Dubai and Istanbul

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul
December 17th 2008

Published: April 2nd 2009

Last weeks in Malawi Soon after my return from Zimbabwe something many of us mzungus had been looking forward to for months was finally happening: 'Indecision 2008' to use Jon Stewart’s terminology 😉. Chameleon’s, a mzungu-owned bar in Lilongwe, had promised to stay open all night and broadcast the U.S. presidential election live on CNN for us. After sleeping for a few hours, Maki, ... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

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Burq Al Arab hotel

It was designed to look like the sail of a dhowthe traditional Arab sailboat that Eva and I rode a few times along the Indian Ocean in Mozambique in 2007.

Blue Mosque lit up at night

Not a bad introduction to Turkey!

Blue Mosque in the morning

Seen from the small market beneath the mosque I crossed every morning as I left my hostel

Hagia Sophia

Which literally means "Holy Wisdom" - this is a basilica constructed under the Byzantine emperor Justinian, later turned into a mosque resulting in some of its famous mosaics being plastered over.

Martina in the Blue Mosque courtyard

Hagia Sophia construction

Exterior masonry that supports the huge dome inside, which was the most innovative construction of the Byzantine era

View inside the Hagia Sophia

You can see the infamous Arabic script panels that were overlaid throughout the basilica's interior

Mosaic and beautiful imported marbles...

...that characterize the basilica interiors

Basilica cistern

A really beautiful spot to visit, you walk through on creaky boardwalks as water drips from the ceiling.

Rotated medusa heads

The highlight of the cistern visit is the two ancient Medusa heads that were used as column basesone upside down, one rotated on its side. There are competing theories as to why the heads were placed this way, whether it was a deliberate Christian rebuke to the pagans who believed in Medusa, or out of a mere lack of appreciation by the builders as to the significance of the ancient relics who simply needed strong blocks to support the cistern columns.

Bosphorus view from the Topkapı hilltop

Square in front of Yeni Cami at dusk

Outside the spice bazaar

Whirling dervish ceremony

Hagia Sophia at night

Fancy dinner night

My little array of delicacies: fried calamari, fava beans, marinated octopus, and mussel risotto, everything laden with olive oil ;)

Typical backstreet in Istanbul

Small mosque off a backstreet West of Sulthanamet

I believe this mosque is known as the "Lesser Hagia Sophia"

Small doorway on a backstreet

This is what I love about exploring a bit off the beaten path - you come across these little gems that really make a place what it is that you would never see if you just go by your guidebook.

Another small mosque I happened upon

Its courtyard empty under the afternoon rain

Traditional antique nomadic tent

7th April 2009

kpoms
non-member comment

too much in this one post!
dubai and istanbul look so amazing... all those spices... crazy. the culture is so different from ours, it's so neat to see all those pictures. i can't imagine walking in those shoes! i look forward to all the thailand posts - it'll be just as great!

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