Officially called the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, this 17th-century masterpiece sits directly across from Hagia Sophia, facing it almost like a conversation across centuries. One (the Hagia) was once a church, then a mosque, then a museum, then a mosque again. The other (Blue) has been a mosque from the beginning and still welcomes worshippers five times a day. And yes, it really is blue. But maybe not in the way you expect. Why It’s Called the Blue Mosque The name comes from the mo

A Brief History of Istanbul’s Most Public Space Taksim Square and Istiklal Avenue are often treated as two separate places. In reality, they function as one continuous space where politics, commerce, culture, and daily life overlap in a way that feels uniquely Istanbul. To understand one, you need the other. Taksim: A Square Built for Control The name Taksim  comes from the Ottoman word for "distribution". In the 18th century, this area sat on the edge of the city and served

Exploring Istanbul’s most atmospheric underground space You know that feeling when a city suddenly gets quiet and you realize you have stepped into a completely different world? That is the Basilica Cistern. One minute you are walking past street vendors and honking cars near Hagia Sophia. The next, you are entering a totally nondescript building and descending underground into cool air, dripping water, glowing arches, and a place that feels like a cinematic dream sequence. I

Hippodrome in 1573 If you’ve ever wandered through Sultanahmet and found yourself in a long open plaza lined with benches, tea vendors, and a suspiciously racetrack-shaped layout, congratulations, you’ve stepped into Hippodrome Square, one of the most historically layered places in Istanbul. I have walked through this space so many times (it is right in front of the Blue Mosque) without knowing anything about it. I did some digging and felt compelled to share what I found wit

Travel long enough, and you start to notice a pattern: no matter where you go (bustling bazaars, tiny mountain towns, neon-lit night markets), people ask you the same five questions. Some are friendly. Some are curious. And some are… well, strategic. Here are the big five, what they actually mean, and how to answer like a seasoned traveler.

When Dharma and I stepped into Hagia Sophia, we had no idea we were about to gain an unofficial (yet somehow very official) tour guide. The fee to enter the Hagia Sophia is about $30 each and, after picking up our tickets at the Hagia Sophia Museum across the Hippodrome square, we passed through the gatekeepers and metal detectors and made our way up the stone, tunnel-like ramps that lead to the second floor of the mosque. (The mosque is currently undergoing renovations and i

I love makeup, but I hate carrying a full Sephora store in my suitcase because makeup gets heavy . (You know exactly what I'm talking about.) After way too many international flights, airport naps, and “why does my skin look like this?” moments, I’ve finally built a travel makeup routine that’s tiny , fast , and shockingly effective . This is everything I actually pack: the real, reliable, jet-lag-proof, humidity-surviving lineup that lives in my travel pouch. These are also

Graffiti in Istanbul has roots far deeper than the bold tags you see in Beyoğlu today. The tradition of leaving one’s mark goes back to Byzantine and Ottoman times, when sailors, travelers, and merchants carved symbols into stone walls around the city. Modern street art began taking shape in the 1990s as Istanbul opened culturally and politically, with young artists adopting global hip-hop influences while blending them with local identity, humor, and social commentary. By th

Boarding our ferry from Eminönü. If you ever feel like your life needs a dramatic turning point, something cinematic, reflective, slightly chaotic, and preferably under $2, just hop on a ferry from Europe to Asia in Istanbul. That’s it. That’s the whole prescription. It turns out you don’t need a therapist; you just need public transportation that crosses beautiful continents. Step 1: Buy a Ticket and Question Your Entire Existence You tap your Istanbulkart (the equivalent of

If you’ve traveled for more than five minutes, you’ve probably met that  taxi driver. The one who smiles warmly, helps with your bag… and then, somewhere between your hotel and your sanity, suddenly announces: “Sorry, meter broken.” Ah yes. The international phrase meaning: Prepare your wallet, you sad adventurer. But fear not. Here are the tricks I use to avoid taxi scams in an attempt to keep both my money and my dignity intact. A taxi with Yeni Camii (New Mosque) in the ba

If you’ve ever wanted to test your confidence, your acting skills, your poker face, and your blood pressure all at once, just walk into the Grand Bazaar. Haggle culture is alive, well, and fueled by espresso-strength charisma and chain smoking. And here’s the thing nobody tells you until it’s too late: The shopkeepers are Olympic-level negotiators. You are not. You are a sweet summer child with a tote bag taking pictures of the ceiling. But don’t worry, I made the mistakes s

Sitting at the train station in Delhi, India, with my dad. And a whole lotta luggage. I always try to pack light. And by “pack light,” I mean I say I’m going to pack light, and then I still end up with 47.5 small items that somehow weigh more than my suitcase. Can someone explain how this even happens? The math ain't mathing. But after years of travel (and several-ish meltdowns), these are the things I never  leave on a trip without. Let's be honest: if it makes your travel

Antalya is known for its beaches, ancient ruins, and dramatic cliffs… but nobody warned me about its shopping . And by “shopping,” I mean the kind of wandering that starts with “let’s just look around,” and ends with me adopting a neon green creature with pom-pom hair who now lives on my backpack like a tiny, absolutely unhinged guardian angel. Welcome to my Antalya haul. No, not the responsible kind with handmade textiles and historically relevant souvenirs. I mean yes, thos

Antalya’s Old Town, Kaleici, isn’t very big, and somehow it carries 2,000 years of history without feeling heavy. You can walk a few minutes and pass Roman arches, Ottoman mansions, forgotten wooden houses, and cliffs that drop straight into the Mediterranean. It’s one of those places where history doesn’t sit behind glass in some museum. It’s just there, casually blending into city life and waiting for you to walk its cobblestone roads. Here’s a simple guide to the historic

Packing for Istanbul in November is a bit like packing for three seasons at once. You’ll land expecting crisp fall weather, maybe even a sneak peek of winter… and instead you get a 68° afternoon where you’re sweating through your “cute layered outfit". Then the next day? Cold wind off the Bosphorus that makes you grateful you threw in that one heavier jacket (but that you still forgot back in the AirBnb). Welcome to Istanbul in November, where one side of the hill can be cool

Late-night çiğ köfte run at the legendary Ali Usta. If you wander far enough through the winding streets behind the Hagia Sophia, you eventually end up in Sirkeci, that in-between pocket of Istanbul where locals rush to work, tourists drift toward Eminönü, and street vendors battle over who has the best smell wafting across the tram line. (Corn or chestnuts, anyone?) And right there on a side street is Çiğköfteci Ali Usta , the man, the myth, the döner-speed wrap-rolling lege

Bustling Römerberg with Christmas Tree I had a nine-hour layover in Frankfurt and decided that sitting in the airport wasn’t an option. My mom is traveling with me for the first two weeks of this trip, so we grabbed our bags, rubbed our eyes, and tried to figure out the train system while our brains weren't properly working. Buying the first ticket took longer than it should have (the machines weren’t intuitive, it was too early for staff to be around, and half the buttons fe