For 91 Days in Istanbul

Adventures, anecdotes and advice from three months exploring Istanbul

For 91 Days we lived in Istanbul, one the world’s great cultural melting pots. With one foot in Asia and the other in Europe, this city was destined to play a starring role in the history of civilization, and we learned a ton while here. We also ate a ton of exquisite Turkish cuisine, visited museums and mosques, explored the markets and so much more.

Whether you're planning your own journey to Istanbul, or just interested in seeing what makes it such a special city, our articles and photographs should help you out.

Üsküdar’s Çınılı Camii & Hamam

After hiking up Istanbul's biggest hill, the Büyük Çamlıca, our tired bones had earned a reward. So we made our way to the gorgeous Çınılı Camii, Üsküdar's Tiled Mosque, and ended the day in a hamam.

Büyük Çamlıca: Istanbul’s Biggest Hill

As anyone who's spent time walking around Istanbul will know, it's a city of hills. Giant, soul-crushing hills which suck the very life from your legs. Although we had been dreading our ascent up the tallest hill in the city, the Büyük Çamlıca, we were also excited to be done with it. After this, it couldn't get any worse!

Sirkeci Station and the Orient Express

Favored by the kings, statesmen and spies of Europe's tumultuous 20th century, the Orient Express is almost definitely the most famous line in the history of trains. It linked the capitals of Western Europe to the Ottoman Empire, with a terminal stop in Istanbul's magnificent Sirkeci Station.

The Istanbul History of Science and Technology in Islam Museum

The Istanbul History of Science and Technology in Islam Museum needs a new name. Look, Disneyland wouldn't be nearly as popular if it were called "The Anaheim Place of Enjoyment and Fun with Cartoon Characters Theme Park". Yes, we know exactly what to expect from the Istanbul History of Science and Technology in Islam Museum, but by the time we're done saying its name, we no longer feel like going!

The Galata Bridge

No visit to Istanbul is complete without walking along, ferrying under, taking the tram across, or enjoying a drink on the Galata Bridge. The bridge spans the Golden Horn to connect the city's two European sides, and is one of Istanbul's most iconic landmarks.

Kitten Drama at Gülhane Park

An afternoon spent exploring Gülhane Park reached an unexpected conclusion when we discovered an abandoned baby kitten and attempted to reunite it with its mother. "Attempted" being the operative word; nature, we were bitterly reminded, is not a Disney movie.

Ortaköy: The Middle Village

Midway up the European side of the Bosphorus, Ortaköy literally translates into "Middle Village". Not the most enthralling of names, but this neighborhood does boast one of Istanbul's most eclectic populations. Turk, Greek, Jew... hipster, playboy, fisherman. Everybody has a place in Ortaköy.

The Rahmi M. Koç Museum

There were experiences I expected to have during our time in Istanbul: eating delicious döner and baklava, visiting mosques, and ferrying across the Bosphorus. But exploring the innards of a decommissioned WWII-era submarine? Nope, I wasn't expecting that one.

The Fethiye Museum

Located in the neighborhood of Çarşamba, just up the road from the Yavuz Selim Camii, the Fethiye Museum preserves some of the best Byzantine mosaics in Istanbul. It's small and difficult to reach, so most tourists skip right over it in favor of the similar and better-known Chora Museum.

Inside the Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia isn't just the best-known tourist attraction in Istanbul, or one of Europe's most cherished landmarks... it's one of the greatest buildings in human history. This church, nearly 1500 years in age, was once the center of Byzantine faith, later reborn as the predominant mosque of the Ottoman Empire, and today has found a new purpose as one of the world's most popular museums.