LARAMIE, Wyo. (June 24, 2019) – As the summer tourism months get started, our diverse Cowgirl team would like to give our fans a guide to their hometowns. Selale Kepenc, a redshirt junior, breaks down the best ways to visit Istanbul, Turkey.

Kepenc recommends staying near the Bosphorus, a narrow straight that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. There are plenty of hotels near the water with varying price ranges. Once you've found your place to stay, Kepenc would direct fans to the Cıragan Bosphorus Grill or the Lacivert Restaurant for a nice meal. Both locations are positioned right on the waters of the straight.
 
A few can't-miss sights for Kepenc include Prince Island, the Galata Tower and Otağtepe. Additionally, visitors should see Topkapı Palace, Maiden's Tower and the Hagia Sophia Mosque. Burgazada is also a nearby island that tourists can visit to see more of the Istanbul area.
 
Aside from the sights, there is plenty to do in Istanbul, including the Sortie Club and Chilai Bebek for nightlife, or visiting any of the Topkapı Palace, Koç, Sabancı or Hagia Sophia Museums. There's also a Jazz Festival in Istanbul during the first half of July and places like İstinye Park, Nişantaşı and Bağdat Street for shopping.
 
Kepenc also shared a few phrases that will help tourists get around the area:

• Hoşgeldin (that means "welcome")
• Türkiye'ye Hoşgeldin (that means "welcome to Turkey")
• Merhaba (that means "hi")
• Teşekkür ederim (that means "thanks")
• Eline sağlık (there is no translation for that but we say that sentence to who cooks the dinner)

If you travel anywhere else in Europe, Kepenc would like to recommend seeing as much European history as you can.