The actual last post of our honeymoon trip…2 months ago! It’s been a while so I’m going to write a bit less and just have you enjoy these photos – because I was so jetlagged while visiting that I really only experienced the city in a blur of sparkling lights and delicious treats.

We stopped over Istanbul on the way to South Africa and on the way back, and while we weren’t able to spend all the time we wanted there, we were able to get a great taste of the Old Town. The subways from the airport take a bit of time (around 1 hour), but the directions are clear enough if you know where you’re going and if you have cash for the metro tickets. We spent the majority of our time in Sultanahmet (Old Town) and had a wonderful time wandering around all the mosques and listening to the call to prayers five times a day.

First we checked out the Blue Mosque, which was free to enter; you do have to be covered to enter, but they provided scarves for the women and cover up pants for the men.

We then visited the Hagia Sophia; first it was a church, then a mosque, and now a museum for nearly 100 years, the Hagia Sophia is not only insanely beautiful, it’s an impressive piece of world history. It’s really cool to admire Christian mosaics alongside Islamic scripts and decor.

During our time in Istanbul, we spent time wandering around visiting the Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar. While these places were beautiful, I actually enjoyed just wandering around the city, tasting delectable turkish delight in Taksim, wandering around Istiklal Street, and admiring the views of Galata Bridge and tower.

We barely scratched the surface of this beautiful city – and will definitely make a separate trip to visit Turkey soon so we can explore more!