What another great post Lemon Lady!

OK, here are mine:

1)Standing at the heart of Sultan Ahmet between the Ayia Sofia and the Blue Mosque feeling totally overhwelmed by the beauty of the buildings and their cultural and historical significance

2)Walking across the Galata Bridge, past the wonderful fisherman, at sunset and taking in the breathtaking Sultan Ahmet skyline. I've never seen anything like it.

3)Catching the ferry from Eminonu to Kadikoy (Europe to Asia): where else can you cross two continents with but a push on your aksim pass?

4)The Hammam: the single most relaxing and cleansing experience you can wish for

5)Kofte and Kunefe: the two most delicious things I ate in Istanbul. I long for them every day

6)The spice bazaar: what an intoxicating nasal experience! I wanted to smell, touch and eat everything I saw!

7)The people: they really deserve to be a lot higher up the list as their warmth and welcome is really what makes Istanbul shine

8)Yargici: A Turkish designer has created this wonderful boutique with unique and beautiful clothes. I honestly wanted to buy everything in the shop!

9)Istikal Caddesi: One of the most exciting streets to walk down: shops, restaurants, bars, people, fascinating

10)Efes: when you think you've had too much, when your feet ache from hours of walking and your brain is numbed by history, an efes is the perfect end to a perfect day in a perfect city

Hi Katie&Jordan: what dynamite picks, I love them and so will everyone else. LL

Hi all,

here is my top 10, numbers are not necessarily in this order!

1. Waking up by the call of a simit man coming through our street. With the 'bagels' still warm for breakfast is a perfect start of the day.

2. If the sun is there a sign to not stay in the house but go into Istanbul, anywhere, places we know, or places we don't know yet.

3. Having a nice hot salep on the ferry to the Prince's islands, enjoying the hot drink, knowing it will be a perfect day on the island.

4. A long walk from our home near the Sea of Marmara close to Bostanci all the way down to the Bosphorus.

5. It is the irregularity of the city that gives it such a special feeling, so far I did not see this anywhere else. Sort of disorganized organization, everything still seems possible, you can cross the motor way by foot, a bus can make a stop anywhere in front of you, you can walk with sheep along the side of the road, or a cart with a donkey. The men sorting out the garbage, the stray cats, the stray dogs, so many people trying to ell their merchandise on the street, on a ferry, on or next to the motorway. If you need a charger for your mobile phone it's there, roses, again simit, shoes, jumpers, gadgets.....

6. The Sultanahmet district, the old town with all its sites, walking around, smelling all the herbs and spices in the meat from the grills, if you're not hungry this surely gives your appetite a good impulse.

7. The Grand Bazar, always something new to discover, my last 'discovery' was Nick's gallery shop. Beautiful miniature paintings on one year dried leaves he picked himself before in Florida. The trade and hassle in the Bazar is so oriental and even has a medieval feeling. Of course sometimes they try to make you buy something, their job is selling, and amongst so much competition you have to try to stand out.

8. A pure white Istanbul after a heavy snow, so far I have seen that every year happen since I live in Turkey. I takes a while before it turns into a grey mess, first footprints from the cats, magpies, the simit men. It stays magical for a few days even the main connecting roads slowly open up.

9. Everybody who knows me knows, especially this one could be also number 1, food food food. I love the Turkish food, it is pure, all from fresh ingredients from the season. No hocus pocus complicated cooking, it is basic and the tastes are magnificent.

10. Having a stroll around a mall, any mall. I am impressed with the architecture from the new Kanyon mall, I love Cevahir, Akmerkez, MetroCity but also Capitol on the Asian side!

And oh dear a number 11!

Crossing the bridge with a beautiful views, the water in the Bosphorus bright green down under, the Sea of Marmara in the distance and especial in the evening the outline of the city!

When I think of Istanbul there are so many great memories and things that I did and saw that were amazing. So these are my picks from my trip.

1. The People. You can have all the most amazing sites in the world but without having friendly and welcoming people the country would be boring. They were more than helpful and always offering tea which I don't drink but you just couldn't say no to them.

2. Yup I'm a foodie so waking up in the morning and walking to Cidgem to get a warm chocolate pastry mmmmmm. Then going there for afternoon snacks and in the evening a range of pastries. The sweets in Turkey are great. Eating at Saray and also my meals at Karadeniz Aile Pide ve Kebap Salonu. And the BREAD yummmmmm. Ok enough about food I'm getting hungry!

3. The Spice Bazaar, it tickles all your senses, touch, smell, sight and sound. Getting perfume made by Orhan was by far a highlight.

4. Sultanahmet, walking around the back streets up the steep hills, getting lost but seeing a different side other than the "tourist" Istanbul. Little shops selling bread, fruit, meat and seeing the men all playing backgammon in a smoke filled room open to the street and the barber shops. It was a great place to stay.

5. Aya Sofya. A place to walk around and try to take it all in.

6. Walking across the Galata bridge to the fish markets. The fishermen lining the bridge and then seeing all the catches of the day for sale in the market. The men were really friendly and all wanted me to take their photo. Very few of them spoke English but there was alot of laughter and signing of language.

7. Sitting outside the Blue Mosque in front of the fountain just before the evening call for prayer and listening and watching the world go by.

8. The Basilica Cistern. Walking down the steps into this darkened chamber with the columns all lit up. Then looking down into the water and seeing the movement of the fish as you feel a drip of water on your head, just a magical place away from the world above.

9. The kids, I know I've already said the people of Istanbul but the kids are really cool. In so many sites there were groups of school kids and as you walk pass them one of two of them say hello and if you reply they have this big smile on their faces. There was a group of them in Aya Sofya and they all wanted me to take their photos and show them on my camera, just the smiles on their faces from something very simply made it worth while.

10. My final night in Istanbul I will always remember. Going out with friends to dinner then going to the bar to enjoy Efes. Walking around midnight back to the hotel and stopping in front of the Blue Mosque to take photos and inviting some of the locals to be in the photos. A great way to end my time in Istanbul.

Hi all ;

you all right great stuffs about and i totally agrree with each of you .

here is my 10 picks.

1) when i am bored or feel unrest going to the park between Sultanahmet and Hagia Sophia , lay on the grass at 3 a.m. in the morning and watching sky . it is such a great relaxing feeling ( most of the times i fall asleep there :)

2 ) walking on the back streets of old istanbul especially Balat , Sultanahmet and Galata Tower are . The buildings standing next to each other and you feel like if one of them is missing they will all fall down .

3) Ofcourse food . Having white beans in front of Süleymaniye mosque ; a great fish just by near bosphorus , a good kebab , a turkish typical meal at a Esnaf Lokantası , a hot and fresh simit with a creamy white cheese and tea :) ,

4 ) having a boat trip around Bosphorus or just taking any vapur whereever it goes and throwing some bread or simit to birds and when you see them getting those bread and simit from water .

5 ) Having conversations with my costumers on our terrace , drinking and chatting with them , give them advices about istanbul , discussing American politics and bush with Americans , laugh at crazy ausies and how they drink and party with Australians , offering some wine to Franchies and tell them stories how close were once with France and how they affected Ottoman life style .....

6 ) Love to have a long drive early in the morning when the streets are all empty

7 ) Dance in a night club with techno music or going to a folk bar and see people dancing hand to hand .

8 ) Go to Harbiye military museum and listen Mehter music there live.

9 ) Going to kadiköy for a good Fenerbahce match and chear there with 50.000 people for Fenerbahce :)

10 ) When my hotel is full telling costumers " sorry we are full but next door hotel might have a place and it is a good hotel too "

Hi Guys: what great posts! These are going to be so helpful to first time visitors and repeat visitors to Istanbul. Happy Day, LemonLady

Thanks a lot guys how do I fit all that and the rest of turkey into 3 weeks.

Lemonlady will yu be our tour guide :-)

Seriousy thanks for the tips all noted for the trip

Mickey I did a 17 day tour of Turkey and 4 days in Istanbul, you will fit in alot during that time.

What wonderful memories these posts are invoking! I can smell the spices, taste the wonderful food and see the great sights all in my minds eye!

Well -here are mine

1. The first time I heard the call to prayer having just arrived in my hotel room in Sultanahmet

2. Walking along the path of the walls from Yedikule to St. Saviour's in Chora and the sense of achievement and happiness we felt

3. Walking into Aya Sofya for the first time and looking up and up and up to the dome

4. Turkish coffee and Baklava!

5. Having a half Turkish, half English, half sign language conversation with a group of people in a little open air cafe on our 'wall walk'. So friendly and open

6. Visiting during Ramadan and the wonderful atmosphere in the city, especially round the Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque

7. Visiting the Yerebetan Sarayi with my husband - the second time for me, the first for him - and seeing the look of wonder and amazement on his face

8. The mosques - all of them - how they define the skyline, the simple beauty inside them and how when the call to prayer ends it is almost as if something has been taken out of the atmosphere leaving a kind of vacuum

9. Sipping apple tea after negotiating to buy some souveniers in the Grand Bazaar

10. Walking through the backstreets of Galata, Ortakoy and Sultanahmet, gtting lost, chatting to each other, stopping to talk to the neighnourhood cats and just enjoying the fantastic ambience of the city

Wow

I am sitting here in foggy, rainy England planning my trip (1st) to Istanbul next May. I had to write a post to say the Istanbul forums are the best I have encountered on Tripadvisor on all my various trip planning sessions. This one in particular is so evocative and exciting. Thanks so much for taking the time to post as it makes planning the trip so much easier and fun! :-)