The #1 Reason Why Everyone Should Visit Istanbul

During my month living in Sofia, Bulgaria, I decided to venture over to Istanbul—the legendary city where East meets West. A friend and I hopped on the overnight train to Turkey for two days and one night in the city. Even in such a short time, Istanbul stole a piece of my heart.

First, the food was incredible. I ate my weight in Turkish breakfast (pictured above), kebabs, fresh fish, Turkish coffee, Turkish delights, and much, much more.

We wandered down Istiklal Street to Taksim Square and marveled at the rooftop views. I endured the massive crowds to see the Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Galata Bridge, and Galata Tower. I soaked up the history of the city and admired the life that poured out of every corner.

And while the food, the sites, the views, and the history were amazing, the one thing I couldn’t get over were the people.

Unfortunately, Americans have some warped views about Turkey because of the things we hear on the news and the travel advisories on the state website. I’m not going to pretend that I know all the details about the political conflicts between America and Turkey. I won’t claim that it’s 100% safe to visit Turkey as an American citizen right now. But I will say that the people I encountered in Turkey were some of the nicest, most hospitable, and accepting people I’ve met anywhere in the world.

Again and again, I was blessed with genuine interactions that warmed my heart. I saw street vendors who offered to give directions to tourists on the street. One restaurant owner even helped us find a different restaurant, knowing that he was losing our business in the process.

When we couldn’t find a specific bar, multiple groups of locals tried to help us. A group of ten men enjoying their afternoon tea poured over the map on our phone and gave us step-by-step directions to the bar.

I witnessed locals helping tourists figure out the tram system. Every waiter genuinely wanted to know our story and offered more than once to take our photo in front of a beautiful cityscape. I didn’t receive rude comments for denying street vendors of my business or just for being a young woman walking on the street, as unfortunately happens in many other cities.

It was so refreshing to walk among women in burkas, women in hijabs, women in shorts, and women in dresses and feel no judgment and no tension. It could be that I was ignorant of any negativity or prejudice, but I like to think that I didn’t, that there was just less of it in Istanbul.

On my last day, I ran out of lira (Turkish currency) but needed to buy a water bottle for the train home. I went into a market and grabbed a large bottle. When I tried to pay with my credit card, the man waved me off and told me I could pay tomorrow. “I’m leaving today,” I responded. He smiled and told me to take it. “No, no,” I protested, “I have a euro?” He shook his head, “No problem.” In the end, I walked away with a free bottle of water and a deep love and appreciation for the Turkish people.

I encourage you to share this article with your American friends or anyone with questions about visiting Turkey. People throughout the world can surprise you if you give them a chance. And for your next vacation, consider booking a trip to Istanbul. It won’t disappoint!