>>2847511
Have you seen Midnight Express (1978) by Alan Parker?
It really tells you all you need to know about this place.

>>2847511
>i only know of agia sofia,what else does your shithole have?
Hagia Sophia just started a refurb to the dome that could take years. Can still see the galleries, youre not allowed on the ground floor anymore. Chora Church has more impressive mosaics. go there, walk the wall, walk back through Balat and Fener. Stop off at the shops there. See the patriarchal church of st george.
take a ferry at eminonu, go the right place it is cheap like 3EUR for 90 minute ride
>what scums should i avoid?
obvious tourist trap shit like rooftop
restaurants/bars. taksim square is not worth visiting. the blue mosque is shit
>answer and i wont kill you when we retake konstantinoupoli
you'll do fuck all
>also ill go to the knockoffs bazaar,any tips?
theyre better than you at bartering. remember that. they'll go down and make a deal but its delusional to think they'll meet your low asking price.

if you want to know more, ask away

>>2847519
thx roach bro
ill tell my travel buddies and maybe ask again tommorow :)

>>2847519
Taksim Square is where the cheapest shittiest hotel rooms are in the city, so if you're a budget traveler, that's where you're gonna want to stay. Lots of pedestrians around, it's a lively part of the city. The hilly slummish neighborhoods are also pretty interesting and a good workout to explore, they feel like a piece of the Asiatic Third World on the edge of Europe.

>>2847612
Always thought it was ironic that the 'Middle Eastern feeling' part of Istanbul was in Europe, and the 'modern liberal-feeling European' part was in Asia.

You can knock out the blue mosque, hagia sophia, and the grand bazaar all in one day. After those must see places I'd say kadikoy (not to be confused with karakoy) is the best neighborhood to just explore around. Definitely take the ferry across at least once, it's very cheap with great views and you can drink some tea on the ferry and watch the city, it's also way faster than going by car.

For food try out hamsi (anchovies), it's not super salty, the only reason it's salty is because for whatever reason in the US we only eat brined anchovies. The seafood and lamb in this country are amazing. Doner kebab is good but I like iskender kebab more (it's doner with butter and a tomato sauce). Kadayif is a really good desert, baklava is great.

If you're coming from Istanbul airport just be warned it's a fucking huge airport and it's very far away from the city. No joke it will take like 15 mins to walk from your gate to customs.

>>2847519
>youre not allowed on the ground floor anymore.
A million curses upon that watermelon seller. Faggot's doing everything in his power to ruin my favorite monument.

>>2847511
Why would you go there if your attitude is this hostile? It sounds like you don't want to go.

>>2847697
he is either
a. Greek
b. crusader nonce who doesnt know about 1204/thinks it was right

Istanbul is a great place imo. Some tourists will say the traps are bad but yeah just like Rome, Paris, New York etc. People ive spoke to in the city are friendly enough

>>2847697
its becuase , he rarely asks for help, people have ignored him in his life. he isnt secure about himself. he is scared of being ignored .its a defense mechanism. poor guy. he will hopefully outgrow this behavior. but he also doesnt mean it to be so hostile. so dont jusdge him so harshly. this is 4chan afterall we all have issues here

>>2847511
I like Turks. But I didn’t enjoy going to Hagis Sophia. I didn’t like seeing that as a Christian and given what you’ve said maybe you should avoid it. I was very pleased to stay in Kadikoy on the Asian side. It’s excellent and has good nightlife too. Bestikas is a cool area. I enjoyed all the palaces and public transport via the waterways which doubles as a tourist attraction. It’s just a cool looking city.

>>2847723
>skipping the galleries at the Hagia Sophia
>not walking around and taking in the atmosphere
you can feel sad about it and still think its an unmissable experience. Despite Turk Government propaganda it is the number one site in the city. Glad that there are plenty of people who live there appreciate it

>>2847723
I was in the Vatican with a friend who was studying to become a Catholic priest there, we talked about Turkey and I asked him what he thought about the Hagia Sophia. He told me that he's happier now that it's being used to worship God again. I thought it was an interesting perspective.

The choice was always between will it remain a museum or will it become a mosque, it will never be a full time church again. Although I think it would have been best to have it be a church on Sundays/major Christian holidays and then a mosque for the rest of the time, but unfortunately there just isn't enough support for that.

>>2847511
Stay in Taksim, that's where all the best places are. Getting a Turkish haircut is such a highlight of the trip, and the ice cream taste is so different and so enjoyable, you have to try it when you're there.
The Turkish are so friendly, people will just come up to you and offer you a cup of tea with them, they're very curious about tourists to their foreign land, it being so difficult to meet enlightened folk such as yourself, make sure to mingle with the locals this way.
The hostel pub crawl is another perfect way to enjoy the trip. Make sure to buy a drink at every stop, the women are so desperate for bwc, they'll approach you at these venues. Even going on tinder, I got so many matches, they always want to go get a quick drink as a pretense somewhere near their place, before immediately having sex with you after the first or second beverage.
Enjoy my friend!

>>2847790
>>2847769
Nta; I'm fine with it being a mosque. It does not matter. There's plenty of churches that serve as mosques out in the world, that's history for you. The opposite does rarely happen as well, like the Cordoba cathedral.
What is however absolutely fucking ass is how the mosquification keeps ruining the experience in one of the world's greatest treasures. They've covered the entire floor with a massive, out of place green carpet, all the uncovered mosaics depicting Mary and the angels are now hidden behind huge drapery and as it turns out, you can't even go on the ground floor any more. Ironically, this probably makes it the only fucking restricted access mosque in Turkey where I can't just take a nap in a cold corner with everyone else like God intended.
Fuck that fucking head roach with a rusty spike, can't wait for the Turks to behead him one day.

>>2847807
>Stay in Taksim, that's where all the best places are
shitties place in istanbul.

>>2847811
>They've covered the entire floor with a massive, out of place green carpet, all the uncovered mosaics depicting Mary and the angels are now hidden behind huge drapery and as it turns out, you can't even go on the ground floor any more
100% agree with everything you've said here. I remember my first time visiting AFTER it became a mosque and you're just hit with a waft of smelly socks. It was disappointing from an experience perspective

>>2847807
Taksim is a shithole. Also be careful with women who come onto you very easy and suggest getting a drink at a specific bar. If that happens then find another bar because there's a scam where a girl(s) will bring you to a bar and they will serve you drinks and then when you come to pay they say the drinks are $500 each or some ridiculous shit and they threaten to get the police involved if you don't pay

>>2847807
>>2847817
>>2847919
>>2847723
Some mixed info here. Can you guys pleas make up your minds and tell me where the best place to stay is? I like the obvious nightlife, bars, cafes, restaurants and girls, without it being a tourist trap. If that stuff exists at all in IST

I would also like to know if anyone has gone there for a hair transplant? I'm seriously considering it. Do i just google places and contact them directly? Any recommendations?

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>>2848060
The guy recommending to stay in Taksim is either trolling or retarded. I've been living in Turkey for 4 years and I've been to Istanbul many times/lived their for short spurts.

STAY IN KADIKOY. By Kadikoy I mean the red circle/this general area. It's a non-touristy neighborhood with good nightlife, restaurants etc. You can take the ferry from Kadikoy to the European side for 1 day to knock out the blue mosque/hagia sophia/grand bazaar as I said before.

For hair transplants I can't really help you there I'm not that knowledgeable. I saw some tiktok that said the reason why they're cheaper is because they're not as good quality as the hair transplants you'll get in USA/Europe but idk that might just be propaganda to prevent people from trying to go abroad and get it cheaper... Apparently there are entire travel packages for that where they put you up in a hotel and even take care of your flights etc.

>>2848078
This. Also lived in Kadikoy. Easily the best neighbourhood in Istanbul. Fond memories of getting the ferry back from work every day, crossing through the market and picking up lots of fresh food, with turks shouting "Palimut palimut besh lira, besh lira"

For me, the best thing about Istanbul is the ferries.

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>>2848060
Kadikoy is for hipster dinks, European side is the best. It's great because the best restaurants are right next to the attractions.
There are men in Sultanahmet with a ladder, it's an old Turkish tradition to welcome you by asking you to climb it. It's pretty offensive to turn it down but it won't take you long
>>2848078
I give my tips based on the needs of the person, there's no one size fits all, but alphas like me and OP know what's up

>>2848078
>>2848082
thank you lads.

>>2847715
>Some tourists will say the traps are bad
What are you talking about? The traps are great in Istanbul, it's also the only reason to visit Taksim these days

>>2847811
Nta stands for not that anon and I definitely do not think it’s just fine the place is a mosque or that it does not matter. Make it more obvious you’re not me.

>>2847817
But as soon as I showed up, the bakery owner across the street called the owner of my guesthouse, who came out of his room and let me in the front door. There was no doorbell or anything, and I had no cell service. Coming from Poland where everyone says "not my business" when asked for a favor like that, it was an insight into the cooperative nature of the Turkish people.
>>2847919
Lots of pretty girls wandering around near Taksim, but none of them showed me any attention (because I looked poor).
>>2848082
The cheapest hotel there looks to be $36 per night after taxes. Meanwhile I paid $23 near Taksim Square.

>>2848339
>But as soon as I showed up, the bakery owner...
True but that's not really a reflection on Taksim that's just Turkish people in general. And Taksim is not shitty because of rude people it's shitty because it's overly touristic, it's like the Times Square of Istanbul

>The cheapest hotel there looks to be $36 per night after taxes. Meanwhile I paid $23 near Taksim Square.
Imo it's never about how little you pay, it's always about what you get for what you pay.

The history is so solid. Old town is just so much full of history its obvious.Beatiful even if its ugly. I ate at a restaurant that served me the best food of my entire life. That being said, they scammed me and I had to pay much more money then I expected. Im emberassed to say. The scammers are legit. They might get you. I rarely if ever get got. They got some serious serious skills there. Their currency got so much inflation last year it was like 60 percent. This year probably more idgaf enough to check . Its worth it but dont underestimate those motherfuckers they are desperate, I met some cool locals around the city and they told me very seriously be cautious if you get stabbed noone will care not the police absolutely noone.The locals were saying its unsafe for even themselves. The old town has its own security police and they look serious. It was still the best food of my entire life, some seafood place by the sea with granite floors and outside seating. And the ruins were amazing. Hostels were very chilll. "Sir, where you from? You want some turkish delight?" like every 5 feet which was very annoying .

>>2849070
How did the restaurant scam you? Pricey dining in and of itself isn't a scam.

>>2847511
I was in IST years ago, can't remember the name of the place I stayed but find a decent place on google maps. Taksim is ok, nice to walk around for a day, but yeah it's overly touristic.
The locals are super friendly, I was having a kebab somewhere and didn't get a drink just because I wasn't thirsty, they brought both me and my friend some tea on the house. Another time we were trying to get on the bus but we didn't have the special transit card needed to pay, some random woman came up to the driver and paid for us.
All the main attractions were great, go everywhere you can. We went into every mosque we could, they're all different in their own way. We spent like half a day just walking around the big Bazaar, not buying anything but sweets (everything they sell there is junk, except for the food).

What can I do in Istanbul on an 8 hour layover after 5pm?

>>2850323
its an hour/90 minute taxi from the airport to the centre, same going back.
Id say Hagia Sophia, a walk around the old town, buy some turkish delight (the stuff at the airport is shit!) and leave

>>2847511
Zeus here. I'm taking a dump on it.

>>2847511
i heard that Turkey is cold as shit in december and january, is it true?

>>2847723
I don't care that it's a mosque, the problem is how the whole Sultanahmet area is designed a tourist trap. It's filled with holy sites and yet it feels like you're walking around in Disneyland. The Hagia Sophia is really confusing to understand how to navigate now that it's a mosque and you need to pay to enter the top floor, stuff like the Topkapi Palace is expensive as fuck, the restaurants are all mediocre and overpriced, lots of annoying scammers and tourist shops. It's the busiest place in the city yet feels the most lifeless now.

Everywhere else I went though was great. Sultan Suleiman mosque was way, way more tranquil than the ones in Sultanahmet and people were happily having picnics outside. Kadikoy and Uskudar were definitely the best and they were on the Asian side, way more affordable and more quiet with some remarkable food. Taksim was underwhelming based on what I've heard about it but Istiklal has a lot to do at least

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>>2850379
Not surprising given that one of Islam's biggest commandments is to make an expensive pilgrimage to a special stone in Saudi Arabia on one specific day of the year. Like there are millions of people there and the necessary crowd control makes it all very Disney-ish.

Can't wait for the Islamic Reformation which produces a watered-down version of the religion that isn't nearly as hostile to women and "infidels", and widespread adoption thereof.

>>2850388
I despise Muslims

>>2850463
Me too.

>>2850588
They can't even go to their holy rock without molesting women