The spectacular and the spiritual

We awake to the mystical sounds of the Blue Mosque's early-morning call to prayer, and straight away know we have arrived in an exotic land.

As someone who usually cherishes a sleep-in while on holiday, I am surprised at my lack of annoyance at this disturbance. Quite the opposite, in fact; it brings about an excited sense of anticipation for the day ahead. But even more than that, I find something comforting in the muezzin's deep, reverberating voice which provides a very pleasant start to the day.

We arrived in Istanbul the evening before after travelling 13,000km and 22 hours from Perth. Discounting the long wait through immigration and customs, our initial impressions of the city were very positive.

As we caught a taxi from the airport to our hotel in the old town area of Sultanahmet, we were surprised at the cleanliness and amount of greenery.

There was a festive atmosphere in the air; locals were celebrating the end of Ramadan by having picnics with their family and friends in the foreshore parklands.

We were greeted by the host of our boutique hotel and straight away the hospitality of the Turkish people was apparent.

We were invited to take a seat and presented with tea. Our host, Ali, waited for us to try the tea before engaging us in polite conversation - where we were from, how our flight was, what we liked to do and our plans while in Istanbul.

Ali carefully considered all our responses, before going to the information stand and selecting an assortment of maps and brochures. He took us through the hotel's location on the map, along with all the major tourist attractions he thought might be of interest.

He pointed out the tram stops and explained how the public transport system worked. We were offered more tea, which we politely declined, before being invited up to our room.

The next day, we wish Ali a good morning ("sabah iyi") as we leave the hotel and make our way up our little cobblestoned laneway. At the end of the laneway we enter an area known as the Hippodrome - the centre of activity in this city for thousands of years. The Hippodrome entertained Byzantine emperors with chariot races and played a pivotal role in countless political dramas, including the downfall of Abdul Hamid II early in the 20th century.

In its glory days, the arena was decorated with obelisks and statues, some of which remain today. Locals still use this venue for important city events, and today we can see the remnants of end of Ramadan celebrations.

We stroll along the Hippodrome promenades until we come out in front of one of Istanbul's premier attractions, Ayasofya, also known as Hagia Sophia.

Built in 500AD, the building has an interesting and varied history. Starting out as a church, it was converted to a mosque in the 1400s, before being declared a museum in 1935. We buy tickets, and as we enter the main chamber are stunned by the beauty inside.

A magnificent central dome stretches heavenward and the walls and ceilings are adorned with marble and mosaics depicting historical and biblical scenes.

Next stop is the Basilica Cistern, which was built in the 500s to supply water to the Great Palace and surrounding buildings.

Mysterious and dark, the cistern consists of 336 marble columns of 9m in height, all perfectly spaced, and has walls more than 4m thick. Here you will also find a smart entrepreneur, servicing the wishes of tourists with the opportunity to dress up as ancient Byzantines.

We then use the excellent tram system to travel to the Grand Bazaar but unfortunately we find the stalls closed for the end of Ramadan. These famously crowded laneways now represent a ghost town.

On our way back, we stop to have lunch at a cafe. I have a delicious doner kebab while my husband enjoys lamb koftas, along with a few flavoured beers which I combine with lemonade to create refreshing shandies (perfect in the 35C heat).

It is nice to be able to enjoy a few alcoholic drinks even though we are in a Muslim country - the Turks respect the wishes of their non-Muslim residents and tourists alike to drink and eat as per their own beliefs, and the vibe is cosmopolitan and liberal, much like any large European metropolis.

We take our time at the cafe, enjoying the people-watching opportunity, before jumping onto a tourist hop-on hop-off bus. We've used these buses in cities all around the world and find them to be a stress-free and economical way to explore the major attractions a city has to offer. The tour takes us around the Sultanahmet, across the Galata Bridge and towards the Bosphorus Strait.

In the minute or so it takes our bus to drive across the 1074m Bosphorus Bridge, we pass from Europe into Asia - Istanbul being the only city in the world to span two continents.

The next day, awoken at sunrise once again by the morning call to prayer, we take the tram across the Galata Bridge and walk a short distance to the Dolmabahce Palace.

A striking sculpture at at Dolmabahce Palace / Pictures: Bronwen Brown

We pass through the beautiful inner gardens to the palace itself, where we wait to join the next tour. Built as a desperate attempt to save the failing Ottoman Empire, the palace is relatively new at 155 years old and very modern by European palace standards.

Not a penny was spared in building it and the attention to detail is quite spectacular, with beautiful mosaics, murals, Turkish carpets, furniture and chandeliers in every room.

The palace itself is enormous, at 110,000sqm and 600m long. The 2000sqm ballroom is one of the biggest in Europe and boasts a 4.5-ton chandelier. As you would expect, important official State functions are hosted in this room, such as when President Obama visited Istanbul in 2009.

After the tour we enjoy a snack and drink at a cafe on the waterfront where a cool breeze allows us to escape the heat. We then make our way to the funicular, which takes us up to Taksim Square and along the famous shopping strip, Istiklal Caddesi.

We make some mandatory purchases as we walk the entire length of the street, past the Galata Tower, before catching the tram back across the Galata Bridge.

In the evening we go to a Mevlevi Sema Ceremony at the Hodjapasha Cultural Centre.

The Mevlevi Order, otherwise known as the whirling dervishes, was founded in 1273. The Sema (which incorporates the famous whirling) represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love.

The ceremony is very enjoyable - the music and singing are mystical and exotic, the dervishes mesmerising and the venue itself provides a historical and intimate setting. It is a fantastic opportunity to see this unique 800-year-old tradition still being practiced.

The next day we wake for the final time to the morning call to prayer, and this time allow ourselves to be led by the muezzin to the final major attraction on our list, the beautiful Blue Mosque.

As I respectfully don a scarf to cover my long blonde hair, this seems a more than fitting end to our journey into this unique city, which somehow manages to seamlessly blend a multitude of cultures and religions.