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Published: March 15th 2007
Whirling Dervishes
I was particularly happy with this shot which seemed to capture the magic of the dance!We had decided to take the overnight train to Istanbul from Bucharest which proved to be quite an experience. The train was packed and Michael ended up in another carriage ! When I went to find him there were 8 people in his 6-seater compartment. Many of the people on the train were actually from the same hostel as ourselves so this didn't present a problem and in fact there was quite a party atmosphere on the train as we gathered speed and left Istanbul. We even did some dancing in the corridor with the great Turkish conductor to the sounds of Joel's ipod! Most of the people on the train were spending a night in Bulgaria to break the journey but we had decided to go straight through and had ordered sleepers! However at the Bulgarian border our passports were collected by the officials and they disappeared with them for about half an hour. We breathed a sigh of relief when we got them back into our hot little hands! When the large group left the train we ended up in one compartment to ourselves which was great. The fun part came trying to get some
The Aya Sofya
A thrill to be there! sleep! We were woken up every time we went through a border crossing and at one point we all wondered why the officials were taking so long looking at Michael´s passport. After conferring with another official they handed Michael´s UK passport back and showed him that it was now out of date!!! He had had no idea that it was out of date but luckily was able to fish out his Australian passport which thankfully was valid! I think the officials were wondering how many other passports he had stashed away somewhere! At the Turkey border we were not only woken up we were told to get dressed and get off the train! It was a bit disconcerting to get off the train and leave all our belongings on board! We lined up with everyone else, got to the front of the queue only to be told we had to go somewhere else to buy visas. Blearily-eyed we got our visas and back to the line which was very short now. We were a bit worried that the train would disappear without us but thankfully it didn´t and we were soon back in bed!
Istanbul Istanbul is the only
city in the world that is situated in two continents; Europe and Asia! Over the centuries it has served as the capital for three empires!
The Roman Empire (330-395AD)
The Byzantine Empire (395-1453AD)
The Ottoman Empire (1453-1923)
In 1923 following the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, Ankara became the new capital.
Aya Sofya We spent most of our time around the Sultanahmet area where most of the ancient sites are located. The Aya Sofya, dedicated on the 26th December 537AD by Emporor Justinian, was the mother church of Eastern Christendom. Justinian wanted to create the grandest church in the world and for a thousand years it was just that! In 1453 when it was captured by the Ottomans it was converted into a mosque and the mosaics which adorned the inside of the church were plastered over in accordance with Muslim beliefs that prohibit images of living creatures. In the 1930s when Ataturk declared the Aya Sofya a museum these mosaics were uncovered. In the gallery we saw some of these beautiful art works and marvelled particularly at the famous Last Judgement mosaic. (See photo.)
Blue Mosque This mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet 1
between 1609-1619. It has 16 minarets and has been given the name the Blue Mosque because of the colour of the blue Iznic tiles that cover the interior of the building. It is particularly beautiful at night when it is all lit up. We visited it the day we arrived in Istanbul and were there to hear the call for prayer and see men washing at the washing areas in freezing cold water before they went into pray. I found it very moving and challenging to see how seriously Muslims take their faith. We had to remove our shoes and were given plastic bags to carry them in while inside the mosque. The carpets that cover the floor are beautiful.
Topkapi Palace We spent a very enjoyable afternoon exploring this palace which was the seat of the sultans from 1462 until the 19th century. It consists of courtyards, gardens, houses, libraries and a 400-room harem which housed the Sultan´s family and his many concubines! One area was dedicated to Islamic artifacts including some relics such as actual hair from the Prophet Mohammed.
Basilica Cistern These water cisterns were built by Constantine and enlarged by Justinian. They are huge
Stray dogs on a Bulgarian railway platform
Ever hopeful of being fed by passing travellers! underwater areas that held water for everyday use as well as for when the city was under seige.
Hammam Experience One evening we visited the Cagaloglu Hammam which is reputed to be one of the oldest in Turkey. It features in the New York bestseller, "1,000 Things to Do Before You Die". It was quite an experience. The three guys headed off to the men's baths to have fun together while I was left to my own devices! Noone spoke English and I didn't know what to expect. After stripping down, I was led, clothed only in a scanty towel, to a room that had a huge marble slab in the middle. Around the sides of the room were lots of washing basins. My towel was taken off and a lady indicated that I should wash. I poured countless bowls of water over me and as soon as I stopped I was told to keep going! After it seems like a hundred bowls of water I lay down on the marble slab to await the massage. All the pores in the body have to be open and I certainly sweated it out on the slab. Then my masseuse,
a very well-endowed older Turkish lady put on a black swimming costume (she had previously been walking around the hamam with nothing on) and started to massage me back and front!! After that I was led back to the basin and sat at her feet while she washed my hair! I was then led stark-naked into the next room where I was thankfully given a large towel! I dressed in my cubicle and noticed that there was even a hairdryer which I used. I enjoyed a nice cup of hot apple tea while I waited for the guys. The whole process took about an hour and I certainly felt very relaxed at the end of it!
Grand Bazaar in Istanbul No visit to Istanbul is complete without at least a couple of visits to the Grand Bazaar. On your first visit you get a feel for the place and an idea of prices and then on subsequent visits you feel at least a little prepared for the hard task of bargaining. Let me tell you that bargaining is quite an art! It is certainly easier when you are in a group as it relieves the pressure you would undoubtedly
feel on your own! The Bazaar is a labyrinthine medieval shopping mall with 4500 shops and after wandering for a while you get completely disorientated and lost! It was started in 1481 and over one of the gates hangs a sign saying it is the oldest shopping centre in the world. We always took note of the gate we had come in and when we wanted to leave we would endeavour to follow directions to that gate. The Bazaar is a community all of its own and even has its own banks, cafes, baths, a mosque, a police station and a Post Office. It is incredibly clean inside and one day when we had bought kebabs for a snack a tiny piece of chicken fell on the ground and before we knew it a shopkeeper had hurried forward and carefully moved the piece of chicken with his foot to a nearby drain that was covered by a piece of cardboard. He was very pleased with himself when it was quickly dispatched down the hole while we looked on with a mixture of awe, and embarrassment that we hadn´t done this ourselves!
Carpet Salesmen Turkish carpets are beautiful and I
The subterranean water cisterns in Istanbul.
Some of the columns that support this amazing underwater supply area. would have loved to have bought one while in Turkey but it is hard to know where to start, much less who to trust. We did enjoy going into a few places and being served apple tea but politely saying we weren´t buying that day. This seemed to be acceptable. (I did actually end up buying a carpet in the Medina in Fez in Morocco but that is another story!) Every carpet is unique and this makes it harder to find the one you are after. You often can´t get one in a different colour or size to the one you see. Trying to find one that will go with your colour scheme at home is hard too. You basically have to keep your eye out for that special one that just catches your eye!! You also have to find someone with whom you feel comfortable dealing!
The shopkeepers called out all sorts of interesting remarks like, "Let me help you spend your money!", "Hello Baby. I´ve been waiting for you all my life!" One day when two carpet sellers were vieing for our attention one called out, "Don´t believe a word he says, he lies like a carpet!"
Friends in Foreign Lands One afternoon we met up with Celia, a friend who had just started a short-term teaching contract in Istanbul. It was so good to see a familiar face and we had the fun of introducing her to the Grand Bazaar. She had been so busy sorting out living arrangements and settling into her new school that she hadn´t had a chance to go there yet. We spent a fun afternoon catching up over coffee and spending money in the Bazaar! (See Celia's comment on my Bucharest to Brasov blog.)
I have decide to write two blogs on Turkey so next blog will feature Troy, Ephesus and Gallipoli. I´m actually in Paris and nearing the end of this incredible trip. I think I´ll be writing blogs when I get home!!
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Fantastic Photos
Really cool blog Barbara. Turkey is one of two countries I really wanted to go while away (the other being Morocco... on which I'm keen to read your blog!), but did not have the time... and money :P. You've definitely justified my desire to go there! Definitely looking forward to the next two blogs...