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Published: February 26th 2007
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hello again!
well after 4 days here we finaly made ıt to Aya Sophya, we weren't in a hurry to get there and as days passed and we trıed to avoıd going on a friday, we made it finally on Sunday.
It is true that it is not really impressive from outside compared to the blue mosque, but what it doesn't have outside it makes up for on the inside! Wow! Huge doesn't describe its enourmosity, but if one thing that one can say is that it leaves one a bit, how can I say, maybe just with heavy mixed feelings...
One understands that once Constantinople was taken by the Ottomans it became a Muslim place and that it is lucky they didn't just completely destroy it; but when one sees what little is left of the mosaiques of Christian times and when seeing the paintings of what it once was like inside, your heart melts of sorrow, because what was put instead just doesn't in the least make up for it, my heart bled!
Yet it is still a grande building and it is fantastique to acknoledge that the Turkish government had made it into a
Grand Bazar
largest covered market ın the world! secular buildıng and no longuer a religious mosque for which renovations are beind done to bring back some of the old images it once had! it is in any way definately worth the visit.
İn the evening we went to the train station where Orient Express used to arrive to see a show of Sufi music and Whirling Dervishes, which well, it is what it says, nothing more nor less, just men following a set of routines and ending spinning endlessly for periods of about 10 minutes non stop, which by itself is hard enough, but not very exitıng and the setting didn't make ıt better either.
for me as a show man, I'd lıke to have seen some mysticism, the creation of an environment, a proper seating installation that allows for proper viewing, but it lacked professionalism, inspite of having over 800 people in the venue, which makes no excuse as a lack of funds to do so...I'd advise them if a chance given...hahaha, but I can dream on!
The show wasn't helped for me by the distraction given by a bunch of classless spanish ladies who giggled, laughed, and spoke along the whole event, showing
lack of respect for the culture and the audience around them! Which I pleased myself of telling them at the end of the show.
today was a nice cold day on a ferry boat along the Bosphorous, with several stops until the last one on a small village kind of place that had lots of fish restaurants and the ruins of a castle, worth while the climb to work an appetite to then enjoy a good seafood meal for little money.
a starter of deepfried mussels and calamari, salad, bread and a sea bass each with a bottle of water for 12 lira each, so not bad, the best we've done this far food wise.
the views are really nice and the houses along the water channel are amazing, one can imagine how pleasant it must be in the summer, from the castle one has a view of the Black sea and the beaches on either side!uhmmm I'd love a swimm, but it is only 6 degrees Centıgrades, so I gather I wouldnt survive long if I did.
We've now seen most known places of the city; so apart from the grand bazar tomorrow, there isnt
much left to visit.
Ahh yes we ventured into the suburbs yesterday, being told that there is one worth visiting, so we got in the bus to do so, ending up in the middle of well a far away suburb with nothing to see and with little information on how to get back at all, no one spoke english, there were no signs and just no way of knowing what to do really, a kind man brought us to a bus stop, with no english and only a piece of paper saying our destination got us back taking a long time...well it got us seeing parts other tourist don't see, and we felt a bit adventurous by doing so, so not all bad!
Cats are still a great joy to see, but we've seen some in a lesser condition than perviosly and at the village today it was dogs instead...
Still loving Istanbul and the Turks, specially our hotel!!!
hugs
Jungaree and Mickey
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chris
non-member comment
hoi
Zo te zien een leuke reis en een geweldige stad...wat een leuk hotel,zeg! Mooie foto's en ik lees dat jullie het wel naar jullie zin hebben gehad! Hans is vandaag jarig...53 jaar en wij gaan vanavond lekker uit eten.ik wens jullie een goede trip naar huis,,,zal dat tegenvallen weer in London met dit weer...hier is het donker en nat....BAH! Liefs Chris