Türkiye

Just two days ago, I browsed through Instagram’s archive and was reminded that a year ago my family and I visited Türkiye. It was a family trip, and to kill two birds with one stone, it was also a honeymoon for both my husband and I. We were only two months into our marriage, and we were so excited to be traveling together.

Thinking back, the memories are somewhat fresh in my head. After a year, I finally set aside time to jot down my thoughts.

When we arrived in Istanbul in the morning of 25th February 2023, we were greeted by a majestic sunrise as we drove into the city. The light in this region of the world was different than what I’m used to, being situated on the equator. It really left an indelible impression on me and I still think about that fateful morning up to this day. It’d be nice to experience that again.

Our first stop of the day was Topkapi Palace. The morning breeze was a delight as we walked into the place. This visit to the museum actually came as a surprise to us as we thought we’d be heading to the hotel first to freshen up after a 12 hour flight. But nope, the first thing we did was visit a museum in our day old outfit.

The place was filled with historical treasures from the Ottomon Empire. There was also a sacred room that house the relics of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) as well as other prophets (peace be upon them all).

After spending a good amount of time at the museum, we headed for the Bosphorus Cruise. The cruise took us to see both the Europe and Asia side of Istanbul along the Bosphorus Strait. It was a chill boat ride with amazing views.

We initially planned to visit the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque after the cruise however the wait time was too long. Instead, we hanged around the city and soon after, made our way to Ankara. It was a long journey to the next city and while we were on the bus, we got to witness a reddish egg yolk sunset. By the time we reached the hotel, it was already sundown. We had a late dinner at the hotel restaurant and then quickly got ready for bed.

The next morning we were told to pack for the cold as we head for the mountains. It was a long road trip to Kayseri where Mount Erciyes was. There we got to experience snow. It was a surreal experience and we had so much fun throwing snow at each other, slipping and sliding whilst climbing up and down the mountain.

We kind of got hungry being up in the mountain and proceeded to order some corn cups and hot chocolates. I was expecting the hot chocolate to be creamy however was disappointed when it tasted diluted.

After spending hours at the mountains, we headed to Cappadocia. There we rode on jeeps, got on the hot air balloon and visited a couple of tourist traps, like the jewellery factory, carpet store and pottery studio.

We also visited a cave house where a family still actually lived in one. It was shared with us that most people moved on to live in cities but there are people who still choose to live in a cave. It was an interesting sight.

We stayed in Cappadocia for two nights. Then we moved to the next city of Pamukkale. There, we spent our time at the travertines, soaking our feet in natural thermal pools surrounded by white limestone. We also visited the ancient Hierapolis and learned some history of the place.

We stopped by Kusadasi and Bursa over the next two days and headed back to Istanbul to spend two more days there before heading home. This time, we finally got the chance to see Hagia Sophia. The mosque was really beautiful, it’s no wonder many came to visit.

We visited a quaint neighbourhood called Fener and Balat and went to the Grand Bazaar and Taksim Square as well. Knowing that it was our last two days in Türkiye, it felt bittersweet to leave. We had such a great time, the weather was awesome and everywhere was worthy to take pictures of to be kept as memories and in building a portfolio. I’d love to come visit again.

I’m glad to be able to write this post. I hope to see you again, Türkiye.

Till then,

Amirah.