My trip to Istanbul

One of the destinations that the travelers from Bosnia and Herzegovina could travel via BH Airlines was my trip to Istanbul.

I am also one of the lucky ones that two years ago had the privilege to travel to Istanbul from the Sarajevo Airport. During my secondary school education I studied about the sights of that city, a magical city that is connecting two continents Europe and Asia. I have always imagined how wonderful it would have been to visit the city and stand on a bridge that connects the East and the West.

The summer was coming to an end when I found out that me and my colleagues were invited to study trip to Turkey. That news made me really happy and I couldn’t wait to start the journey.

I remember that we flew from Sarajevo Airport in the late afternoon. My friend told me that it was the best time to start the travel, because it would be night when we arrive in Istanbul and the lights of Istanbul were like jewels enlightening the city.

Although this flight was not my first one, this sight of light will long stay in my memory. Istanbul was like a treasure chest, full of light as jewels. The view was beautiful from the Kemal Ataturk Airport. When we landed and moved towards the gate, I just couldn’t believe how beautiful the city was.

The airport was crowded, and words of excitement were coming from all corners in different languages. The atmosphere at the airport was completely different that Sarajevo airport.

When I rested at the hotel, I couldn’t wait for the morning. In the morning we went sight-seeing in the old part of Istanbul, where all famous sights of Istanbul are situated: Aia Sofia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazar.

Another place that you have to visit is the 3D Museum, where you can see conquest of Istanbul in very picturesque and creative way. After that, I recommend to visit Miniaturk where all well-known sights form Otoman Empire are located. My stay in Istanbul did not only consist of sight-seeing of that part of town. I also visited Taksim, which I warmly recommend.

We were lucky because our guide was the brother of the famous football player that is playing in Besiktas, so we had many common themes. I also had the honor to visit the famous stadium of the football club.

The third day of my stay was reserved for travel to Bursa. This was the first time that I went from European to Asian part of Istanbul. Our guide told us that there are people living in Istanbul that never traveled from one to the other part of the city. This fact was really surprising. I spent wonderful afternoon in Bursa, and visited numerous shops with affordable prices, where I bought presents form my loved ones.

The day went by pretty quickly and we returned to hotel in the night, feeling very exhausted. Even though I was tired, I couldn’t wait to spend another day in Istanbul. Tomorrow we went on a boat trip across the Bosporus. It was a lovely day. We were surrounded by the blue color of the Bosporus and blue color of the sky. Everyone around me was relaxed, which also showed on their faces.

Unfortunately, the day of our return came. I was looking forward to returning to Bosnia, but I still hope that I will visit the magical Istanbul with my family. There is a saying that when you visit Istanbul once, you can’t wait to return back.

As this was my first trip to Istanbul, I am aware that I didn’t see the entire city. My next visit will be even better, because now I know what to visit and what to see. I didn’t write about food, but everyone knows that Turkish food and spices can be bought in many places in Istanbul and Bursa. Although, it’s been a while since I visited Istanbul, I still have vivid memories of my trip. I sincerely hope that I have raised your interest and wish to visit Istanbul, meet its citizens and culture.

I also present some of the photos taken during my stay in Istanbul. Thank you for taking a few moments and reading my story that is based on my trip to Istanbul. I hope that you will also choose magical Istanbul, described in many stories, for one of your next journeys.