Going to the eternal city...

[-Isapostolos-]

Soon ill be going to Istanbul for holiday. Notably I'm going there for the Byzantine stuff. So I come here to ask if you guys might know any special places which might be of intrest.

Ofcourse Ill be visiting the Hagia Sophia, the walls of Theodosius II, the Hippodrome and many more besides. But if you guy know any other less obvious places, you might want to share it with me http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Thanks...

[Suppiluliumas]

How about the ali sami yen?

[kataphraktoi]

My Crusades lecturer nearly fell off the Theodosian walls once even thoguh he wasn;t suppose to be there in the first place http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Places of interest:

St Eirene
St Bacchus and Sergius

The seat of the Patriarchate

The cisterns of Justinian

The aqueducts of Valens

The Topkapi Palace

The Blachernae palace

Be sure to grab us a brick from the Theodosian walls.

[Vanya]

GAH

Vanya sez...

Ask any bastid that has visited Istanbul about how to make the journey more enjoyable and they will ALL say the same thing... that is, you absolutely positively MUST walk the streets with a boombox in hand blasting the "Istanbul is Constantinople" song

Other than that...

Here are some of Vanya's recommendations:

1) Stay in 5 star hotel.
2) Swim across the Bosporus. Youz can do so naked without offending the local Mullahs if youz do it after midnight.
3) Visit the street markets and haggle with the vendors over useless trinkets. They love it when you call them "Ali Baba".
4) Sign up to play a soldier of either side in the Annual "Slay the Emperor" battle that reenacts the final battle for Constantinople. If you've done so for the Civil War, then you might find this enjoyable too.
5) The offer a Trireme ride down the straights to the old site of Troy in the Dardanelles. You can oar like a slave for a meager fee and have the ride of a lifetime
6) Attend one of the lively sermons by some of the fiery Saudi Imams in any of the local mosques. Just don't wear a skull cap if you go there...
7) GAH CUT HEADS OFF GAH
8) Every year they have a Turkey chasing festival... much like Pamplona's "Running of the Bulls", only in this case, its naked women chasing turkeys through the streets in an effort to get their hands on a big breast. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif It is VERY popular over there
9) Walk the trail of the Crusaders as they crossed from Europe to Asia. The local guides will fill you in on all the history of the ancient pathways. You can recount the massacres of the heretics as told by the descendants of those heretics today
10) Visit the catacombs. Nothing like seeing the bones of peeps who already got their HEADS CUT OFF to get youz in the mood to CUT HEADS OFF

GAH

[-Isapostolos-]

I have just returned from my trip to Istanbul, and it was alot of fun I wasnt able to read all your recommendations, but sure did alot of them (even some of Vanya's http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif )

I was with a very experienced guide from my own country who has come there for almost 20 years now twice a year, so he was really experienced.

So things I did:

-I went to the Hagia Sophia and said hi to John Commenus and Zoe and spat on the stone which had Enrico Dandalo on it (no not really, but I really wanted to http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif ). It was really beatifull).
-I went to the the hippodrome and raced around it in a taxi (those obelisks were amazing&#33http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif.
-I went to Blachernai and my guide brought us on the ruins of the palace and I went to the Dungeons where the Emperors were held (absolutely no tourists here). It was really cool but pitch dark, since my guides flashlight had gone out half way through http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif.
-My guide knew the the gatekeeper of the Golden gate very well, so I walked the path of the emperor's through the (much smaller) door that there is now. We were also allowed a look in a tower and a walk on the top if the gate.
- And I even saw the chain that protected the golden horn from naval attack

And ofcourse I saw many other thing like the Patriarchate and St. Saviour in the Chora, cisterns, the Tomb of Alexander the Great and lots of stuff I cant rememeber right now.

And the people or nice too Although I really got sick of the Bungee jumping Imams and all the Street crap sellers, but that's part of the deal I guess.

I had alot of fun and recommend anyone a trip to that great city http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Cebei]

Hey nice, welcome to Turkey http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

You may not find what you think you will find and whatsmore you may also think it would be better if Istanbul was Byzantian.

As a local, I dont know what more I can add to people here (you forget touristic stuff because of usual routine of life) but you are definitely going into a jungle.

[The Wizard]

Quote[/b] (Isopostolos @ Oct. 11 2003,10:13)]Soon ill be going to Istanbul for holiday. Notably I'm going there for the Byzantine stuff. So I come here to ask if you guys might know any special places which might be of intrest.

Ofcourse Ill be visiting the Hagia Sophia, the walls of Theodosius II, the Hippodrome and many more besides. But if you guy know any other less obvious places, you might want to share it with me http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Thanks...
Argh you lucky... I wanna go to Constantinople as well... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif


At least I've already visited the other piece of the puzzle: Rome. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[-Isapostolos-]

Cebei: I dont fully understand. Do you mean that i'd rather see the city in Byzantine (greek) hands?

Wizzy: At least you got to be in Rome, so that makes us even I guess http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif .

Actually the trip was a gift from my parents because I passed my exams http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[-Amon-]

Quote[/b] (Isopostolos @ Oct. 11 2003,10:13)]Soon ill be going to Istanbul for holiday. Notably I'm going there for the Byzantine stuff. So I come here to ask if you guys might know any special places which might be of intrest.

Ofcourse Ill be visiting the Hagia Sophia, the walls of Theodosius II, the Hippodrome and many more besides. But if you guy know any other less obvious places, you might want to share it with me http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Thanks...
hail to you

welcome to turkey

i think that you will fing what you looking for..

look around,take photos..see bosporus..