Brown Boy Travels | Travel Advisor

outdoor adventure

“Number one on this list is the Otagtepe Park. This is the only place we will visit on the Asian side... it's a great place to come have the view of the European side of the city and this beautiful bridge, not to mention it's a beautiful park and you get great spots for just relaxing if you want because Istanbul is a pretty busy city.”

experience

“This is called Küçük Aya Sofya or the Little Hagia Sophia, and it is amazing because if you come here it will seem really familiar to you because this is the blueprint for the actual Hagia Sophia. It started its life as the Church of Saint Bacchus and San Sergio and it was built by Emperors Justinian and his wife Theodora, which was later converted into a mosque.”

experience

“My next spot is Büyük Valide Han. It is actually the largest caravanserai and it was built by Kösem, who is the mother of Sultan Murad... The reason I brought you here is not just the caravanserai but the view from its rooftop because you get to see one, two, three, four of the most beautiful mosques, especially at the sunset time, and this is one place you just absolutely cannot miss.”

experience

“My fifth and final recommendation for you guys to come visit Şerefiye Cistern or Theodosius. It's built 1600 years ago during the reign of Theodosius II... This has a serious surprise and it's fitted with projectors. You can enjoy the light show, which is the oldest building where that system has been installed, and it is absolutely mind-blowing. This is also the only place where you'll need to buy a 150 Lira ticket, but honestly it's seriously worth it.”

experience

“Right next to the park I am at the Anatolian Fortress. It's quite small, there's nothing special about it considering there are so many on the European and Asian side, but I would recommend coming here because you get to have an amazing view not only of the bridge but also of the Rumeli Fortress and you can sit here watch all these ships big and small go by while you sip your coffee or your drink.”

wellness beauty

“Visiting a bath house or a hamam is a must-do in Istanbul, this is one thing you cannot miss. So my favorite is this place called Çemberlitaş Hamamı and I really like this place because I visited on my first tour to Istanbul that was six, seven years ago and I'm still in love with this place. It's really nice, it's become a bit more touristy after a few vloggers came but it's still nice and it's not as expensive so it's also pretty central to the old part of the town.”