If you’re searching for somewhere a little different to take the kids this year, Istanbul is the perfect destination for your next family holiday. In Turkey’s largest city, adults and children alike will discover an intriguing yet accessible place that will lead you on a magic carpet ride of adventure.
Istanbul is an easy city to navigate, with many of the top cultural attractions being within a stone’s throw of each other. Walking is most definitely the best way to explore the city and, with so much going on at any time of the day or night, if you’re on a family holiday in Turkey, even young children will be happy to wander the secret alleys which Istanbul is made up of. Make your own family fun and you may be surprised how much Istanbul has to offer…
The Magic of the Markets
Children absolutely adore the hectic and chaotic nature of Istanbul’s market places. Very different to a regular family holiday, in Turkey’s bustling capital the children will be exposed to the wonderful cultural heritage of a civilisation which continues to exist; virtually unchanged over thousands of years. The Grand Bazaar in the centre of the city is the market of all markets, and if you can’t find a souvenir to take home from here, there’s no pleasing you! With reportedly over 4000 shops, the Grand Bazaar is Turkey’s largest covered marketplace. It is a wonderfully eclectic melee of Turkish carpets, intricate pottery and earthenware, colourful jewellery and mouth wateringly aromatic food stuffs. The children will lap up the sights and sounds of this exotic trading place, and the parents will love the shopping opportunities!
Marvel at the Mosque
A little less frenetic, but no less thrilling than the Grand Bazaar, is an excursion to the stunning Blue Mosque. Although the children may be initially disappointed that the Blue Mosque is not in fact blue, they will be awed by their first sight of this incredible feat of architecture. The Mosque has an amazing cascade of domes surrounded by six soaring minarets which can be seen from many vantages around the city. A family holiday in Turkey can be not only fun, but it can teach the children some valuable lessons in an ancient culture; and a visit to the Blue Mosque will whet their appetite for more. Walking into the stone courtyard through the grand entrance, the domes seem to rise up and up looking for all the world like they vanish into the sky; with the eerie yet soothing sound of the daily worshipers a fitting soundtrack to the scene.
A Boat Trip up the Bosphorus
If you want to leave the crowds behind and add a little seafaring adventure to your family holiday in Turkey, climb aboard and set sail around the Golden Horn and beyond. Viewing Istanbul from the water will give you and the children a completely different take on the city. From the calm of the sea, it’s hard to imagine the hive of activity contained within, and the twelve million people going about their daily lives. You will cruise past such sights as the Topkapi Palace, the Maiden’s Tower, the fashionable village of Ortaky and several other Ottoman palaces. The children will love their day on the high seas and there is every chance it will be the highlight of their family holiday in Turkey.
Author Resource:-
Nick Wrightman is the founder and M.D. of The Tapestry Collection, specialist holiday tour operators who can arrange a family holiday in Turkey (http://www.tapestryholidays.com/turkey-holidays/family.html) as well as packages for Crete, Kefalonia and Morocco.
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