander kebab. 


6. Visit grand bazar, hagia sophia musuem, suleymaniye mosque, blue mosque, Give one day to sultan ahmet area but do not spend all the days over there.  

Topkapi Palace — closed on Tuesday
St. Sophia — closed on Monday
Dolmabahce Palace — closed on Monday & Thursday
Grand Bazaar — closed on Sunday
The Spice Market — closed on Sunday
7. Walk in the old city.

8.Eat at Sultanahmet Köfteçisi - 90 year old local place for great koftas.
9. Spend time around galata bridge
10. Start early
11. Instead of Topkapi palace check out the Dolambahce palace. The topkapi isn't all that great you can find similar buildings around unless you are into history, which we are not.
12. Avoid taxis and fix the price before getting in.
13. Have sweets at the Mado cafe
14. Go to Istikal Cadessi
15. Suggested Restaurants by turksih locals

• Lades Menemen (Taksim): Menemen
• Gaziantep Döner Lahmacun (Göztepe): Döner and Lahmacun
• Otantik (Kadıköy & Taksim): Manti
• Express İnegöl Köfte (Kadıköy): İnegöl Köfte
• Adapazarı Islama Köfte (Kadıköy): Islama Köfte
• Ciya (Kadıköy): Mumbar, çiğ köfte
• Dicle Balık (Kadıköy): Whiting Fish and Calamary
• Nizam Pide (Taksim): Pide
• Manda Batmaz (Taksim): Turkish coffee
• Çikolata Dükkanı (Kadıköy/Moda): Chocolate
• Köyüm Pide (Kadıköy/Moda): Pide
• Ali Usta Dondurma (Kadıköy/Moda): Ice cream
• Num Num (Kanyon Shopping Mall): Schnitzel
• Tatlıses Lahmacun (Cevahir Shopping Mall & Kağıthane): Lahmacun and çiğköfte
• Ufuklar Dürümcübey (Sahrayıcedid): Dürüm
• VİP İşkembe (Bahçelievler): Soup
• Hacıbozanoğulları (Bahçelievler): Kebab with Pistachio and Perde Pilav
• Bursa Çiçek Köfte (Beşiktaş): Köfte
• Manolya Pastanesi (Gayrettepe & Göztepe & Sahrayıcedid): Profiterol
• Pelit Pastanesi (Sahrayıcedid): Cakes
• Emiroğlu Baklava (Sahrayıcedid): Baklava and Börek
• Yeniköy Balık Ekmek (Yeniköy): Fish and Bread
• Eylül Pastanesi (Sahrayıcedid): Brownie
• Marmaris Büfe (Sahrayıcedid): Kazandibi

16.Enjoy the view from Galata Tower, Camlica Hill 

17. Visit archaeological musuems - Cinili Kosk

18. Visit the Chora church (kariye muzesi) known for its amazing byzanite mosaics.

19. Walk across the galati brige and the new metro bridge which has an amazing view of the suleymaniye mosque.

20. Visit balat; beautiful colorful apartments, synagogues, churches known for its jewish and christian minorities.

21. Take photos and lean in.

It started from here and so it shall continue

When I started to blog it was from here and then for the lack of control I moved away from blogspot to wordpress, there I got plenty of readers but not for the right reasons. I don't care if anyone ever sees this post because I would not be linking it up on any of my social media platforms, This could just be for me as is my diary but my handwriting and the ability to access it all the time are stopping me so I will write here for me, and anyone else who happens to pass by this page by accident can also check it out.

I need change, don't we all? So the bits and pieces of advice that I will write here from now on will only be for me and not for anyone else.

------

Did you realize the changes that are happening after you started trying to pray on time and even Fajr? Do you see how positive energy just flows through you when you read quran after fajr? You cannot let it go if anything you need to learn to grow, this is just the beginning. You have to change, you need to, aren't you tired of procrastinating the inevitable? Look, I know it would be difficult but we need to try, I am not asking you to revolve your life around religion we all knows thats not possible but what I need you to understand and to implement in your life is the constant state of god consciousness. You have complained a lot, to yourself, to people, to God, at times, but you've got so much going on with you and while you choose to focus on all the wrong things in your life you are missing out on all the right things that are there.

Be Grateful, it is not hard, just one heartfelt prostration each day acknowledging the existence of all the blessings, the ones that you realize of and the ones that you do not, take a deep breath and take it all in, did you really deserve it? no, right? but here you are just given things without ever asking, Thank God. Take out time to be grateful because life is now, now is the perfect time to be thankful, now is the perfect time to be humble, now is the perfect time to stop assuming bad things about people. Now, is the time to forgive and let go, even if you cannot forgive then at least just let it go. It is not worth it, it is draining you out, you bore the burden of it for far too long, this is your time. Be selfish and love yourself by giving yourself a life which is of excellent quality even if that means getting some sort of discipline in your life, even if that means swallowing your ego from time to time. You owe it to yourself.

I know, you hurt from time to time, I understand because I am you but this constant lingering thoughts on the negative aspects of life have just simply GOT to stop. Life isn't perfect and I think you have established that fact a long time ago so lets just get used to it.

There is always a next thing to move on to, it is not the end until it is your end.