Friday, June 6 (Istanbul) - Throughout my travels, I have been extremely lucky with weather. Other than a 10-minute rain and hailstorm in Ireland and short-lived downpour in Italy, I have had sunshine just about every day. Then I arrived in Istanbul and the rain began. I was originally going to take a trip over to the Asian side of Istanbul, but with the rain and choppy water, I felt that was not the best idea. But there are a lot of things to do when it rains in this city, so here are my recommendations. (I didn’t have time to do all of them, but they were all recommended!)
Mosques: Blue Mosque & Aga Sofia
Ceiling in the Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque and Aga Sofya are both indoor sites, so those are good bets and must-sees, as long as you didn’t do them already. There is a line at Aga Sofya because there is an admission fee (the Blue Mosque is free and no line) so keep that in mind if you are umbrella-less. Fore more tips about these places and others, read this post about what to do in Istanbul.
Museums: Istanbul Modern
Random, fun art in the Istanbul Modern
I really enjoyed Istanbul Modern Art Museum, especially their permanent exhibit “Past and Future” which looks at the evolution of contemporary and modern art in Turkey since its inception. Not all of the pieces are what you would consider ‘modern art’ because it is more of a stroll through Turkish art history, so there is definitely something for everyone.
One of their current exhibitions is a photography collection called “On the Road: Images of Turkey from the Nar Photos Archive” that documents current events in Turkey – political, social, lifestyle – in unique, thought-provoking ways. I wasn’t allowed to take any photos in that room, but some of the prints were extremely powerful.
Some other museums to check out (that I would have visited with more time) include the Istanbul Archeology Museum and the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.
One of their current exhibitions is a photography collection called “On the Road: Images of Turkey from the Nar Photos Archive” that documents current events in Turkey – political, social, lifestyle – in unique, thought-provoking ways. I wasn’t allowed to take any photos in that room, but some of the prints were extremely powerful.
Some other museums to check out (that I would have visited with more time) include the Istanbul Archeology Museum and the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.
Turkish Bath / Hamam
A very nice Turkish bathhouse (not where I went)
You may remember my post about my first Hamam experience in Morocco… well, I tried again on this rainy day in Istanbul. Tali and I were recommended a place by a woman who worked at the café where we had breakfast, so we went to check it out. Maybe we should have known by the dead cockroach on the floor, but it wasn’t the nicest of places. Long story short, we sat in a hot, humid room with a bunch of men and women – including one towel-covered gentleman who was getting a soapy bath – for about 20 minutes before deciding to bail. We will try again in a TripAdvisor-approved Hamam in either Cappadocia or Antalya. BUT, there are tons of reputable, beautiful spas to get a Hamam treatment in Istanbul, and it is the perfect thing to do on a rainy day. Just do your homework a little better than we did!
Live Music
Local band rehearsing at a bar
Istanbul – particularly the Taksim area – is filled with live music! When the weather is dreary and you don’t want to sit outside, live music is a great reason to go inside and have fun. Modern Turkish rock is really great and regardless of the genre, who doesn’t love a man with a guitar?
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