Cate Blanchett, who won an Oscar for Best Actress last year for her leading role in "Blue Jasmine," has come to Istanbul. Celebrating New Year's with her family in Italy, the 45-year-old star came to Istanbul preferring to keep her visit private. She visited Kapalıçarşı, Beyoğlu and Galata with her husband Andrew Upton and three children. Having shopped a lot in Kapalıçarşı, Blanchett bought Turkish-made soap, a bathrobe and a hamam towel.

Blanchett visited Homer Kitabevi in the morning, a bookshop in Beyoğlu, and bought several books by Turkish Nobel Prize-winner author Orhan Pamuk and Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, in addition to some books on Turkey.

Going to Galata in the evening, she had dinner in a restaurant called Neolokal. After dinner, Blanchett visited the restaurant's kitchen and made conversation with the chefs. She finished her visit by taking photos with fans.