Spring Time in Istanbul

The Emirgan Park is a historical urban park located at the Emirgan neighborhood in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European coast of the Bosphorus. It is one of the largest public parks in Istanbul.The glorious display of tulips in the Emirgan Park is a beautiful sight to see.

Address: Emirgan Mah., Emirgan, 34467 İstanbul, Turkey

Every April since 2006, the city government in Istanbul has planted millions of tulips in Istanbul's parks, avenues, traffic roundabouts and...really anywhere there is open ground.

The result is a glorious spring flower festival with brilliant splashes of color everywhere in there is open ground.

The tulips begin to bloom around the end of March or beginning of April, depending on the weather. They bloom for several weeks and may delight the eye and the spirit for nearly a month.

April may not be as rain-free as May or June, but it usually has moderate temperatures. It's a great time to visit Istanbul!

The tulip is one of Istanbul's traditional symbols. Brought to the city from Iran centuries ago, it was favored and cultivated here until tulip-love became a mania. In the so-called Tulip Period of Ottoman history, a rare tulip variety could be sold for a breathtaking sum.
Tulips made their way from Istanbul to Europe—specifically Holland—where a similar tulip mania soon consumed the imaginations—and bank accounts—of Dutch tulip-lovers.

Come to Istanbul in April and enjoy the Tulip Festival, not to mention the thousand other things that make this city, for me, the most fascinating on earth.

Tulip festival 2015 / Emirgan - İstanbul /Turkey Gezen Adam Gezen Adam

The Maiden's Tower, also known as Leander's Tower since the medieval Byzantine period, is a tower lying on a small islet located at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait 200 m from the coast of Üsküdar in Istanbul, Turkey.

Address: Üsküdar Salacak Mevkii, 34668 Üsküdar/İstanbul, Turkey

 Inside the  Maiden's Tower there is a restaurant in the first floor and a cafe at the top of the tower.

Self-Guided walking Tours 

1. Topkapı Sarayı (Palace) Museum

2. Ayasofya/Hagia Sophia-Istanbu

3. Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

4. Byzantine Hippodrome, Istanbul

5. Turkish & Islamic Art Museum

6. Basilica Cistern, Istanbul

Ortaköy is a neighborhood, formerly a small village, within the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, located in the middle of the European bank of the Bosphorus. Ortaköy was a cosmopolitan area during the Ottoman era and the first decades of the Turkish Republic, with communities of Turks, Greeks, Armenians and Jews. Today the neighborhood still hosts many different religious (Muslim, Jewish, Orthodox, and other Christian) structures. It is also a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, with its art galleries, night clubs, cafés, bars, and restaurants.

The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge or simply the First Bridge, is one of two suspension bridges spanning the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey; thus connecting Europe and Asia.
it's the first bridge to connect European side of Istanbul to the Asian side, its length is 1,560 m, and the height 165 m, it was opened on the 30th of October,1973. on the sides you see the fishers with their rods, the view of the bridge is much better from the outside than when you are on it because you can see the whole view of the bridge with the excellent architecture and the lights on it at night. the problem is the traffic is too much it takes a long time to reach it and drive on it.

The Bosphorus Bridge is closed to pedestrian traffic, so unless you are running the marathon or participating in one of the related fun runs, you won’t have a chance to cross it on foot.  For the best views of the structure, book a Bosphorus cruise that will likely pass under it twice. At night, you can take in the light show on the bridge from a cruise or a waterfront restaurant.

Apart from beautiful cafés with a Bosphorus view, such as the Ortaköy Kahvesi, pubs and restaurants near the ferry port, Ortaköy also has some of Istanbul's best seashore night clubs, including Reina, Sortie and Angelique.

It's a good place to stop for tea or coffee, a snack or a meal, a stroll, some boutique window-shopping or a rest, particularly if you've spent the morning on a Bosphorus cruise north to Sariyer.

If it's a Sunday, expect an impromptu street market of artists displaying their wares for admiration and (they hope) sale.

Coffeehouses and tea terraces overlooking the water fill the seaside next to the mosque now as they have for decades—perhaps centuries—and are one of Ortaköy's prime attractions.

 On weekends, vehicular traffic along the Bosphorus shore road can be extremely heavy and slow, so midday on weekdays is the best time to visit Ortaköy.

Huqqa Resturant  Serve Pizzas, international cuisine & shisha in a modern alcohol-free restaurant with Bosphorus views.

Address: Kuruçeşme Mah., Muallim Naci Cd. No:56, 34345 Kuruçeşme / Beşiktas/İstanbul, Turkey