Mini Travel Log: Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul; the city where East meets West. The two continents are divided by the Bosphorus Strait. Many great empires ruled over this city and used it as a capital; leaving it with rich cultural heritage. I was mesmerized by this beautiful city and its many historical structures. Fighting fatigue and trying to stay awake, I managed to visit the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Grand Bazaar. There are so many other attractions and I wished I had more days here.

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A word of caution for tourists. Like many southern European cities, there are many shady people preying on tourists here. Very often these people come up to ask you questions like "where are you from" and "who do you travel with". While trying to draw your attention away, the other guy will work his pickpocket skills. There are also people who will coax you to follow them to some good bargain places. Don't be fooled by them as they are trying to bring you to isolated place to mug you. On my very short visit, I had already seen a case and another attempt on myself.