Our trip began on Thursday night as we drive overnight to arrive bright and early in Istanbul.
Yeditepe University. The first university we visited and where we stayed in the dorms during our trip.
Boğaziçi University. An absolutely beautiful campus and a school that many American universities have exchange programs with. There was some kind of fair going on the day we were there.
The view from the Boğaziçi campus.
We also visited Istanbul Technical University on Friday but I didn't take any pictures. Although I am going to college in the U.S. it was still interesting to see some colleges and hear what some of the current students had to say.
We also visited Koç University on Saturday which was my favorite of the school's we visited and had a beautiful campus. A lot of American schools also have exchange programs here, so maybe I will be studying there in a few years.
On Friday night, we had a nice dinner at a restaurant right on the Bosphorus. Everyone got dressed up and we took lots of pictures before eating and dancing. It was so much fun and me and Priya decided that it was our make up prom and that we were each other's dates.
We visited a place that had a view of the whole city and took pictures there.
We visited Taksim Square and got to wander and see the famous trolley car go up and down the Main Street.
Saturday night, we went to a mall where my oldest host sister met me and my other host sister for tea and birthday cake for my birthday that day.
Dolmabahçe Palace. This was the center of administration for the Ottoman Empire for many years and was the home of many sultans over the years. Atatürk also used it as his presidential palace much of the time and spent the last days of his life there. The interior is absolutely gorgeous but pictures weren't allowed so I don't have any for you all.
The Blue Mosque. I was far more excited about seeing this than any of my classmates but it just blew my mind to be in a place with so much history. The interior was gorgeous although it was incredibly crowded, so it was a little hard to enjoy.
The Hagia Sophia. Another truly incredible thing to see. You can clearly see what parts of it are from when it was a church and which were added when it became a mosque. It is still being restored but there is a lot of very cool stuff to see inside.
The Basilica Cistern. I don't know a lot about the history but it was very cool and eerily beautiful. I was surprised to discover that the cistern is actually full of water; I had always assumed the floor was just made of very shiny rock and that was what caused the reflections.
Topkapı Palace. Another home of the Ottoman rulers. I was not allowed to go in with the ticket I had because it was apparently only for Turkish citizens (although they let Priya in because she looks so Turkish), so I ended up having to go get another ticket and missing half of our tour. The part I did see was very cool though!
Our last activity of our trip was a ferry boat ride on the Bosphorus. We played loud music, sang, danced, and enjoyed the beautiful views of an absolutely amazing city.
I had such a wonderful time on this trip, spending time with my classmates and falling ever more in love with the country that is home now. I was so grateful to have the opportunity to see so many amazing things during this trip and to have celebrated my 17th birthday in such an amazing city with such great people.
As always, thanks for reading! Have a wonderful week wherever you are!
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