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Published: July 26th 2011
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Tea made in the cistern
Turkish tea is very tasty and served in glasses with "waists". As you’ve seen from Topkapi Palace, Istanbul was strategically positioned on high hills overlooking the Bosphorus Strait, which is the link between the Marmara and Mediterranean Seas to the west and the Black Sea to the northeast. It was also surrounded by many kilometers of very high stone walls, a huge fortress of a city. But do walls defend against all threats?
WATER is essential to life and Istanbul built 16 enormous underground cisterns in which to keep their water safe. We visited the 1001 Cistern, built in 330 AD, which was allegedly so named because it had 1001 pillars holding its underground roof up. Apparently in those times pillars were taken from lots of places (pillaged?) to build the cisterns. Though this cistern fell short of 1001 pillars when we visited it (it only had 226), it certainly was an impressive vacuity through which we roamed. It was dry, except for a bar and a symbolic well, surrounded by tables, at which one could sit and drink free glasses of tea, and so, of course, we did.
The 1001 Cistern has had a checkered history. After it was no longer used for water, it was used as a
the 1001 Cistern
Inside this vault space, it was huge, dark and dry. This was once a water storage. place for warehousing silk. Later it was used as a garbage dump—landfill in a true sense. Finally it was restored, but it took 7 years to empty out all the trash! This cistern is now used for live concerts, events, cultural performances and weddings.
Turkish people like to drink their tea from glasses with "waists"--an inward curving section at the middle. I thought that was where to hold the glass, but with hot tea in it, that's where to burn your fingers!
Breakfasts are different in Turkey, too. The usual breakfast is sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, black olives, feta cheese, plain yogurt and delicious fresh-baked bread with honey or cherry or apricot jam which is more like syrup than jam. On the second day I got up my courage to walk past the muesli (which was there for the tourists) and try a Turkish breakfast, and I’ve had one ever since. I can’t explain why, but this breakfast stays with me longer that my usual western fare, and it’s refreshing on hot days.
We had been advised to check out the humongous Grand Bazaar and one morning we headed that way. Once we got inside it was
1001 Cistern
A huge cavity held up by pillars,with a false floor which halved its height. so huge and overwhelming that I forgot to take pictures and we mainly concentrated on how to find our way out again. Once back out beneath the sky, we looked for a suitable cafe to assuage our nerves and have more coffee each and baklava for me.
In the late afternoon it was terribly hot. Our west-facing window made our fan-less room at the hostel into an oven. So we decided to make our way down the narrow, hilly cobblestone roads to the ferry dock and ride over to “the Asian side”. The ferries uniting the two parts of the city are very cheaply priced, just $1.75 TL (say $1.40). The ride was refreshing, but when we disembarked in Asia it was just as hot as Europe! We ambled around looking here and there, but ended up finding a shady spot for doldurma (ice cream) and a slight breeze by the water. The doldurma sellers are usually dressed in brightly decorated vests and have a good sense of humour. Twice I’ve been caught out as I was being handed a cone of ice cream and it was made to flip and look like it was falling. Another surprising thing
The little well in the 1001 Cistern
Not much water in the cistern now, but a symbolic well into which people, as always, had thrown coins. is that these guys have long metal rods with which they repeatedly hoist very large globs of their ice cream into the air, to advertise it.
I am including a couple spare pictures here, for those of you who are architecturally minded. First, notice that amazing keystone work in the arch of the entrance to the Sultan’s reception building. And second, check out the exterior of the Harem, which we haven’t made it inside yet. If you can judge a book by its cover (I always did that as a kid, did you? I wanted the ones with the plastic jackets.), it must be pretty grand inside!
We had been advised to check out the humongous Grand Bazaar and one morning we headed that way. Once we got inside it was so huge and overwhelming that I forgot to take pictures and we mainly concentrated on how to find our way out again. Once back out beneath the sky, we looked for a suitable cafe to assuage oyur nerves and have more coffee each and baklava for me.
In the late afternoon it was terribly hot. Our west-facing window made our fan-less room at the hostel
Traditional Turkish breakfast
Olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese and yogurt, with wonderful fresh rolls and jam. At first this seemed strange, but I grew to love it. into an oven. So we decided to make our way down the narrow, hilly cobblestone roads to the ferry dock and ride over to “the Asian side”. The ferries uniting the two parts of the city are very cheaply priced, just $1.75 TL (say $1.40). The ride was refreshing, but when we disembarked in Asia it was just as hot as Europe! We ambled around looking here and there, but ended up finding a shady spot for doldurma (ice cream) and a slight breeze by the water. The doldurma sellers are usually dressed in brightly decorated vests and have a good sense of humour. Twice I’ve been caught out as I was being handed a cone of ice cream and it was made to flip and look like it was falling. Another surprising thing is that these guys have long metal rods with which they repeatedly hoist very large globs of their ice cream into the air, to advertise it.
I am including a couple spare pictures here, for those of you who are architecturally minded. First, notice that amazing keystone work in the arch of the entrance to the Sultan’s reception building. And second, check out the exterior
The Grand Bizaar entrance
It's so huge. Once we got in, we wondered how to get out. of the Harem, which we haven’t made it inside yet. If you can judge a book by its cover (I always did that as a kid, did you? I wanted the ones with the plastic jackets.), it must be pretty grand inside!
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Michelle Cavanagh
non-member comment
History lesson
Thank you teacher - I'm learning lots of interesting things about Istanbul!! How are you going at practising your Turkish on the natives? M xx