New Year's Eve in Istanbul

We spent this New Year's Eve in the beautiful city of Istanbul! We found a lovely hotel 300 m from the Sultanahmet Mosque and Topkapi. The city is very chaotic but rich in history and culture, and there are countless things worth seeing, from the mosques (the Blue Mosque, in my opinion the most beautiful; Hagia Sophia, the most famous for its paintings and interior mosaics of Christian origin; and finally the lesser-known but beautiful Süleymaniye Mosque). The Topkapi, the sultan's palace, is very beautiful; the harem and the jewellery museum are certainly not to be missed: the diamonds you see there are indescribable! Also not to be missed are the Roman cisterns, made up of 12 rows of 28 columns: almost invisible from outside, the cistern surprises you as you enter, with its size and the columns submerged in water. The artificial lighting creates a magical atmosphere.

For shopping, the Grand Bazaar is a must; the most characteristic things are certainly the perfumes, the spices and the dried fruit (which, as good Venetians, we bought in abundance to put under grappa!). Also unmissable is a visit to the Galata Tower and a coffee at the Pera Palace Hotel. One evening, after an endless walk through the city streets, we went to the Çemberlitaş Hammam, of Roman origin; walking in, it feels like going back centuries! Another very interesting and not at all touristy place is the wooden quarter of Fatih, where you enter the Traditionalist Muslim World of Istanbul, in sharp contrast with the young and “western” Taksim Square, which from 5 pm onwards fills with young people ready to party.

Then, of course, there was the visit to Dolmabahçe Palace, which for the richness of its interiors far outdoes Versailles! Very interesting is the boat trip on the Bosphorus… I'd advise you not to book any organised tour, better to take any ferry you find at the pier, much cheaper and you can return to Istanbul whenever you want! This is only a list of the beautiful things you can see in this city… the most beautiful thing, though, is to visit it and live it!