Day 15 (July 14, 2025): So long, Kazakhstan! Plus, a day in Istanbul.

What a long day! We got up at 1 AM Kazakhstan time (which was 11 PM the previous night, Istanbul time), and at 2:30 AM we were in a taxi to the airport. Things always seem a little frenetic in former Soviet airports, and such was indeed the case at Aktau International Airport, where many flights tend to leave for Europe in the wee hours of the morning. Anyway, we tucked ourselves into our seats on board our Pegasus Airlines flight to Istanbul, enjoyed a wonderful pre-ordered meal, and slept a little bit. 

The flight was an hour-and-a-half late arriving in Istanbul. We made our way to our hotel by taxi, where we took a brief rest before setting out at 11 AM to explore Istanbul for the day. And what a day it was! 

Oh, my, the crowds in Istanbul! We missed the peaceful sights and nonexistent crowds of Central Asia, big time. Anyway, somehow we made our way around despite exhaustion and the 30° heat. 

Having been here before, our goal was as simple as this: walk around the two key mosques in Istanbul (the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque), head to the famous Grand Bazaar, see the Galata Tower, and take a cruise of the Bosphorus River (which separates Europe from Asia) and the Istanbul harbour. Somehow, we managed to do it all and arrive back at the hotel nine hours later,  at 8 PM. After a quick dinner in the hotel restaurant, we were off to bed, feeling happy to have had the opportunity to spend a day in one of the world’s great cities again. 

Arrival at Aktau Airport (code “SCO”) at 3AM. A beehive of activity, even at that hour. 

Our Pegasus Airbus 320neo flight to Istanbul was about 3/4 full. The first flight of the trip that wasn’t packed to the rafters. 

The sun was about to rise as we lifted off from Kazakhstan. 

The Pegasus pre-ordered meal of beef kababs (yes, an odd breakfast!) was of high quality and was delicious. 

About to land in Istanbul, with its busy port. 

We stayed at the excellent Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Pendik, which is about 12 minutes by taxi from Sabiha Gökçen Airport - Istanbul’s secondary airport. The staff was wonderful and so helpful, and we were upgraded to an amazing suite. It’s also just a 300m walk to the Metro (line 4).  10/10 all ‘round!

Hagia Sofia Grand Mosque. 

Sultanahmet Squate with the Blue Mosque in the background. 

The Suleymaniye (or Blue) Mosque is an ornate mosque from the 16th century. 

Obelisk of Theodosius is an Egyptian obelisk with hieroglyphics dating to 1400BC. It was erected in Istanbul in the 4th century. 

One of the many entrances to the Grand Bazaar. 

The Grand Bazaar is truly mesmerizing.

All that glitters really is gold!

Some vendors at the Grand Bazaar, well, they just carry their store on their back! :-)

Starting our climb to Galata Tower. 

Famous 15th century Galata Tower, another of Istanbul’s top sights. 

The Galata Bridge is a bustling bridge over the Golden Horn, with pedestrian walkways and street vendors, and cafes built below the bridge deck. 

Sarayburnu Park, near the Hagia Sofia Mosque. 

Starting out on our two-hour cruise of the Bosphorus. There are dozens and dozens of such cruises, constantly departing from near the Galata Bridge. Istanbul’s not the travel deal it used to be, as it has gotten quite expensive. But this tour was a mere 250 Turkish Lira ($8 CAD) per person. A travel steal that allows you to get to see so much of the city and comfortably. Even travel guru Rick Steves says you can’t visit Istanbul without taking a Bosphorus cruise. 

Dolmabahce Palace is a grand, domed former sultan’s palace. 

Beylerbeyi Palace is a 19th century palace built on the European side that was once a summer residence for Ottoman sultans. 

Sailboats were certainly not in short supply on this warm, windy day. 

Connecting Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus, the 15 July Matura Bridge was one of two suspension bridges we saw on our cruise. It was completed in 1973. 

Before entering the Bosphorus River, this government building shows the Turkish flag and the President, in preparation for tomorrow’s national holiday. 

Ortakoy Mosque and Square. 

The Turkish flag was freely blowing from the bridge as we passed under. The tower to the right of the bridge is Istanbul’s fairly recent and architecturally appealing TV tower. 

Both the European and Asian sides have some incredibly swanky properties lining the River. But the European side seemed just a wee bit more “upper crust”. The yachts lining this particular section sure spoke to the presence of wealth. 

Rumeli Fortress is a hilltop 15th century fortress on the European side, with multiple towers. 

The Faith Sultan Mehmet Bridge is the second suspension bridge we saw, which crosses the Bosphorus. It is similar to the MacDonald Bridge connecting Dartmouth to Halifax, both in style and length (1km). Of interest in that, if you continue up the Bosphorus for several hours, you will enter the Black Sea. 

Kuleli, on the Asian side, is an impressive and imposing building that has been used for many things over the years, including a military officer training school and a military high school until 2016. In 2016, following the attempted military coup in Turkey, all military schools were closed by a decree under Turkey’s State of Emergency. It is now used as a school of foreign languages. 

General views of the Asian side. 

Mosques, mosques and more mosques!

The biggest Turkish flag we saw — and we saw so many, in preparation for Tuesday’s national holiday: Democracy and National Unity Day. 

Kucuksu Pavilion on the Asian side. 

Famous Maiden’s Tower is one of Istanbul’s best-known sights. As the story goes, a king of turkey was told by an old oracle that his daughter would be bitten by a poisonous snake and would die. So he built the tower on the tiny island to protect her from such a deadly snake bite. 

After all our walking, it was so nice to sit and watch Istanbul pass by from the boat. A perfect end to our day. 

About dock back at the Galata Bridge after our cruise. The Modern Mosque in Eminou Square is behind us to the right. From here, we started what took two hours to get back to the hotel. 

Sultan Ahmet Camisi Mosque — also known as the Modern Mosque - in Eminonu Square.