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Published: March 31st 2008
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So I'm still not quite freezing in Istanbul, although it feels pretty close. In addition I've been doing a good job toughing it out in the open unisex bathroom, where I've discovered I can put my makeup on in front of just about anyone. But today I woke up to another surprise: we were experiencing one of the many power outages that often plague this city. So today I pulled myself together in the dark. More proof that, clearly, I can do anything!
Yesterday was a whirlwind tour of the greatest hits of historical Instanbul: the Baths of Lady Hurrem, the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, and Topkapi Palace.
The Blue Mosque was excellent, as advertised: tens of thousands of blue Iznik tiles graced the walls, ceiling and domes of the mosque, with a plush red and blue carpet for those praying and lovely stained-glass windows that tried to let in the little light that existed. The tourists were cordoned off to a relatively small area to allow for prayers, with the entire mosque being closed for designated prayer times, as announced through the adhan heard throughout the area.
The Basilica Cistern was a sight that
I probably would not have visited on my own, were it not recommended to me by so many people. Although not in use any longer, it was built nearly 1500 years ago to store water destined for the Great Palace and surrounding areas and was delivered via aqueducts from a reservoir near the Black Sea. Today there is still a bit of water, along with fish, a wealth of coins and, of course, tourists clutching cameras and trying not to fall on the slippery floor.
Finally, Topkapi Palace, a massive complex intimately connected the the history of the Ottoman Empire and in use until the middle of the 19th century, took nearly half the day just to walk through. Containing all the usual palace essentials and intrigue, including small cells where the brothers of the emperor were kept after the practice of murdering them in order to ascend the throne had ended, the main highlights were the treasury and the harem. The treasury housed jewel-encrusted swords and daggers, giant solid-gold candlesticks and loads of jewels and jewelry, including an entire glass box filled with emeralds and the fabulous 86-carat teardrop-shaped Spoonmaker's Diamond, so named because it was originally found
in a rubbish heap and purchased by a street peddler for three spoons. The harem was just the private part of the palace where the women and young children lived, but I found it interesting for the sumptuous decoration and the somewhat smaller scale of the rooms. There was also a fantastic library on the palace grounds, although the books had all been removed.
Today I visited the Beyoglu area, a fashionable shopping and dining area to the northwest. I went to see a photography exhibit at the Pera Muzesi, and also to visit the Patisserie Markiz, a cute little coffee shop where coat and tie were once de rigeur and people came to see and be seen. In the evening I went to see the Whiling Dervishes at the Sireci Train Station, accompanied by live music and song. The dervishes are part of a religious sect who believe that the whirling induces a trance-like state that makes it easier for the mystic to seek spiritual union with God. The performance I saw was part of a cultural festival celebrating the mystics as part of the intangible world heritage. After an elaborate series of bows the dervishes completed four
sets of whirls before donning their black robes, thus ending the performance.
Tomorrow is open, although I'm leaning towards visiting the Grand Bazaar and getting some shopping done - or at least some window shopping, so to speak. I finally managed to try some Turkish delight as well. It's chewy and actually quite tasty, covered in powdered sugar and coming in numerous flavors, only a few of which I can identify. My favorites so far: rose and pistachio.
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Amanda
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Huh. The twirling to be closer to ectasy and 'God' reminds me a bit of the Shakers. Istanbul sounds like a great city, and it must be so opposite of anything you'd see here. The Spoonmaker's Diamond! What a find! Are you looking through rubbish heaps in your spare time? ;) 86 carat, wow!