When it comes to charisma, Istanbul is a perfect example. This charismatic city displays an impressive architecture, wonderful buildings and monuments, an interesting culture, strong religious convictions, and a fascinating history.

If I had to describe Istanbul in a few words, I would say energy, shopping and of course unique mosques. In my opinion, these mosques are a perfect representation of the Muslim culture. These imposing religious edifices urge the believers to prayer five times a day. I cannot even imagine how Istanbul would look without its impressive mosques. It might sound unbelievable but Istanbul hosts almost 3000 mosques. I will only talk about five of them which are in my opinion the most significant and also the ones I liked the most.

1.The Blue Mosque or Sultanahmet Camii is the most famous mosque in Istanbul. Built between 1606- 1616, this imposing mosque has an amazing interior design. It is decorated with tiny blue tiles and this is the reason why Sultan Ahmet’s Mosque is also known as the Blue Mosque. Famous in the entire country, this mosque is considered Turkey’s National Mosque.

2.Situated right next to the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet Square, the Hagia Sophia is another great architectural monument in Istanbul. Originally built as a Christian church between 532- 537, this imposing building was transformed into a mosque and later on it became a museum. The blend between the Byzantine culture and the Ottoman culture makes this monument special. The beautiful columns, the marble doors and the chandeliers make the interior of this mosque really impressive.

3.The Yeni Mosque or the New Mosque is the amazing mosque that seems to guard the Bosphorus. Situated near Galata Bridge, in Eminonu District, this building has a beautifully decorated interior. I advise you to take a lot of pictures here, especially at night when the lights that embellish the mosque are on. The construction of this place was a difficult process. It began in 1597 and it was completed in 1663. This thing happened because the mosque was destroyed several times during the construction process.

4.The Suleymaniye Mosque is the largest mosque in Istanbul. Built on a high hill between 1550 -1557, the Suleymanyie Camii is my favorite mosque. It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful and impressive mosque in Istanbul. Painted in a pleasant shade of red, the interior of this mosque looks fabulous. The green spaces that surround the edifice and the abundance of colors, shapes and effects that embellish the interior were the things I liked the most about this place.

5.The Ortakoy Mosque or Buyuk Mecidiye Camii is the one that seems to border the waters of the Bosphorus. Situated near Ortakoy Square, in Besiktas District, this imposing mosque is a symbol of the Baroque architecture. Built between 1854 and 1856, it is the newest mosque of the ones I have already mentioned. Another important aspect related to the Ortakoy Mosque is its strategic position which will give you the chance to admire beautiful landscapes on the Bosphorus.

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It goes without saying that I looked up these places on the internet before planning my trips. This is exactly what I did before visiting Istanbul. I visited Istanbul twice and during my second visit there I added a lovely rooftop terrace to my trip itinerary. I’m talking about the rooftop terrace of the Seven Hills Restaurant which is part of the hotel with the same name. Situated in Tevkifhane Street, No. 8, Sultanahmet District, this rooftop terrace is located in the heart of Istanbul just a few steps away from the two of the most beautiful mosques in the city.

The terrace of the restaurant offers you the chance to admire splendid views of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. It’s a great experience to enjoy a drink or a meal while you admire these beautiful mosques. The beautiful morning when I got to this place is still so vivid in my mind. I remember I chose one of the best tables on the terrace and I enjoyed a great view of the two mosques and the surrounding area. Beautifully decorated with colorful flowers and plants, this terrace is the perfect place to relax and serve a delicious meal.

Even though Seven Hills Restaurant attracts many tourists thanks to its position, the restaurant is also known for its delicious food. When it comes to food, you can choose from a variety of dishes because the restaurant serves a lot of Turkish and Mediterranean specialties. All things considered, make sure you will not miss this place in case you get to Istanbul. Seven Hills Restaurant is waiting for you to enjoy a meal and an amazing panorama on its gorgeous terrace.

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This museum is situated in a beautiful valley, a little over one kilometer away from Göreme. Listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, this museum complex displays the remains of a few beautiful monasteries, churches and chapels carved in stone. These edifices are famous among tourists thanks to their well-preserved frescoes and paintings which depict portraits of saints and other Biblical figures and scenes. According to the legend, the locals built these religious edifices to pray in secret.

After you have bought the tickets you can start exploring the complex. If you follow the cobbled path, you will get to the Chapel of St. Basil, an old edifice which was built in the honor of St Basil the Great, who is one of the most well-known saints in Cappadocia. After admiring the paintings and frescoes in this chapel, you can go on exploring the Chapel of St. Barbara which is situated nearby. The red ochre motifs make the ceiling of this edifice really impressive.

The next edifice, the Apple Church, displays a collection of colorfully painted frescoes that depict biblical scenes. There are two interesting theories regarding of the name of this church. First of them says that the name of the church comes from an apple tree that grew in that place while the second one says that it comes from a misinterpretation of the globe held by the Archangel Gabriel.

A few steps away you can visit the Church of St Onuphrius which is also called the Snake Church. It is believed that its name comes from a mistake made by the locals when they misinterpreted a painting found inside the church. They mistook the picture of a dragon for the one of a snake. The small Pantocrator Chapel and the Nameless Chapel with their simple red-ochre geometric decorations and their Maltese crosses can be admired a little farther along the path. There are also a few caves that were used as kitchen areas and that deserve to be visited.

The path climbs gradually to the highest point where you can explore the Dark Church, which is considered the most famous monument in the entire complex. As the name suggests, the Dark Church got its name because of the gloomy atmosphere inside. Fortunately, the lack of light was perfectly compensated by the beauty of the colorful frescoes.

Near the Dark Church, you can admire the small Chapel of St. Catherine which depicts frescoes of famous saints and other religious scenes. The Sandals Church is another interesting edifice which was named after the footprints you can see on the floor. It is said that these footprints represent the last imprints left by Jesus before he ascended to heaven.

At the bottom of the hill, you can find the Rahibeler Monastery where you can admire a small chapel with remarkable frescoes, interesting tunnels, corridors and stairways. Last but not least, after you exit the museum complex you can visit the Buckle Church, one of Göreme’s biggest and finest churches. This church is famous thanks to its underground chapel and fabulously restored frescoes which depict the life of Christ.

All things considered, the Göreme Open-Air Museum deserves to be visited in case you ever get to Cappadocia. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take pictures inside any of these churches, but even so, I will let the pictures I managed to take there, convince you that this place is worth visiting.

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I have always dreamed to fly in a hot air balloon above Cappadocia, which is in my opinion, the best place to live such an experience. Fortunately, my dream came true during my most recent trip to Turkey. I have always wanted to live this experience in the magical region of Cappadocia because there is something special about this place. Cappadocia is situated in the middle of Anatolia, 750 kilometers away from Istanbul. This region is blessed with amazing landscapes that seem to be cut out of a fairy tale. Cappadocia is famous for its unusual orange and light brown rock formations of different shapes and sizes which became the image of the entire area. Besides these interesting rock formations, this fabulous area shelters churches dug in volcanic rocks, troglodyte dwellings dug by water and mysterious underground cities.

Beyond all these interesting tourist attractions, Cappadocia gained its notoriety thanks to the colorful hot air balloons. Some time ago, someone came up with the idea of organizing hot air balloon flights above this wonderful area and thanks to the thousands of pictures taken there, Cappadocia started attracting more and more tourists. I must confess that my obsession with flying in a hot air balloon above Cappadocia started the moment I saw a gorgeous picture with the sky full of hundreds of colorful balloons. During peak season more than 200 balloons fly at the same time above Cappadocia and the sky looks like a festival of colors.

I dreamed of this moment with all my heart and maybe this is why I still remember every detail of this experience. I must confess that the morning when the car from the agency came to pick us up and take us to the take-off field, I felt a bit scared and anxious because I was afraid of heights. It was still dark outside when we got to the land where the balloons take off. We had already seen the balloons the previous morning when we admired them rising in the sky. It was great to see the entire preparation process again, but this time the best part was to be in one of those balloons. It goes without saying that I panicked a little at the beginning, but after the balloon went up, I had a feeling of peace and relaxation. It’s an incredible feeling to fly in a hot air balloon above Cappadocia, surrounded by hundreds of other colored balloons.

We tried to immortalize those memorable moments and we took a lot of pictures. An interesting aspect is the fact that the pilot can only handle the balloon up and down, any lateral movement being caused by the air currents. This is why we didn’t land in the same place where we took off. It was a one-hour flight, but time went by too fast and I must confess that I could have spent hours in the balloon. The experience ended with a cup of champagne offered by the travel agency after we landed.

I strongly recommend this experience because it is the most beautiful thing you can do in this fairytale land. If you are already planning a trip there and the hot air balloon experience is on your trip list, there are a few things you should take into account. First of all, you should know that there are two types of balloons, the standard balloons and the VIP balloons. The platform of the standard balloons has a capacity of 20 people and it is divided into five different compartments, one for the pilot in the middle of the balloon and the other four for the tourists. The platform of the VIP balloons is smaller and it has a capacity of 8 people.

During peak season, the flights are organized twice every morning. One flight takes place before the sunrise and the other one immediately after the sunrise. My advice is to choose the first flight because this way you will have the chance to admire a beautiful sunrise in the air.

After choosing the type of flight, the next step is to make the reservation. I advise you to book the flight in advance, at least a few months before you get to Cappadocia because this way you will save some money. Also, the balloons have a limited capacity and you might not find tickets for sale.

Another important advice is to book your flight for your first morning there. The flight might be delayed because of the bad weather conditions and in this case, you will be rescheduled for the next day or you will receive your money back. The standard hot air balloon flight costs between 150 and 300 euros per person, but it is worth every penny.

I hope you are a morning person because the mornings in Cappadocia start very early. I woke up at 4 o’clock every morning to fly in the balloon or to admire the sunrise and the sky full of balloons. All things considered, in case you plan a trip to Cappadocia, you cannot leave this region without trying the hot air balloon experience.

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One of my favorite places in Turkey is Pamukkale. Situated in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey, Pamukkale is a natural site that seems to be unreal at first site. The hot water springs, the calcium travertine terraces and the spectacular natural pools highlight the beauty of this place. The “Cotton Castle”, as it is called, is indeed a masterpiece of nature. I strongly recommend this place if you are going to visit Turkey and if you take a look at the following pictures it will be easy to decide.

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