Istanbul: Dark Beginning, Dark Ending

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I always pack my Skipton Castle wind up torch when I go on holiday but have never actually needed it before and didn't expect to in Istanbul. But there's been a powercut for hours and all I can do is type this blog with torch in teeth to see the keyboard and go for toilet trips.

The morning started dark too, going down the unlit and twisted stairs of our hostel, we came across the helpful lady we met yesterday who appeared to be sitting with no light, waiting for people who needed help. As always, we needed help and she is great, we could do with her coming with us throughout the trip... "Tomorrow we are getting a plane from an airport beginning with 'S', how do we get there?" and so on.

We walked through Beyoglu with a new air of 'we now know where we're going' about us and then took a tram from Karakoy up to Sultanahmet where we were going to see the historic stuff. As soon as you arrive there's men trying to be your friend and telling you where places are, regardless of whether or not you want to go to them.

The Blue Mosque was free and the first place we went to. I was dismayed to discover I not only had to cover my shoulders but head too. Damn, it is so uncomfortable in the heat. I've seen so many women struggling, shrouded in black with only eyes visible whilst their husbands are in t-shirts and shorts, I find it hard to believe anyone would 'choose' such discomfort. So I had to cover my hair and shoulders lest any men in the mosque get too turned on by it, although if they can't contain their urges at seeing the hair of a middle-aged woman I think that it is they that need chaining up, not me that needs covering.

So I'm torn at wanting to see a fascinating building but knowing that I'm discriminated against as soon as I step inside, although some men were made to wear skirts if their knees were showing. However, no man had to cover his head.

The inside of the mosque is impressive, blue and colourful. It is massive too. There's an area that visitors can only look at but not step in to, or so the sign said. But actually lots of tourists were allowed in, just so long as they were male. It really is horrible standing there behind the railings, not being allowed past because I was not born with a penis. There was a family of Muslims who went to go in. The husband and two young daughters (both under 10) were allowed in, but the wife, even though totally dressed up in full length black gear with only face showing was yelled at by the female attendant. That poor wife was so upset, the 'men only' area was full of kids running around and playing, showing no respect to the mosque, but she was barred. I do wonder at what age girls are no longer seen as good enough to go into prayer areas? Why does Allah only like females when they are children? I didn't like this at all.

Now there was a prayer area for women, a crappy small corner by the door. I just don't get why this discrimination is deemed acceptable in 2014. They wouldn't get away with segregation if it was down to skin colour. To be honest, I would have preferred it if the discrimination was down to being white, at least I could recognise it was due to me being an outsider. But then I look at it like this; all great historical architecture is built on discrimination, slavery and death - the great buildings of the UK were often funded by profits from chattel slavery of the people of Africa for example, its very wrong, but do we stop looking at all buildings? Maybe.

Visitors can't help be staggered by the vast space in the nave of Haghia Sophia so I'm told. I could help it. After queueing in the sun for a while and having my gorilla pod taken off me, I was expecting a bit more. Yes it is big with mosaics and lots of scaffolding, but no more impressive that the tons of places of worship I have seen before. Glyn has been before 20 years ago and completely forgot it, I probably will too but its one of those 'must-see' places of Istanbul. Outside there was a lovely cat and Glyn was shocked to see other tourists photographing it instead of historical stuff, he thought that only I did that kind of thing. Duh!

We went for lunch next at a place that said it was vegetarian but still served meat. It was pretty good but we were in an expensive area.

We traipsed in the midday sun to the Grand Bazaar, and it is grand. It is also very easy to get lost in and we got lost. It is full of men who ask "Where you from?", trying to sell you stuff you don't want, but it's ok, not like Egypt for example where I never want to visit another bazaar again. Glyn and I aren't really into shopping but decided to buy a lamp for our living room. We both hate bartering, so after being told a price, which was in fact quite fair, we walked off hoping to be chased but were most disappointed. After more getting lost and finding out that other lamp sellers charged the same, we eventually came back to the same store and bought the lamp, with no haggling.

When I was 14 I went to Morocco with my Mum and I remember the markets being so cheap, and this used to be the general assumption about countries of North Africa and the Middle East. But as the world has gotten smaller, prices seem to be universally more expensive, so a lot of the stuff in the bazaar cost more than it does back home, so I bought nothing else.

We soon got bored of the bazaar and went looking for Valide Han thinking it was where stuff is made. Whatever we did find was the most crowded place I have ever found, but it was a place for locals and thankfully no one tried to sell us anything. However it was a never-ending labyrinth of over-crowded streets of yelling and more yelling. People here have no notion of personal space and think nothing of bumping into you, over and over again. It was impossible to walk near, let alone alongside Glyn, I was so grateful to get out. But it was a lot cheaper than the Grand Bazaar.

When we escaped we had no idea where we were, but came across some Americans with a map who were going to the bazaar and they helped us locate ourselves. We headed up to the nearby Suleymaniye mosque which has four minarets but also was very peaceful. Naturally we arrived when prayers began and so, no visitors were allowed in, not even men!!

We were pretty bushed by this time and enjoyed sitting on the cool marble as the wailing to prayer intermittently blared our from unseen speakers. After 40 minutes of chilling we were let in and it was like the Blue Mosque, only not blue and the women's prayer area was slightly less crap. There was no security at the male prayer area and I saw a few Muslim women sneaking in and taking selfies. Go girlfriends!!

Then it was time to get lost again. This time in the lower bazaar area, towards the river. We carefully walked through urban and very run down areas where people worked at non-tourist related jobs, washing hanging over the street and children playing in the gutters. It was fascinating but I felt like an intruder.

We ended up near Ataturk Bridge, much to our surprise (how on earth did we end up there?!!) and crossed it, meeting a very playful white kitten on the other side. Now in Turkey I've noticed that there are loads of stray cats. They sit randomly on busy pavements, in shop doorways, on skips and hide in the bushes. But unlike Greece, there are hardly any stray dogs.... until this afternoon when a large pack came bounding past us and annoying the security guy at the bridge.

We walked on to Karakoy and caught what I think is an underground funicular up to Tunel. From there we walked back to our hostel, noting that everywhere was dark. Still totally packed with people, but no power. There's a powercut in the entire area that has been going on for a few hours now and my hudl is charging down. It's sweltering with no fan (there's no aircon in this hostel) but they have supplied us with a candle but they have no lighter. So I had to ferret out the Skipton Castle wind up torch I always bring on holiday, I finally get to use it!

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Photos

Blue Mosque
The men's area.