Istanbul has been on my travel list for a long time and that’s why I decided to fly to Istanbul as a 40th birthday gift. Unfortunately, due to Covid, this gift was only two years later, in 2022, when we could again travel freely to Turkey.
The city made a very positive impression on me, almost magical, like from “One Thousand and One Nights”. Full of interesting places and monuments, where Christianity intertwines with Islam, modernity with antiquity, the present with the past. Flavors and smells I could expierience tasting turkish cusine complement the image of this unique place.
Getting ready for my five days in this magical city located at the junction of Europe and Asia, I was, of course, looking for places where I could come across some murals. Two places are particularly worth attention - the Balat district, on the European side, which is often a colorful and fabulous land on Instagram posts, and the district on the Asian side named Kadikoy. The first of these places differs significantly from the photos on social media - old, ruined buildings contrast very much with colorful cafes (but I guess that was the idea to ‘break the spell’ and make the area more colorful). Kadikoy besides interesting street art offers variety of bars and restaurants. Both districts are undoubtedly interesting and worth visiting. Istanbul is undoubly fascinating and five days, for sure, didn’t give me the opportunity to get to know this unique place better. I can’t wait until I have the opportunity to go back there.
Fun fact My husband and I were traveling with Lufthansa on connected fligth Istanbul-Frankfrut-Krakow and we were late at Frankfurt, so we missed our flight to Krakow. As it was the airline fault, we were rescheduled to a different flight and after all we got a compesation from Lufthansa (as the delay upon our arrival in Krakow was over 3 houres). That amount of money covered my expenses for travel and accomodation in Istanbul, so my “birthday city break” was even more awesome.
@Gezendunyali thank you for your tips in Istanbul. @Stphn your post about Istanbul travel was priceless.
Hey @AniaKiser It’s a great article accompanied by wonderful photographs. I’m adding the murals you shared to my list on maps. I want to visit these places when I go to many countries. Actually, I would like to guide you and your wife, but I live in the Mediterranean region of southern Turkey. I hope you will make your next trip to Turkey to these regions. You can also see the pictures you shared on social media. I am amazed. You and your partner know how to travel very well. I hope you will travel many times. Best regards
@Gezendunyali In August I was about to visit Cappadocia,but unfortunately on the day before my trip I got food poisoning at the hotel, so I couldn’t make it. I need to plan going there in the future.
Leider nein. Mir ist hier nur ein Wandgemälde hier bekannt aber leider komme ich zur Zeit nicht ans Bild und vergleichbar mit ihren ganzen schönen Aufnahmen ist es auch nicht.
@Annaelisa Perfect! Thank you for sharing! I’m amazed how different in styles murals can be.
@TerryPG You’re welcome. If you would like to enjoy more street art check @ChanneLing posts - her photos inspired me to start writing my articles about murals here on Connect
@AniaKiser What an incredible way to celebrate your 40th birthday, turning a delayed flight hiccup into a magical adventure . The street art in Balat and Kadikoy looks like a dream – the fusion of history, culture, and creativity is just captivating.
@TravellerG Your words are always so nice! I appreciate that a lot. I’ve had a flu, so I’ve had enough time to prepare two street art post, but I still have a gallery full of more murals’ photos and a lot of material to write more post in the future, so stayed tuned.
@Mo_TravelleerX Now I need to have a break, so local guides won’t feel overwhelmed by my posts. Two posts in the row are enought, but I finally found some free time to prepare them for Connect platform.
My husband and I were traveling with Lufthansa on connected fligth Istanbul-Frankfrut-Krakow and we were late at Frankfurt, so we missed our flight to Krakow. As it was the airline fault, we were rescheduled to a different flight and after all we got a compesation from Lufthansa (as the delay upon our arrival in Krakow was over 3 houres). That amount of money covered my expenses for travel and accomodation in Istanbul, so my “birthday city break” was even more awesome. 
I need to plan going there in the future. 
I’ve had a flu, so I’ve had enough time to prepare two street art post, but I still have a gallery full of more murals’ photos and a lot of material to write more post in the future, so stayed tuned. 