The brief layover in Istanbul matched my expectations of mosques, cats, kebabs and a whole lotta tourists from all over the world. The things that were surprising for me were the plethora of vegetarian options at non-touristy places and the stark contrast between Western and Eastern cultures. It did truly feel like Istanbul was on two separate continents.

The Galata Tower is visible from quite a distance which was great because our hotel was right next to it.

Skyline of Istanbul

These are all different mosques. After a bit, all of them begin to look similar

Hagia Sophia

The grand mosque of Istanbul that used to be a church. It still functions as a mosque which means one can go in for free during prayer times. The second floor which requires tickets has preserved tapestries and artwork from when it used to be a church. Women do require a head covering to enter and it was endearing to witness that.

It looks grand and it feels grander

The huge dome and high ceilings can only be appreciated in-person

The remnants from its church days are still visible in the walls. Faces are not allowed to be depicted in Islam so they are covered up near the prayer areas.

Dolmabahçe Palace

This place is a collection of administrative buildings used by the Ottoman Empire. Per the tour guide infront of me, this was a small place and only had rooms for 40 women but the Topkapı Palace had room for hundreds of women. Cameras and pictures are not allowed inside the main palace though since it was an administrative building, most rooms looked to be meeting rooms.

The main palace building

The main entrance and view from the side of the building

Team room turned cafe inside an adjacent building which is now the art museum. The wall and ceiling work is similar to the one in main palace.

Basilica Cistern

Part of the ancient water storage system and is the largest one of Istanbul. There were multiple queues for the entrance and was confusing to purchase tickets as well. I would recommend purchasing a ticket online and then getting in the queue for 'online ticket'.

The bottom still contains water so there is a limited platformed section that one can walk on

I'd call this place the instagramers dream because of no lack of artistic looking shots. Plus the lights change every few minutes so you don't even need filters. This also means that the place can be unbearable at times.

All the (vegetarian) food!

Although kebabs and kebab adjacent accessories are found in abundance, the vegetarian options were everywhere and they were absolutely delicious.

The 'Turkish Bagel' found wherever you go

Beans and rice found in the local part of Istanbul

(Left to right) Potato dumplings, smoked aubergine, and I forgot the last thing. Some people may call this the best meal of their life.

A kumpir, which is a baked potato filled with goodies

Some desserts that aren't baklava and some that are

Was off to a shaky start with turbulent flight, weather delays, missed connection, and lost luggage but everything got better as soon as I landed in Istanbul. Overall, a great experience however if I visit Turkey again I'd love to visit the less touristy parts to absorb the local culture.