From May 20th (Mon) to May 29th (Wed), I took JAL on its new Doha route and visited Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, and Doha. This is the first article in my series and I will focus on sightseeing in the old city of Istanbul.

May 20th (Mon)-May 21(Tue)
I departed on flight JL059 from Haneda Airport at 22:50, landed in Doha at 04:40 the following day, then transferred to Qatar Airways flight QR239 at 07:30, and arrived at Istanbul Airport at 11:45. Afterward, I took a taxi to my accommodation at Pera Palace Hotel. Established in 1892, the Pera Palace Hotel celebrates its 132nd anniversary this year. It served as a rest stop for Orient Express passengers, and Agatha Christie famously stayed here, penning “Murder on the Orient Express”. Room 411, her preferred room, is preserved as the Agatha Christie Room. The hotel’s interior, adorned in Art Nouveau style, exudes a profound historical ambiance.

This elevator has been installed in 1892 when the hotel opened, and only three years after the elevator in the Eiffel Tower. Although it is no longer in use, it has been preserved exactly as it was at the time.

Following a brief respite at the hotel, I made my way to Galata Tower. This 9-story, 66.9-meter stone edifice, constructed in 1348, is renowned for providing sweeping views of Istanbul, although it was presently undergoing repairs.

I strolled to the Galata Bridge, the link between the new and old parts of the city, and boarded the T1 tram at Karaköy Station to Sultanahmet Station to visit the Hagia Sophia. Although I have a sightseeing tour of the old town scheduled for tomorrow, it doesn’t include the Hagia Sophia, which is why I chose to see it today.

The Hagia Sophia, originally a Christian Orthodox cathedral in Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, later served as a Roman Catholic cathedral. Following the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into an Islamic mosque, reflecting its complex history. Although it functions as a mosque today, there is an entrance fee for visitors, which is TRY1,710 per person, including access to the Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum.

The mosaics dating back to the Christian era were preserved even after the conversion of the church into a mosque, likely due to the Ottoman Empire’s openness to religions other than Islam.

Following the tour, we visited the Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum. They provided a Japanese audio guide, which made it easy for us to learn about the history of Hagia Sophia.

I returned to Karakoy Station from Sultanahmet Station and savored a mackerel sandwich paired with Turkish wine at a restaurant beneath the Galata Bridge.

Since the hotel was situated on a hill, we opted to take a taxi back.

May 22nd (Wed）
Today, I will once more tour the historic city of Istanbul. Our journey will begin at Sultanahmet Park, the site of the ancient chariot racetrack from the era of Constantinople, and proceed to the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque). Along the street, we will see an obelisk that was transported here from Egypt.

Our subsequent destination was the Topkapi Palace, situated adjacent to the Hagia Sophia and serving as the residence of the Ottoman sultans from the mid-15th century until the mid-19th century.

Marble bathtub

The decoration of the audience hall is magnificent.

To the left lies the Golden Horn, to the right stretches the Bosphorus Strait along with Istanbul’s Asian side, and in the foreground, one can view segments of the ancient city walls that have safeguarded this region since the era of Constantinople.

The Treasure Museum has an incredible amount of treasures on display.

Afterward, we visited the Underground Palace (Basilica Cistern), an expansive water reservoir from the Byzantine era. Spanning 138 meters in length and 65 meters in width, it consists of 338 marble columns. The atmosphere was enigmatic.

Medusa’s head is placed upside down.

The marble columns appear to be constructed from mismatched pieces sourced from different locations, resulting in a lack of uniformity.

Following the tour, we savored Turkish meatballs for lunch before heading to the Grand Bazaar. Within its confines, a myriad of shops sprawl across a labyrinth of streets.

Since we have an early start tomorrow, we enjoyed an Italian dinner at Agatha Restaurant in the Pera Palace Hotel. No photos were taken, but the meal was delightful.