I love travelling in the Middle East. There is always a warm welcome there. In this post I pick the 10 Most Beautiful Places in the Middle East. By the way, these are some of my most favourite places in the world. The Middle East is a cradle of human civilization and the birthplace of major monotheisms. It beckons with a rich tapestry of world-famous attractions. From medieval bazaars and historic mosques to untamed deserts and remote oases, the region preserves its cosmopolitan and history-laden past. In this selection of the most beautiful places in the Middle East, we traverse the depths of antiquity to the futuristic skyscrapers.
What do you do when the place that you were really looking forward to visiting – Ephesus – is a complete wash out? As an independent traveller sometimes you just have to smile and get on with it.
In this 1 Day itinerary of Istanbul, Turkey, immerse yourself in the rich history and vibrant culture of this enchanting city. Explore the wonders of Istanbul, Turkey, in just one day with my introductory itinerary. Immerse yourself in the rich history and vibrant culture of this enchanting city and maximise your adventure.
This museum is not huge but is well thought out and the displays are excellent. It is well worth visiting. I will let the pictures do the talking.
I was still thoroughly wet from walking in the rain through Ephesus before the museum and was happy to get back to the hotel.Read more: Ephesus Museum, Selçuk, Turkey
While in Selçuk I decided I would like to see Pamukkale. It is a network of thermal pools cascading down a white calcite hillside. You can walk through, sit in or photograph the pools. The area is quite striking and is basically a white hill with running warm water which is supposedly good for you. You can only bathe/move through the designated areas and there is a pools guard complete with whistle to keep you on the straight and narrow.
‘Running up that hill’ at Pamukkale, TurkeyA very unusual landscape at Pamukkale
I jumped on a train for three hours and got off at Denizli. I had heard that the pools were 20 minutes away from the train station so I jumped in a taxi. My driver was Mustafa. He told me he would come back at 5.30pm giving me three hours there.
Although there are only a few pools available for use now, they were surprisingly empty at this time of year (October).
I started to climb the hill and paid the entrance fee of TL25 which included the pools and the Hierapolis ruins. A little further up and everyone had to remove their shoes. About half way up I realised that Mustafa was returning for me at a time after my last train back to Selçuk had left. So I made it to the top stopping to take photos and soak my feet but I didn’t get to see any of Hierapolis. Can you believe it? Never mind, I hadn’t really come to Turkey to see those particular ruins anyway. I enjoyed the pools and there was also a fast moving stream that I immersed my feet and lower legs in. It was lovely and relaxing.
The pools guard wrangling the crowd
Back down at the foot of the hill I got a local cafe owner to call Mustafa for me. Yes he was on his way. I sat down to wait for the 20 minutes for him to return from Denizli. I soon saw his smiling face and I jumped in the taxi to return to the train station.
Nice day for a dip!
I knew my train would be getting back to Selçuk at about 8.45pm and so thought it would be good to have some food for dinner on the train so Mustafa drove me to the local shopping centre for no cost, came in with me and made sure I got some food. He returned me to the station and saw me buy my ticket. He gave me a bag of apples that he had in the back of his taxi – so nice! I said thank you and got on the train. A few moments later I saw him at the window beckoning me to have some çay (tea) he had bought. I got off the train with 15 minutes to spare and sat down on a bench with him. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I don’t drink tea. I forced myself to drink it. Then it really was time to go so I hopped back on the train and found a seat. The whole interaction with Mustafa happened with very limited words being spoken. He could say come! name? how are you? and not much more. I used the limited amount of Turkish words that I knew. His acts of kindness are indicative of what I have experienced since I have been away on this trip. People ask me am I ever afraid to travel by myself but I have found that travel restores my faith in humanity. I have experienced nothing but kindness so far. Mustafa – you’re a star!
Rushing thermal water at PamukkaleLoved soaking my feet in the rushing stream at PamukkaleMustafa in his taxi at Denizli, TurkeyÇay with Mustafa on the platform at Denizli stationRead more: Pamukkale, Turkey
Visiting the Hagia Sophia is a journey through centuries of history and architecture, marveling at its intricate mosaics and the blend of Byzantine and Ottoman influences. Similarly, exploring the Basilica Cistern offers a surreal experience, walking amidst ancient columns and the tranquil ambiance of this colossal underground reservoir, a hidden gem of Istanbul’s past.
One of the gilt Arabic inscriptions
Hagia Sophia
Long story short on my first night I ended up in a carpet shop and had the whole sales talk done to me in the form of an ‘I will teach you about Turkish carpets’ lecture. Needless to say with my small daily budget I did not buy any carpets. I was a little put out that I had been led there under the pretense of finding some late night baklava. However, all in good fun I say. The next day I had to laugh when I was ‘befriended’ by an older man in Hagia Sophia who very nicely pointed out the highlights of this beautiful building. Oh no he didn’t want any money this was just his hobby. I was grateful when he was able to walk me straight into the Basilica Cistern without having to stand in the long queue. But shortly after him ‘wanting to show me something nice’ I knew we were headed for another carpet shop. At that stage I had been walking since 9am that morning and it was now about 3pm and I was exhausted. So I went along with it and burst into laughter when I realised it was the exact same carpet shop as the night before. How hysterical! So ladies if you are ‘befriended’ by a strange man or have an offer of taking you somewhere – all for free – it’s never free, of course. I guess it depends how much you want to go along with the game I suppose. There were some benefits for me but I did waste a bit of time.
Carpet shop, Istanbul, Turkey
Ok back to Istanbul and the Hagia Sophia or as it’s known in Turkish the Aya Sofya. It has, to me, the most beautiful interior of the buildings in the Sultanahmet area. The nave is huge, actually the whole interior is enormous. The church was originally commissioned by Emperor Justinian. It was consecrated as a church in 537. The chandeliers which are relatively close to the floor and are very pretty, the medallions inscribed with gilt Arabic letters and the elevated kiosk where the sultan worshipped were added in sometime after 1453 when it was made a mosque by Mehmet the Conqueror.
Aya Sofya, Istanbul, Turkey
The main entrance into the nave is crowned with a mosaic of Christ the Pantocrator (Ruler of All). The dome measures 30 metres in diameter and 56 metres in height. Everything in here is large scale. There is an exquisite 9th century mosaic of the Virgin and Christ Child in the apse. The background tiles are gold making it quite alluring.
The church was built by Emperor Justinian to restore the greatness of the Roman Empire.
The Weeping Column located in one of the aisles has a legend that says St Gregory the Miracle Worker blessed it and by putting one of your fingers into its hole it can heal your ailments if your finger comes out moist. The Aya Sofya was made into a museum by Atatürk in 1934.
The Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey
The next place I went to was the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarniçi in Turkish). This was commissioned by Emperor Justinian too. It is an underground structure which was built in 532 underneath the Stoa Basilica. It is the largest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul and there are 336 marble and granite columns. There is certainly a symmetry and beauty here and I can understand why the James Bond film From Russia With Love made use of it and filmed one of the scenes here. The columns are all 9 metres high and are arranged in 12 rows. There are two Medusa heads (one upside down and one on its side) which would have been under water when the cistern was in operation. The cistern held up to 80,000 cubic metres of water for regular summer use in the Great Palace as well as for times of siege. I loved it down there – so atmospheric!
After having been followed by a man from Hagia Sofia who seemed upset that I had taken a photo of his cat, I arrived at the Blue Mosque. Because this is a place of worship it is necessary to wear a scarf on your head and conservative clothing (legs and arms covered). Non-Muslims cannot enter through the same entrance as Muslims so I went to the appropriate place. Shoes must be removed and plastic bags are available to carry your shoes with you.
Inside the Blue Mosque
The Mosque was built between 1606 and 1616 and is known as the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles inside the building. It is quite beautiful and peaceful inside. There were some people still praying even though prayer time had finished.
Over the entrance inside the Blue Mosque
The official name of the mosque is Sultanahmet Camii – Camii meaning Mosque in Turkish.
One of the domes inside the Blue MosqueBlue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
I didn’t take too long at this place – may be half an hour. Once you are inside it is a matter of looking around in the one large room, soaking in the atmosphere and reverence and then moving on.
Tiling in the Blue Mosque
I found it very interesting and am glad I went. By the way women don’t pray in the same area as the men. There is an area at the back of the Mosque where women were praying. Also you cannot go into the mosque during prayer times.
In the Harem area of Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey.
In the Harem area of Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey.
The Sultanahmet area of Istanbul has a lot of the historic attractions that anyone would want to visit on their first or even second visit to Istanbul. There is the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), Hagia Sofia (Aya Sofya), Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Arasta Bazaar and Topkapi Palace.
Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
The palace was begun in the 1400s and Ottoman sultans lived there until the 19th century. There are various courtyards to move through and each one has its own set of buildings. I think my favourite part was the harem. It was quite separate and I’m pretty sure I read that the word harem means protected. There was a very big line to get into the Treasury but once inside you don’t have to stay in a line moving around to the various pieces of jewellery.
The cost was 20 Turkish Liras and the Harem cost an extra 15TL. It took me a good 3 hours to get around to it all and some areas I moved through very quickly. It was very worth seeing – get there early before the crowds.
