The City of Two Continents

Sultan Ahmed's Mosque

The Swissair A-300 seemed to bounce on the runway as we completed the flight from Zurich. Finally, journey's end. It seemed like forever since we had left our home on the Carolina coast, and now we were going to spend a few days in Turkey. Prior to our trip friends asked me "Why Turkey?" To which I responded, "Why not." But actually I wanted to visit a Moslem country that we deemed safe.  When you are no longer young nor fleet of foot you tend to pick destinations that don't require any quick actions. Therefore, Turkey seemed like a logical choice.

We deplaned and caught our bus to our hotel in Istanbul, a city of 12.5 million. The Attaturk International Airport is on the European side of the Bosphorus Strait, which flows between the European and Asian parts of the city. Later our guide, an English speaking Turkish woman in her early forties, briefed us on what to expect. Certain caveats prevailed, the most important of which was "Don't drink the water." But according to Yesim bottled water was readily available on the tour bus.  The price was right; 1TL (Turkish lira) for 2 bottles and 1 TL was equal to about $.70 U.S. We took advantage of the service by "stocking up" every day before we left the bus. We dined that night in the hotel restaurant with a view of the ships moving on the Bosphorus, which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.

Inside The Blue Mosque

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel.  It was buffet style with a variety of unfamiliar foods. There was a huge variety of pastries and fresh honey still in the comb.   I did recognize  a croissant and ate it with some butter and honey.  Fresh fruit and yogurt was good, and I had a glass of fresh guava juice that was delicious.  Yogurt is very popular in Turkey and is eaten at every meal.

After breakfast we were off to see the sights of this famous and fourth most visited city in the world. The first site we saw was the Hippodrome. I mentioned to Claudette that the name sure sounded like hippodome, which, as everyone knows, is an aquatic structure for use by hippopotamuses.  Actually, hippo means horse in Greek, and a hippodrome is a horse racing track.  The one in Istanbul was build in 203 A.D. and was the site of many chariot races, to the delight of up to 100,000 spectators.  Today the grandstands are gone as well as most all of the lavish adornments. However, a obelisk from Egypt and a spiral column remain from its heyday. There is one relic from the twentith century, Kaiser Wilhelm's Fountain. I seem to recall that  the Kaiser sought and received Turkey's support in their ill-fated attempt to win the "war to end all wars".  It was a bright sunny morning in September, and we were inundated by street vendors. Many were selling guide books, hand made flutes, scarves, and various trinkets. One man balanced six layers of giant soft pretzels on his head! The peddlers were persistant but not near as pesky as those in Tangier.

Inside Topkapi

Topkapi is one of the most famous sites in the world, and this palace of the Ottoman sultans is within the old walled city; which was the first walled city in Europe to be besieged by cannon. As gunpowder and firearms moved west from their origin in China, the great city on the Silk Road then known as Constantinople was a formidable target.  Construction began in 1459 on the huge palace, which is a single level structure covering 7.5 million square feet, or about 130 American football fields.  Within its walls are the national treasury, living quarters, bakeries, armory, library, harem, and of course, a mosque.  At its peak it housed 4,000 Turks. Unlike  other palaces such as Versailles, which were designed and built by one man, Topkapi evolved from its original builder over hundreds of years.  Most of the changes were made by Suleiman the Magnificent, the same Suleiman who recaptured Jerusalem from the Christians during the crusades. The site is guarded by Turkish military and other security guards.   We passed through the metal detectors unobstructed after running our tickets through the scanner to unlock the turnstile. One of the big advantages of being a part of a tour group is that you get your tickets to attractions before entering, and that means that you don't have to wait in the ticket line. The actual entrance is inside the massive Imperial Gate. At such a famous historic site as this there are always crowds of people, and every attraction had a queue. Photographs were not allowed in the interiors, but  I was able to make a few drawings. Virtually every object on display was covered with precious and semi-precious stones. There were all sorts of bracelets and necklaces as well as jewel encrusted daggers. There was also furniture gilded with inlaid jewels.  The rooms were dimly lit, but everything in them sparkled.  We did not have a chance to visit the harem (it required a separate ticket) or the armory. Our time was short, and we needed to be at the Blue Mosque.

Inside Hagai Sophia

Sultan Ahmed's Mosque was built in the seventeenth century and has several unique features. It is normally referred to as the "Blue Mosque" because its interior has thousands of blue ceramic tiles lining its walls. A unique feature of the exterior is that it has six minarets. The norm is four, but in the case of a very small mosque I saw near Ephesus, there was only one minaret. When first constructed, minarets were the place where the call to prayer was given by a mauzzin over fifty feet off the ground. Now the call to prayer is from a loudspeaker mounted high in the minaret.  "God is greatest! God is greatest! God is greatest! I bear witness that there is no witness except God... " This we heard five times per day. We had to remove our shoes before entering the mosque and were given a bag to carry them in. Each mosque is equipped outside for worshipers to wash their feet before entering but we did not have to do that.  The women were not required to cover their heads, because there was no service during our visit.  Worship areas are separated according to gender. The interior of the mosque was a thing of beauty even though over the years much of it has been plundered by conquering nations.  Many verses from the Koran adorned the walls, and calligraphy of gold and precious stones sparkled in the light from the many stained glass windows.   Lush carpets covered the floor, which was nice for our unshod feet.  After exiting we had a glass of tea while waiting for the tour group to assemble.

A street near The Grand Bazaar

The streets were crowded with cars, trucks, scooters, and trams, which frequently do not move due to the heavy traffic.  There are tourists and locals on the streets. Many men are moving heavy cartons on hand trucks. We had a lunch served cafeteria style and continued to the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is the largest covered shopping mall in the world.  Yes, larger that the Mall of America in Minnesota.   There are over three thousands shops, some only four feet by six feet in area along the sixty-one streets.. There is a great view of the Bazaar roof of many domes in the James Bond film, "Skyfall".  Outside the Bazaar the street shops have a variety of products as well, and with exception of the fumes of motor vehicles, you get a whiff of the exotic; some of the same odors smelled by the travelers on the Silk Road centuries ago. The aromas of spices and foods being cooked are most notable. Prices in this area are usually quoted in euros and are always negotiable. I think the quality of goods in this area should probably be questioned.  Five euros for a large bottle of Chanel No. 5 may indicate that the product may not be authentic.

Our next  site was Hagia Sophia, one of the most impressive structures in Istanbul.  This huge mosque, built as a Christian church  in 360 A.D., was the largest Christian church until the construction of the cathedral in Seville, Spain, in 1453. The huge domed structure is large enough to house the Statue of Liberty.  It is over 30 feet taller.  After its conversion to a mosque during the Ottoman Turk Empire, the Christian mosaics and decorative elements were covered by paint or stucco.  In 1935 when Hagia Sophia opened as a museum some of these elements were uncovered. Most of the wall art is in the Byzatine style.   Since it was not built as a mosque, the altar for the worship leader had been moved to the corner so that worshipers faced Mecca. It was a real treat to see a place of worship pay homage to two of the world's great religions.

A view from the Bosphorous

Rumelian Castle

We then  boarded a boat for a voyage on the Bosphorous Strait, which separates Europe from Asia. This waterway allows passage from the Mediterean Sea via the Aegean and Marmara Seas to the Black Sea.  Needless to say, it is always busy with watercraft. We boarded a motor vessel about 75 feet long for a  late afternoon cruise.  It was windy and cool when we left the pier, but glasses of hot tea soon warmed us up. A voice in heavily accented English pointed out landmarks on the shores. From the fantail of the boat we could see sunset over the city's mosques. It was a Kodak moment; actually, the first of quite a few. Upon the shore were the palaces of the ancient sultans who once ruled the area, many of which had been converted into luxury hotels. One of the most impressive structures is the Rumelian Castle, built between 1451 and 1452 on the European side of the strait.  Darkness soon surrounded us, and the light on the water came only from the stream of vessels and the full moon. There are only two bridges connecting the continents here, but more are in planning stages, as is the construction of a tunnel. One of these suspension bridges has lights on it which change color every twenty minutes.  We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on the Bosphorus, which wasn't included in the tour package, but we were glad we opted for the extra tour. We were hungry when we disembarked and glad it was time for dinner at Kervanardy's, a popular restaurant.

Belly Dancer

This was quite a treat.  There was a delicious three course meal, including adult beverages, and a fantastic show. The show featured belly dancers as well as folk dancers. The dancers were awesome. We thoroughly enjoyed the show.   The wait staff put flags on our tables according to nationality, and there was a singer who sang in different languages.  And yes, he did get me up on the stage for an inspiring version of Old MacDonald's Farm.  It was a memorable night.

We climbed into bed exhausted.  Tomorrow, Ankara.