Day 2
Get ready for castles, churches, mosques, and museums.
Start by heading out to the Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque is one the most well known symbols of Istanbul, and it certainly lives up to its name. The blue mosaic tiles will leave you wondering how they managed to built something that exquisit that long ago without modern tools.
Hagia Sophia is another one of the must see places, and it’s conveniently located right beside the Blue Mosque. One of the best collections that you need to see is Prophet Mohammed’s belongings, as you get to see the history of an entire religion complied together. This church turned mosque turned museum is full of wonders. The fact that original mosaics were preserved during the conversion from church to mosque and then were uncovered and restored when it became a museum is remarkable.
Hidden Gem: If you haven’t had your fill of mosques yet, then head out to find Rustem Pasa. Hidden behind the spice market in Old Istanbul is this gem of a mosque. Now, don’t get us wrong; there are many great and stunning mosques in Istanbul, but this one stole our heart. Maybe because stumbling upon the entrance was an unexpected treat. We spent 2 hours sitting mesmerized in the beauty of the mosque.