To ask you about Istanbul?

[IstanbulBaby]

I know I am but I'm not getting responses in Holidays
We're going to Istanbul at the end of June. Two DC aged 8 and 3.
All recommendations welcome.
What clothes should we wear?

Apologies for the poll.
I suppose the q would be
Aibu to look for holiday advice in aibu
Yabu - not a suitable topic.
Yanbu - it gets the most views so why not

Oh fuck off Dangermoo with your silly narrow minded views. Don't like Muslim countries? Don't go there. I'm sure they won't miss you 😂

It means ‘I don’t know Turkish’ ;)

love Turkey and love Istanbul! We were lucky enough to go there in November to stay with Turkish family friends.

have a fab time OP!

Well at least you've come out with the usual lazy racist label, instead of being underhanded in questions. I won't go to any country, where I don't feel safe. There are parts of South America I wouldn't go to, either. I did say that I wasn't being helpful in my first comment. I still visit Paris on my own - how utterly racist of me, considering there is a huge Muslim population. So no, I won't be fucking off anywhere. Talking of narrow minded, try seeing further than racism tags, particularly when reading opinions about female solo travellers.

Istanbul was once my favourite city after living/ working there and visiting many times however it is unfortunately not what it used to be. The ongoing political/ economic situation has meant a lot of people (mainly educated ones) have lost their jobs, unemployment is high, prices keep rising, and the city has lost some of what made it what it was (appreciate that might not make sense)
There are hiwerver, amazing places to see... the mosques, bazaars, museums etc, the food (away from the more touristy bits) is amazing and the people are generally friendly. It is relatively safe....like any big city though obviously there are the added issues of protests/demonstrations etc.
While there definitely go to the mosques - plenty around though the Blue Mosque gets hideously busy with tour groups. Remember to keep covered... longer sleeves and something to cover your head, no shorts for anyone, and shoes off. Ortakoy is lovely and easy to get to by bus, area up by the Galata Tower has some 'cool' shops and good cafes. The Princes Islands and a Bosphorus Cruise are a good way to spend a hot day. A Turkish hamam is a must.

Hammam is top of my list!
The hotel says they have a Turkish bath but I don't know if that will be the same

Went last year with DD - it’s fabulous- people / places to see / food
Although it may have been too hot in summer for us!
Felt v safe there

Spice bazaar is better than the big horrible busy Grand Bazaar one.

Get a ferry to the Asian side and do a foodie walking tour when you're there.

I really liked the museum of modern art.

Eat lots of baklava!

My absolute favourite was Camlica mosque on the Asian side. It’s the biggest mosque in Turkey and quite a sight to behold. It sits on top of a hill in pretty surroundings, overlooking the Bosporus and the city. On the way up, there is a playground (maybe more?) which your children could enjoy.
Turks are very friendly and welcoming people, Istanbul is safe, always lots of tourists, so ignore the naysayers. It’s not like you are travelling to Yemen or Syria lol!
The traffic is insane, never seen so many cars on the bigger roads.
Lots of cats everywhere and they are treated like royalty, and fed by the locals. I played with small kittens in a mosque yard 😍
I think it will be super hot in July..
Also a terrible warning: Turks have a divine dessert called soğuc baklava. Try it at your own peril! You’ve been warned! 😃
Lots of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice from street vendors, yum!
I’m not sure it’s a place geared towards child entertainment, and you’ll use lots of transport for your little ones, as it’s a sprawling city.

There were also street dogs when I went there, especially on the Asian side. They looked like they were well-fed and cared for too, like the cats. They had little tags on their ears which I found out meant they had received medical attention

Yes, dogs too! The ones I saw were quite big but placid, and ignored people. They are also fed by locals and treated medically by some specialised unit, so no need to be afraid or rabies and such.

Been to Turkey once and will never return.
If your kids (especially the little one) have blonde hair and/or blue eyes, keep a firm eye and grip on them.

Istanbul is high on my list places to see, though with vigilance (I have a friend who had an “interesting” experience travelling there years ago - but that was as a solo traveller:
black and female. You are travelling differentIy so should be fine.)

I don’t know about attire - it’s not Saudi Arabia but the current regime and social set-up seems to be going in a more conservative direction. I would probably just be similar to how I was in Jerusalem: lite modest.

I probably would not wear hotpants but shorts and vests maybe ok? And of course covered up when visiting mosques.

In fact I would suggest making sure to research online!

There maybe a fair few muslim French people in France (like the UK) but France is far from a “Muslim country!”

(I know you did not say that but weird to use Paris in this context).

Not really, because there are a lot of Turkish people living in Paris. The pp was insinuating i was a racist. If I hadn't have taken the bait, I wouldn't have used any (lived) example.

There really aren’t loads of Turks in Paris. Or at least not compared to Istanbul. They are clearly a minority group (and that’s actual Turks, not French people of Turkish heritage.)

But the poster said you have an issue with going to Muslim countries.

To counter that by saying you have no issue with going to France, decidedly NOT a muslim country is just….odd!

I would restrict answering unless you have actually been to Instanbul. Its a fantastic city and one of my favourite places in the world.

It is a cosmopolitan city and you’ll see a lot of people in Westernised clothing.

To go in the mosques, both sexes, not just women, need to be dressed modestly. I saw one man who was wearing shorts being asked to cover his knees. The headscarf for women is symbolic - you don’t need to tuck in every strand of hair. I wore loose trousers and a top with elbow length sleeves and sensible neckline.

You have to take your shoes off before you step on the carpets in the mosques so I’d recommend wearing socks and having shoes you can get on and off easily whilst standing.

I’m in Istanbul at the moment for a long weekend, first time here and we’ve loved it. So vibrant and interesting, great food, easy to get around. I’ve not felt unsafe at all. Some places are busy like the grand bazaar but there’s loads of kids. I think my niece would have sensory overload taking it all in - parrots, cats, colourful ornaments, sweets 😂. Dress code wise - it is warm in the day so we’ve been wearing shorts and t-shirts. I would say wear what you would in any European city (I generally wouldn’t feel comfortable at home in London going out in hot pants or a super short skirt either). We went to the mosque today and they provide you with coverings/headscarves. Public transport is very easy with Citymapper app - taxis are more likely to rip you off as we have learnt! Enjoy your trip ☺️

@Swiftie1878 what? My dh is turkish. We spend a lot of time in turkey. I am blonde and blue eyed as are 2 of our 4 kids. Apart from a bit of admiration, there's no more danger than any other country.

At most the will call your kids mavi gözlü Which means blue eyes and will coo over them.

The cistern is fantastic, definitely do that. We saw all the major sights and had a great time, we were caught out though by needing cash to pay in restaurants a couple of times - we assumed everywhere would take card and it’s the only place I’ve been to in the last couple of years where this has not been true.

Hagia Sophia is lovely. The Grand Bazaar is fab. Go to the little fishing boats under the bridge over the Bosporus for a brilliant sandwich. I had a great time in Istanbul.

I was there (again) around a month ago. Id say make sure you avoid Taksim square. I really like Istanbul and it's v vibrant but when I was there, around 40 buses of riot police, Inc down every side street. Men in black with their faces covered . Be v careful about protests.

Lots of loose, long floaty items and definitely hats ehwn walking about. We went in October and it was mid/high 20s then so June will be hotter.

Do museums/galleries & indoor activities during the hottest parts of the day so you're put of the sun.

Pre book a lot of the activities before you go so you avoid the long ticket queues & definitely book the hamaam in between the aya Sophia and the blue mosque.

Oh you lucky thing! It's one of the most beautiful cities in the world in my opinion- history upon history, art upon art, just wonderful!

All the normal recs- the haga Sophia, the cisterns, the bazaar, topkapi palace, the cable car over the bosphorus at night. But it's also just the most wonderful city for a few free afternoons, wandering, bookshops, art galleries, baklava with bitter tea or a steaming cup of sahlep.... Take me with you!!!

I lived there for 10 years. It's a fabulous and lively city with so much to see. You will be perfectly safe, especially with kids, much more so than in many other countries. It may be VERY hot.