Roy had to inspect a boat a few miles north of Istanbul on the Bosphorus that will be making an underwater assessment of the place where the pipeline will cross the Marmara Sea. It was to be a quick trip - we were gone a total of 48 hours from Ankara.
Istanbul, formally Constantinople, is the largest city in Turkey with a population of just over 14 million and is the third largest city in the world by population within city limits.
Travel note: Istanbul in February can be down right chilly! As you will see, we are bundled up and I should have brought my big coat as there was a cold wind whistling around.
We landed and had only a few hours before dark. Our first stop was the beautiful Sultan Ahmed Mosque or more popularly known as the Blue Mosque, which takes its name from the interior blue Iznik tile work. It was built between 1609 - 1616.
Since it functions as a mosque today, everyone must remove their shoes and women are required to cover their heads. Of course, I had forgotten my nice scarf for just such occasions in my other backpack so had to improvise with the knitted neck scarf I was wearing.
It has an incredibly beautiful interior and very large. Our puny pictures don't do it justice.
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| The triangle shape in the middle-left (actually a niche) is called a mihrab and always marks the direction to Mecca. |
We had to sample this soft toffee made by a street vendor in the nearby Sultanahmet Square. Yummy!
Next and last stop for the day - The Basilica Cisterns or Sunken Palace
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| Medusa statue used as a column base |
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| Fish (carp & goldfish) living in the cisterns. |
The next morning, while Roy and Doruk were boat inspecting, I wandered around the dock area - the harbor reminded us of Noyo harbor from our youth in northern California with all the fishing boats.
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| fisherman repairing a huge net by hand. |
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| ancient fortress on the Black Sea |
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| Driving to Istanbul along the Bosphorus |
Back to Sultanahmet Square to the Haghia Sofia, which was built in 537 AD. It served as a Greek Orthodox cathedral - Church of Holy Wisdom, for the next 900 years and was then converted to an imperial mosque until 1931, when it was modified to a museum.
Again, our pictures do not convey the vastness of the interior; there is room for 25,000 worshipers.
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| The stairway leads to the minbar - a lofty pulpit from where the iman delivers his sermon. |
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| I can't remember what exactly was the purpose of this little room, but it was beautiful |
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| Urn |
Carved from one single block of marble, a huge urn used in an ancient Greek purification ceremony, brought from Pergamon in western Turkey.
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| Site where the Byzantine kings were crowned. |
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| sliced stone slabs |
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| More beautiful tile work - I just couldn't get enough of it. Maybe the quilter in me..... |
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| calligraphic roundel - a circular disc used as a symbol |
In Islamic art, the highest place is held by calligraphy. This is because the calligrapher's prime task is writing the Holy Koran, believed by Muslims to be the word of God.
Just outside Haghia Sophia is this beautiful "Absolutions" fountain.
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| Also on the square is the Egyptian Obelisk, which was built in 1500 BC, and stood outside Luxor in Egypt until Constantine had it brought to his city. |
We had time for one more stop, and although I am not normally a shopaholic - well, except for books or fabric - a stop in the Grand Bazaar is a must-see.
Established in 1453 it can be entered by several gateways. To quote our Turkey guidebook: nothing can prepare you for the Grand Bazaar. This labyrinth (would be very easy to get lost in spite of signposting) of 61 streets covered by painted vaults is lined with thousands of booth-like shaped shops, (3,000+) and whose shopkeepers are relentless in their quest for a sale. We were lucky once again, to have Doruk with us (Roy's Turkish deputy from work), who told them to "back off!" in rapid Turkish. Bargaining is expected and most shopkeepers speak fair English. Turkish people are very friendly and I was invited to watch a backgammon game while Roy belt shopped. I'm sure this gentleman would have given me a how-to-play lesson if I could have spoken Turkish, or he English; he was very friendly and liked that I was interested in their game.
The different sections in the Bazaar are antiques and carpets, leather and denim, gold and silver, fabrics, souvenirs, household goods, and workshops. We were there one hour, walked around one block and came away with a new belt for Roy, silk scarves for the girls, dress up hats for granddaughters, and a beautiful inlaid wooden backgammon board. We will definitely return.
Istanbul travel tip: Keep several Turkish lira coins in your pocket. You will need them to visit the tuvalet (toilet).
Everything we visited was within easy walking distance, and we only scratched the surface of what there is to see in this magnificent city.
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