Irene - U1 - Travel log: Visiting Turkey

Two years ago I had the opportunity of visiting Turkey, a country situated between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It was an old dream that came true because I was very curious about the Turkish culture. Due to the fact that my youngest daughter was studying in London at that time, I decided to take a flight in order to meet her and then we went together to Istanbul. This city is really wonderful and full of palaces, mosques, gardens, markets and museums from the sultan´s time. In Istanbul, we visited Bosphorus, a strait which divides the city in two parts, and links the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. We crossed the strait by boat and saw beautiful and enormous buildings in both sides of the Bosphorus. We also visited some famous Turkish Baths and the Spicy Market, a space full of typical products, like dry fruits, almonds, rugs and colourful handicraft. When we visited the beautiful Blue Mosque, a local guide explained to us all about the Muslims’ religion. Turkish people are used to praying five times a day and before entering the mosque they have to take off their shoes and wash their hands, their feet and their faces in a tap installed out of the mosque. They have to kneel facing Mecca, the city where Mohammed was born. As you can realize, I enjoyed our trip a lot and I recommend that you visit Turkey as soon as possible.