Lazy Days Around Istanbul


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Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul
August 14th 2007
Published: September 26th 2008
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The Peacock-Eyed ColumnThe Peacock-Eyed ColumnThe Peacock-Eyed Column

One of the three special columns in a forest of lovely marble columns.
My first three days in Istanbul went by at such a quick pace that they had all blurred together. I had taken in three huge tourist attractions as well as countless others. All of the exotic sights and sounds, which were unlike any I had ever experienced, had worn me out and I was approaching sensory overload. All of the sightseeing had been wonderful, but I needed a break, so I decided to slow it down a bit. On my third morning in town I ate another leisurely breakfast at the hostel and I talked about several of the sights in the city with some fellow travelers. I was intrigued by one of their descriptions of the archaeology museum, so I set my sights on it - I know, spending all day in a museum is not exactly relaxing, but I knew it would get me out of the crowds and I would be able to go at my own pace. I went through my normal morning routine after breakfast: I got cleaned up, I filtered two liters of water, which normally lasts me through to the afternoon, I looked at the map to figure out where I was going and
The DragonThe DragonThe Dragon

Apparently few museums have dragon panels from the Ishtar Gate in Babylon.
then I packed up and set off on foot through town.

The Istanbul Archaeology Museum was located in a trio of huge buildings inside the old fortified walls that surround Topkapi Palace’s Court of the Janissaries. I retraced the route I had followed the previous morning all the way to the grand Imperial Gate of Topkapi Palace. Instead of turning through the gate, I followed the huge stone wall, passing behind the Aya Sofya, to a narrow, cobblestone alley lined with boutique hotels and then down a steep hill. At the bottom of the hill I passed through one of the huge arched passages that had been cut through the ancient wall back into the once vast grounds of Topkapi Palace. I followed a paved lane through the thick trees until I reached a cluster of large buildings and an open gate. I walked through the gate and stopped at a small kiosk where I paid my admission and then I entered the grounds of the museum. I walked up to a pair of ancient, black stone lions that menacingly guarded over a sweeping white staircase that led up into the first building of the museum, the Museum of
MedusaMedusaMedusa

In the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.
the Ancient Orient. I boldly walked past the snarling beasts and climbed the steps and entered the building. Inside I found some of the most important artifacts from every corner of the Middle East. There were several wonderful glazed brick panels, showing lions and bulls and dragons, from the magnificent Ishtar Gate through the fabled walls of Babylon, which to me was one of the most artistic achievements from the ancient world. There were several amazing sculptures and friezes from Hittite and Persian origin and, also, one of the most important treasure in the museum, which was one of the three know tablets recording the Kadesh Peace Treaty between the defeated Egyptian forces under Ramses II and the victorious Hittites under Muwatalli II after the Battle of Kadesh in 1274BC - The treaty is considered to be the first treaty between two nations.

I left the Museum of the Ancient Orient and I headed down the stairs, passing the lions again, and then I took a slow stroll through the huge sculpture garden that separated the three buildings of the museum. Some of the larger items in the museum’s collection, including several massive stone sarcophagi attributed to some of
ReflectionsReflectionsReflections

The walkways directed everybody in a way that allowed for some amazing photography.
the Byzantine emperors, were spread out among the trees and walkways of the huge, garden-like courtyard. I climbed the wide stairs that led up to the neoclassical façade of the main museum building, which was opened in 1891, and I passed between the columns and entered. I spent the next three hours soaking up as much history as I could about Istanbul and Turkey and the Ottoman Empire as I slowly explored the four floors of artifacts that the museum had on display. One of the very first exhibits I visited was also my favorite. It was the gallery of coffins from the royal necropolis at Sidon in Lebanon. Some of the most detailed and ambitious ancient carvings I have ever seen could be found in that room. There were lovely winged sphinxes and carved lions and temples with shrouded ‘weeping’ ladies. My favorite coffin was also the most ornately carved. It was known as the ‘Alexander’ Coffin. It was carved on all four sides with detailed battle scenes, some still displaying the paint that once brought the scene to life. One of the scenes showed a famous man on horseback wearing his trademark lion helmet - It was Alexander
The Black LionThe Black LionThe Black Lion

This was one of a pair of black stone lions that guarded the stairs of the Museum of the Ancient Orient.
the Great! I heard several people walk away, excitedly talking amongst themselves, thinking that the coffin was Alexander’s final resting place, but it was not. In fact, his final resting place is one of the biggest mysteries in all of archaeology, one that I would be thinking a lot about in the coming months. I had to weave my way through an obstacle course of sketching art students who were lounging about in the sculpture gallery - Of course, they had good reason to be there, because the gallery was filled with amazing sculptures from Greek and Roman times, most of which were in flawless condition. One of the sculptures, a worn marble lion, once adorned the façade of one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. I had seen some of the other sculptures from the site in the British Museum - The mausoleum, located in Bodrum, was yet another place I hoped to visit before I said farewell to Turkey. One of the floors taught me a lot about the history of Byzantium, which was really informative considering that no part of Byzantium still stands, excluding a single pillar near the main square. There
In the Museum of the Ancient OrientIn the Museum of the Ancient OrientIn the Museum of the Ancient Orient

I believe this was a cast of a famous monolithic carving somewhere in Turkey.
were also several exhibits detailing much of the current archaeological work going on in the Istanbul area. For the first time I realized how difficult construction in the city must be. As a construction engineer, I am used to the idea of having to do archaeological surveys of jobsites before any construction can take place. Generally, back in America, the results of the surveys come up clear and construction can proceed, since there were few large settlements of any permanence in America’s prehistory. However, in a place like Istanbul, which has a few thousand years of rich history buried beneath every cobblestone and blade of grass, every construction site is first an archaeological dig. I really enjoyed looking at some of the finds that have come out of some of the large waterfront excavations/construction sites. Other treasures that caught my eye included a huge collection of Ottoman coins and one of the three lost heads from the famous Serpent Column, located in the hippodrome. My mind was beginning to go numb by the time I reached the Trojan exhibit, which highlighted the artifacts found during the many excavations done at Troy, the legendary city of Homer’s Iliad, which I was
More LionsMore LionsMore Lions

Lions were a big theme in the ancient Middle East.
hoping to visit a bit later in my journey as well. By the time I finished with the Trojan floor I had been reduced to a drooling mess - I had reached a level of museum burn out unlike any I had ever experienced before. My head hurt and I had a thousand mile stare, so I knew it was time to leave - I used lunch as an excuse and I set off through the sculpture garden, pausing to admire the lovely ‘Tiled Kiosk’, to find a nice restaurant to eat at.

The rest of the day was very relaxing. I ate a nice tavuk kebab and a plate of heavenly baklava, which had been becoming a drug-like vice for me ever since I got my first taste on day one, and then I decided to go and check out Istanbul’s underground. I paid my admission and then I walked down a flight of steps and ducked under a low arch, entering a dark, column-filled underworld. No, I was not in Hades, though it was a perfect match to the décor often used by Hollywood to portray the place of the dead. The mysterious underground chamber was known
The BullThe BullThe Bull

The third type of panel from the amazing Ishtar Gate.
as the Basilica Cistern, the largest of many subterranean constructions built by the Byzantines to store clean water for the city. I was immediately in love with the place. I walked along the elevated wooden walkway, which allowed me to explore the wonderful sea of columns without getting my feet wet. I continually stopped to admire the perfect symmetry of the atmospherically lit columns and the arched ceilings and their reflection in the water that still filled the cistern and I watched the huge carp that call the water home. Water was constantly dripping from the ceiling, undoubtedly from the small, grassy park located above the cistern, but I didn’t mind. I knew before I went in that there were three ‘special’ columns out of the 336 marble columns down there; I just didn’t know which ones they were and why they were special. It was immediately clear that the intricately carved Corinthian and Ionic columns capitals, which seemed out of place in such an out of view place, did not make the columns special; if anything the plain, Doric capitals were more special in their rarity. I continued walking along the boardwalk. Eventually I found one of the special
From PersiaFrom PersiaFrom Persia

Another of the lovely carvings in the Museum of the Ancient Orient.
columns. It was a beautifully carved, algae covered tear-drop, or peacock-eyed column, which was standing right next to the boardwalk - Apparently it was considered lucky to touch the column and make a wish, so everybody did so, as did I (what could it hurt!) I wound my way back further into the mysterious darkness. I reached a fork in the road towards the back of the cistern. It was clear that the way out was to the right, but there was a reason that the trail also went left, seemingly to a dead end. I went left. I knew I had made the right decision well before I found the columns, because a giant tour group was hot on my heels. The walkway passed over a small wall that formed a dam, keeping the tiny corner of the cistern dry, and then descended to the level of the floor. There I found two massive Medusa heads serving as the base for two columns. The two beautifully carved heads were coated in the same green, algae patina that the peacock-eyed column had been coated in. One of the heads was upside down and the other was lying on its side.
A Hero on LionsA Hero on LionsA Hero on Lions

One of the interesting carvings in the Museum of the Ancient Orient.
Scientists are stumped as to why the heads were oriented the way they were, but they all seem to feel that it was deliberate - Maybe they are there to ward off the evil spirits and keep the water clean and drinkable, who knows? I stuck around at the Medusa heads until the large group had disappeared into the darkness and then I enjoyed their stone-faced grandeur in silence for a while longer. When the next large group arrived I said farewell to the snake-haired maidens and I headed back into the forest of columns. The boardwalk ended at a small tea shop built in the corner of the cistern. I was not ready to leave, so I purchased a hot tea from the friendly man behind the counter and I took a seat. I sat there for about an hour sipping my tea and staring out across the dimly lit, column studded, subterranean landscape. Occasionally a drip would make its way through the makeshift ‘drip-guard’ that was above my table and hit me on the head, but it only added to the atmosphere. As I sat there, I thought about the sheer quantity of finely carved columns in the
The Ishtar GateThe Ishtar GateThe Ishtar Gate

A representation of the famous Istar Gate from Babylon. Note the dragons on top.
cistern. All of the differing styles of capitols as well as the special oddities, such as the Medusas and the peacock-eyed column, made it clear that the materials for the cistern came from earlier structures. Perhaps I was in a Hades of sorts, only one for ancient buildings instead of mortal souls - I wonder what magnificent ancient structures were represented down there? When I finished my tea, the man behind the counter immediately came out and refilled my glass with a smile - I thanked him with a “Teshekkur ederim” which broadened his smile as he walked away.

When I finally left the cistern it was getting late. I headed through the wonderful park and on to my hostel. I ate a wonderful Ottoman style dinner at a tourist restaurant near the hostel and then I spent the rest of the evening talking with my friends on the roof top terrace at the hostel - I was starting to get into a routine that was proving very enjoyable. The last call to prayer echoed across the cool night and I headed off to peaceful dreams.

I left the hostel early the next morning. I had no plans
The Gates of BabylonThe Gates of BabylonThe Gates of Babylon

This is one of the lions from the famous Ishtar Gate from Babylon.
for the day, so I decided to just start walking and see what came up. I passed through all of the crowds of tourists swarming the wonderful sights around Sultanahmet and I continued walking. My favorite way to explore a city is to just aimlessly wander around on foot. I had no set path, so when I came to an alley or side street that looked nice I turned down it. From time to time my chosen path would end and I would have to backtrack, but more often than not it would lead to some off the beaten track discovery and lots of smiling faces. I found lovely tree lined streets completely devoid of crowds and noise, lovely architectural gems dating back to Ottoman times or older and several interesting little shops and cafes that seemed to cater only to the locals. I was amazed that I had found so much peace and quiet so close to the epically crowded streets around Sultanahmet Park. I stopped into one of the tiny coffee shops I had found.

I had been in Istanbul for four days, yet I had not tried a Turkish coffee. We have the Ottoman Empire to
In the GardenIn the GardenIn the Garden

The garden area between the three museum buildings was a museum in itself.
thank for introducing coffee to the Western world - Apparently there had been limited trade of coffee between the Ottoman provinces in North Africa and Venice early on and a bit later with France, but it didn’t really spread into Europe until after the Ottomans were forced to flee after being defeated at the Gates of Vienna in the late 1600’s; the retreating forces were forced to leave behind a huge store of coffee supplies, which was ‘discovered’ by the Europeans and began to spread westward to great fanfare. It was time for me to try a famous cup of Turkish coffee! I sat down at a small table that looked out on the sidewalk and I ordered my coffee from the smiling shop owner. A few moments later the man showed up with a small white cup, somewhat like an espresso cup, but a bit larger. I was excited. My first sip was wonderful - It was very strong and flavorful, as good a cup of coffee as I had ever had. The second sip was the same, though a little thicker. My third sip was HORRIBLE! I was shocked as I sat there fighting an overwhelming gag reflex,
A Seventh Wonder of the WorldA Seventh Wonder of the WorldA Seventh Wonder of the World

This is one of the few remaining sculptures from the once grand facade of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.
trying not to show my retching disgust to the smiling shop owner. What I hadn’t known about Turkish coffee was that the bottom half of the cup is where the grounds are - The Turks don’t filter the coffee, they mix the fine grounds with the hot water in the cup; after a few minutes the grounds settle and the coffee is ready to drink. My third (large) sip was an unexpected sludge of moist coffee grounds - Yuck! I ended up using half a liter of water to get the grounds washed out of my teeth and down my throat - Thankfully, the nice man didn’t see the horrified look on my face! I had learned an important lesson - Be very careful when drinking Turkish coffee!

While I sat in the café with my coffee, I consulted my map to try and figure out where I was and to see if there were any must see things around me. I discovered that I was very close to the famous Grand Bazaar. I decided to do a quick exploration of the bazaar and a few other sites in the area. When I left the café I slowly made
A Man and His HorseA Man and His HorseA Man and His Horse

I just liked the picture.
my way back towards the main street, Divan Yolu Caddesi, and I started walking towards the bazaar. I passed a group of tombs, which were built for some nineteenth century sultans, and then I came to a massive, monumental column. The column had been erected by Constantine in AD330 to commemorate Byzantium, then renamed Nova Roma, being made the capitol of the Roman Empire. The huge column once had a statue of Constantine on top and several very important Christian relics, including part of the ‘true cross’ and of the two crosses of the thieves that were crucified with Jesus. Sadly the years had taken their toll on the column: The statue of Constantine and the top joints of the column were toppled in an earthquake and the column was damaged by a huge fire that destroyed the Cemberlitas area that the column is located in. I found the entire thirty-five meter tall column shrouded in scaffolding and almost completely out of site - From its base I managed to see enough of the seventeen hundred year old column to know that it must have been a magnificent sight to see in its day. Perhaps the restoration work will be
Alexander?Alexander?Alexander?

The Istanbul Archaeology Museum was filled with magnificent sculptures from Greek and Roman times.
able to restore some of that magnificence.

I continued walking, stopping briefly to devour another chicken kebab, and then I shored up my nerves and headed into the hectic Grand Bazaar. Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is a truly massive place. In fact, it is one of the largest covered markets in the world. Much of its domed and vaulted streets date back to the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent in the sixteenth century, but the oldest portions of the bazaar were built in the mid 1400’s. I strolled through the magnificent bazaar for well over an hour. Anything and everything you could want or need was there; from jewelry and carpets to exotic spices and metal work, it was a scene that would have been at home in my favorite stories. Just about everything I saw I wanted, but my favorite items on sale were the magnificent Turkish carpets, the intricate cut glass and metal lamps and some beautifully inlayed backgammon boards. Around every corner I found amazing sights and sounds from the most exotic realms of my mind - I was in one of the most photogenic places I had ever been, but I had left the camera back
In the MuseumIn the MuseumIn the Museum

One of the magnificent art works on display.
at the hostel! I constantly had to deflect the attempts by the shop keepers to get me to purchase this or that, but sadly I couldn’t justify making any purchases due to the limited space in my pack - Luckily, to the shop keepers it was a game and as long as I kept smiling and played along a bit we all had fun. I reluctantly left the mysterious spaces in the Grand Bazaar and headed across an alley to another bazaar I wanted to explore across the street. I made my way down the alley that made up the ‘book bazaar’ and I spent another half an hour or so looking through thousands of tomes, both old and new, hoping to find a treasure of some sort. Of course, the days of finding ancient Ottoman manuscripts for affordable prices are long gone - It was still a lot of fun to do the searching.

I left the bazaars and started my aimless wandering again, loosely heading towards the hostel. I spent the next several hours covering the relatively short distance back Sultanahmet. I found more amazing gems of Ottoman construction and a few huge surprises, including an ancient
PerfectionPerfectionPerfection

I don't remember ever seeing complete statues from the ancient times, but they were well represented in the museum.
stone retaining wall of sorts with several stories of mysterious, arched passages that disappeared into the darkness of the hill that forms the central part of Sultanahmet - Where the passages led I will not likely ever know, but it is more fun to let my imagination fill in the blanks! Just before I made it back to the hostel I allowed one of the carpet salesmen to corral me into his store. I was handed a cup of tea and we took a seat and started talking. The young salesman was of Kurdish descent. His home town was Van in the far east of Turkey, near the Iraqi border. We talked about his home and of Turkey and then he decided to show me some carpets - I had let him know at the beginning of our discussion that I was not ready to buy anything, so he was just ‘showing’ me the different styles from the far east that he had. He ended up unrolling ten or so amazing carpets and the prices seemed very fair, but, sadly, he didn’t have the style I was looking for. I thanked him and told him that I would keep him
A BustA BustA Bust

It is true, I forgot who most of these statues are representing - Marcus Aurelius?
in mind when I decided to buy a carpet and then I set off again. I ended up back on the roof top terrace in the late afternoon. One of my friends in the hostel was sitting up there and we shared our day’s adventures. My friend mentioned that he was going to head across the Golden Horn, which was Istanbul’s famous natural harbor, to Taksim Square in the ‘European’ part of the city for dinner and asked if I wanted to go along. It sounded like fun, so we immediately got our stuff together and set off on yet another adventure.

While Taksim was certainly close enough to walk, we had both done more than our share of walking that day, so we decided to take the train. Our train ride started next to the Aya Sofya and headed down hill to the water front. From there it crossed a bridge over the Golden Horn and continued along the water front. We got off of the train at the stop that connected to the subterranean tram that runs up to the top of the steep hill where Taksim Square was. We decided to take advantage of the remaining
Alexander's Head?Alexander's Head?Alexander's Head?

Again, just a guess
daylight, so we skipped the tram and set off on foot up the mountain-like hill. It was, at times, an agonizing climb, but the narrow, cobbled streets, which were more like steps in places, and the quaint little shops along the way made the walk worthwhile. We reached the square just as the sun was dipping out of view and we were amazed at what we found. It was a completely different side of Istanbul. The ancient, Islamic feel of Sultanahmet was nowhere to be found. In its place we found European style buildings and wide pedestrian walkways. Everywhere we looked were modern shops containing the latest European and American fashions and fads. There were well known cafes and coffee shops and fast food galore - It was a place that would have been at home in any of the big cities in America.

Our main goal was to find an interesting place to have dinner. We spent a long time exploring the labyrinth of crowded alleys surrounding the main pedestrian way, which was called Istiklal Caddesi. There were amazing used bookstores and other shops containing just about anything you could imagine - One of the shops was particularly
Detail in FeetDetail in FeetDetail in Feet

I can't imagine how long it would have taken to carve such detail in these sculptures.
humorous, due to its selection of electronics, which included some of the earliest personal computers. We eventually found an alley that was completely blocked with folding tables covered in white paper. The kitchen looked more like a garage, but the tables were packed with locals and tourists alike and the food looked great, so we decided to take a seat. I ordered a plate of kofte, a type of Turkish meatball that is spiced and cooked on a skewer, and a Sprite and we shared a huge assortment of different vegetable dishes, most of which I had never heard of and none of which looked very appetizing (again, my first impression was wrong). The food arrived with a few bowls of different raw spices and the feast began. Without the spices, the food would have been fairly bland, but, when I filled the fresh, pita-like bread with some of the various vegetable dishes, a few pinches of the different spices and the warm kofte, I discovered a wonderful flavor. We ended up spending nearly an hour devouring our delicious meals. The crowd seated at the tables around us was lively and the whole experience was a lot of fun.
A Battle with GiantsA Battle with GiantsA Battle with Giants

Another myth carved in stone.

We continued our exploration of the Taksim area, stopping a few times to listen to some live music or stick our heads into an interesting shop. By the time we emerged back onto the main pedestrian way the sun was long gone. To our amazement, the wide, brick-paved thoroughfare was completely packed with people - There were devout Muslims in their conservative clothing mingling with women dressed in clothing that would have been scandalous in LA; there were huge numbers of college students and tourists out for a night of revelry and there was a fairly large contingent of sub-machine gun toting police officers. It was an amazing sight. When I figured out that it was actually Saturday night, the crowd began to make a little sense, but I still had not expected to find such an atmosphere in Turkey - It was becoming clear that I had a lot to learn about the mysterious land of the Turks. We decided to walk along with the crowd for a while. At times we had to dodge large groups of people walking with their arms linked so they didn’t lose each other in the crowd and at other times we would
A Goddess with a ChildA Goddess with a ChildA Goddess with a Child

Another of the lovely statues from the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.
turn around to find a small red trolley or a trash truck, which were the only vehicles allowed on the road, bearing down on us. We were having a lot of fun just people watching, but we stopped several times to admire the amazing buildings that lined the streets - I learned later that the area around Taksim Square was once home to all of the foreign embassies, but that was back in the Ottoman times, before the capitol of the newly formed republic moved to Ankara. We managed to walk the full length of the Istiklal Caddesi before we turned around. We stopped at an interesting sidewalk tea shop where we sipped some more tea and then we wearily made our way back to the square and took the tram down the hill to the train. We ended up getting back to the hostel after midnight, which was an unusual thing for me, but the night was a lot of fun.

Late the following morning, after a slow breakfast, I found myself standing on the sidewalk that ran along the Sea of Marmara. To my right was the shimmering blue waves of the sea and to my left, across a fairly busy street, were the old seawalls of Topkapi Palace. I followed the wall for a long time, slowly strolling along the sidewalk or on the new sea wall. The huge jagged blocks of stone that served as a sea break were littered with men lying out in the sun, or men swimming in the cold water, or even men fishing. There was not a woman to be found! Apparently the openness that I saw in Taksim the night before did not transfer to the city’s beaches. I stopped a few times to admire the wall where there was a huge gate or a statue, but for the most part I kept moving. I had not expected the walk to be as long as it turned out to be and I had a boat to catch, so I had to pick up the pace towards the end. I finally made it to the ferry terminal a few minutes before noon, just in time to buy a ticket and board the ferry - I was one of the last people aboard!

I was going on a cruise on the Bosporus and, since I am not one of the
Winged SphinxesWinged SphinxesWinged Sphinxes

One of the lovely coffins in the Coffin room.
rich tourists that frequent Istanbul, I was doing the cruise on the only public ferry that runs the full length. Despite being the last person on board, I found a nice place on the starboard rail and I stood there and watched the landscape go by. The journey took quite a while since we stopped at several places along the way to pickup more passengers. I got great views of the impressive Dolmabahche Palace, where some of the last sultans lived. I also got amazing views of several other nameless palaces and amazing wooden waterfront homes, called yalis, as well as the two huge suspension bridges that join the two continents together. During the entire voyage we had to play a game of cat and mouse with the several huge tankers and container ships that were heading to the Black Sea. They were considerably faster than we were, so from time to time we would leave the shipping lanes to allow one to pass us by. We made it to our last stop at the quaint little village of Anadolu Kavagi, right at the junction of the Black Sea and the Bosporus. I got off the boat with everybody else,
Playing with LionsPlaying with LionsPlaying with Lions

One of the carvings from the 'Alexander' coffin.
I said fare well to several of the people I had been talking with and then I set off to explore - I had about three hours before I needed to be back on the ferry.

The town of Anadolu Kavagi is a picturesque fishing village located on a calm little bay on the Asian bank at the confluence of the Bosporus and the Black Sea. The village is nestled into a narrow coastal band surrounded by sheer bluffs and steep mountainous hills blanketed in greenery. A settlement of some form has occupied the area for over two thousand years - The Greeks, who called the are Hieron, the Phoenicians, the Byzantines, the Ottomans and even the Genoese have all lived on and fought over the strategic bluffs, which are located at one of the narrowest parts of the Bosporus. Remains of ancient temples have been found in the area as well. Now the town caters towards tourist like me who show up on the ferry and spend a half day exploring the lovely area. The main attraction in the area is the ruins of Yoros Castle, located on the top of the highest bluff overlooking the sea. It
A Lion of a Different SortA Lion of a Different SortA Lion of a Different Sort

Note the lion helmet on the man's head - That is Alexander the Great.
was not by accident that I showed up around lunch time. The ‘tourist’ area along the waterfront was packed with small, sidewalk stands selling fish sandwiches and I had heard that they were quite tasty. It was a fairly chaotic scene with no real lines. Everybody was just shouting their orders and showering the men with money. I decided to take the same approach and I handed one man my money and pointed at one of the sandwiches (I didn’t know how to say “fish sandwich please” in Turkish), another man gave me my change and yet another man gave me my fish sandwich, right off of the grill. The sandwich was fairly odd in its simplicity, being a long roll with a nearly whole fish in it and some onions - The less desirable parts of the fish (bones, head, guts…) had been removed thankfully! I took my first bite, which was heavenly as described, and then I started walking.

I wasn’t quite sure where the castle was, but I assumed it was up hill. I found a nice road that seemed to go in the right direction and I started following it. Eventually a trail of sorts
Weeping LadiesWeeping LadiesWeeping Ladies

This is one of the amazingly detailed coffins from the royal necropolis at Sidon in Lebanon.
appeared on the side of the road and then, after a while longer, I finally found a sign that confirmed I was headed in the right direction. The sign pointed me to a staircase that left the road and headed into a long series of fancy restaurants and then turned up a steep slope and passed through a hole in a big fortified wall. I had found Yoros Castle. The castle was in a badly ruined state. Two of the four towers were gone as well as most of the walls and trash and graffiti blanketed the otherwise lovely grounds and what was left of the castle, which was really sad to see. Despite the litter, I loved Yoros Castle. The mysterious walls, some buried beneath centuries of dirt and debris, the stunning grounds and the sweeping views of the Bosporus and the Black Sea all made for a perfect destination - With a little care and maintenance Yoros could be a world class destination. When I had finished exploring all of the hidden passages and recesses of the castle and some of its outer walls I walked over to the wall at the edge of the bluff and I
The Alexander CoffinThe Alexander CoffinThe Alexander Coffin

This is one of the most magnificent carvings I have seen. It is called the Alexander Coffin because it depicts him on the side, not because he was buried in it.
took a seat. I sat there for a long time and stared out across the Black Sea and I thought about the history of the castle. All I could do was speculate, since there were no signs of any meaning, but I knew that the castle had been important to the Ottomans. I later learned that it was build during the Byzantine Empire, which explained why it looked so old, and was exchanged between them and the Ottomans a few times during the fourteenth century and then the Genoese held the castle for nearly half of the fifteenth century. I also learned that Yoros coupled with a similar fortification on the opposite bank was a formidable foe for any hostile ships trying to come through the Bosporus - Apparently they could hang a chain between the two castles, similar to the chain that blocked the Golden Horn, to obstruct unwanted shipping. I took one last look around before it was time to leave and I found an amazing little room in the main outer wall. It was hidden down a steep ramp next to the wall and contained some of the finest stone work remaining at the castle. Sadly, there
Ongoing ArchaeologyOngoing ArchaeologyOngoing Archaeology

There were several exhibits on ongoing archeological projects. These were pottery shards from all over Turkey.
was so much garbage and waste of an even more disgusting type littering the ground that I couldn’t linger and I certainly couldn’t take any pictures - I suppose that the authorities also need to invest in a restroom of some sort! I left Yoros Castle with a sad feeling. It was such an amazing place, but it was so poorly cared for. Having just come from Ireland where even the slightest remains of a castle are a well maintained national treasure, it was a shock to see, especially after seeing how well the sights in Istanbul are cared for.

I made my way back down the hill and to the ferry and then I joined the mad, cattle-call rush as we slowly pushed our way onto the boat. I managed to get a nice seat on the upper deck and I waited for the journey back to Istanbul to begin. I misjudged which end of the boat was the bow, so I ended up sitting on the wrong side - I was forced to watch the same scenery go by a second time, though in better light. During the voyage I ended up talking to a Turkish lady
The Gates of HadesThe Gates of HadesThe Gates of Hades

The Basilica Cistern was an amazing place to spend an afternoon.
who spoke flawless English. She asked me if I was keeping a journal of my travels and I told her yes, but I also told her about how I had just filled up my last journal and was having difficulty finding a worthy replacement. Much to my amazement, she told me that some of the fancier bookstores around Taksim Square had the nice Moleskin journals like the one I had filled up, which was wonderful news since the journal I had purchased as a replacement was very hard to write in. We pulled back up to the dock in Istanbul at about five o’clock. Instead of going back to the hostel, I set off on foot towards the Taksim area again.

I walked across the lively, two-story bridge that goes over the Golden Horn and then I started climbing straight up hill. The way was even steeper than the route we had followed the night before, but the buildings were far more interesting. Near the top of the hill I came out into a big open area between the buildings. In the middle of the space rose the magnificent Galata tower. The tower was built in 1348 as part
CarpCarpCarp

These fish seem to live a great life in the dark waters of the cistern.
of the fortifications of the Genoese citadel of Galata. I had seen the tower several times from different vantage points around the city, but this was my first close up look. Its uniform cylindrical walls of gray stone rose high above the surrounding buildings, broken in places by decorative bands of brick. A series of tall, arched windows ringed the top of the tower and just above them was an open air viewing platform. The whole thing was topped by a steep, conical roof and a golden spire - It was a beautiful sight. I continued climbing through the narrow alleys and streets until I emerged out onto the Istiklal Caddesi. I bumped into one of my friends that had decided to change hostels a few days before - He had grown tired of the constant tourism of Sultanahmet - and we talked for a while. He had actually been on a quest very similar to mine earlier in the day, so he pointed me in the direction of a few well stocked bookstores. The first bookstore was filled with just about every book I have ever heard of and I had a hard time getting out of there without
Medusa - Upside downMedusa - Upside downMedusa - Upside down

There were two columns in the cistern that relied on Medusa for a base. The seem to have been deliberately place upside down and sideways.
buying some of them - I only had two books with me and one of them was nearly finished. Sadly, the first store didn’t have what I was looking for, so I moved on. The second and third store fell to the same fate as the first. The fourth store I walked into was a multi-story place. I spent nearly an hour exploring all of their wonderful shelves of books. I was just about to leave when I looked behind the counter and noticed that the journal I was looking for was there, all alone on the shelf. I happily paid the slightly inflated price for the journal and then I headed out into the crowd again. I decided to stop into another coffee shop and I started transferring my journal entries from the bad journal into my new one as I sipped a nice brewed coffee. I stopped into a nice kebab stand in one of the side alleys and then I headed back down the hill, across the Golden Horn and up the hill into Sultanahmet. I had spent a large portion of the day walking, so I was more than ready when I finally crashed on one
The Snake-Haired MaidenThe Snake-Haired MaidenThe Snake-Haired Maiden

The second Medusa head in the Basilica Cistern.
of the nice bean bag on the roof terrace of my hostel and started relaxing.

I woke up the following morning and decided that it would be my last day in Istanbul - It was time to move on. I spent the rest of the day formulating my plans for my next destination. I did a lot of sitting in parks and relaxing and just taking in all of the lovely sights and sounds of one of the most exotic cities I had ever visited. I purchased some more baklava for the journey and then I headed back to the hostel and spent the evening talking with some new friends. I could have easily spent months in Istanbul without getting tired of it, but I didn’t have that much time and there was a lot more I wanted to see in Turkey. It was a tough choice, but I woke up early the next day and said farewell to all of my new friends, knowing I would not likely see them again, and then I hefted my backpack and walked one last time through Sultanahmet. I took the train out of town to where the otogar was located and
Along Topkapi's WallsAlong Topkapi's WallsAlong Topkapi's Walls

This looks like it was once a gate into the palace grounds from the sea.
there I found a bus that was headed east into the unknown…




Additional photos below
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Topkapi PalaceTopkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace

A view of the palace and a bronze sultan from the banks of the Sea of Marmara.
The WallThe Wall
The Wall

Another lovely spot along Topkapi Palaces ancient walls.
Joining Europe and AsiaJoining Europe and Asia
Joining Europe and Asia

The land pictured is Asia.
On the Banks of the BosporusOn the Banks of the Bosporus
On the Banks of the Bosporus

One of the lovely waterfront homes on the Bosporus.
Yoros CastleYoros Castle
Yoros Castle

The badly ruined Yoros Castle was a strategic fortress for the Byzantines, the Ottomans and the Genoese.
The Black SeaThe Black Sea
The Black Sea

The view of the Black Sea from the outer walls of Yoros Castle.
The Front Entrance?The Front Entrance?
The Front Entrance?

The graffiti and the trash all over the castle grounds do a good job of dampening the majesty of the place, but if you look hard enough you can still see it.


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