Besides its incredible location by the sea, the life and animation of the streets are what impressed me the most in Istanbul. Of course there are world-renowned landmarks that you cannot miss, but in my sense, simply wandering through the streets and getting to know the many neighbourhoods of the city is a wonderful way to get a flavour of Istanbul.
The streets are filled with all these “little nothings”: a woman selling flowers, corn, or pretzels, the crowd of people walking up and down the streets carrying children and groceries, calling up one another, women chatting among themselves, cats and dogs knocked out by the heat and desperate for a hideout in the shadow, the fascinating echo of the five daily prayers – all these small pieces of life brought together form the most lively and colourful canvas you can imagine.
