Hello Istanbul, you are stunning

Darryl and Pamela's first full day in Istanbul. Pam's camera did not stop clicking and Darryl is having a hard time trying to describe the beauty and intrigue  of this city of 17 million.

Their hotel, The Ottoman Imperial,  is S_M_A_C_K in the middle of history. Across the street from Hagia Sofia, originally a 4th century Greek Orthodox Church, then converted to a Mosque and finally a Museum. This is where the day started. Billy Joel picked them up at 9am after their Mediterranean style breakfast of coffee, cheeses, olives, pastries, eggs, fruit etc.

 


  After Hagia Sofia, off to the Blue Mosque, built in the 17th Century.

 

Probably the most famous Mosque, it gets it's name from from the beautiful Iznic tiles that cover the interior walls. It is still an active Mosque today so here we have to remove out shoes and place a scarf on my shoulders.

D&P were blown away by the beauty and serenity of the building with it's six Minarets.

 
 

Next it is off to a ceramic store where they carry the "Master" works of famous Turkish Master Potter Galip. The detail is amazing. There is one of his students working here, a master in his own right, who shows P&D how to make a pot in about 4 minutes..it is like he is creating magic. From this lump of clay..

 

to this...and wheel is foot operated..no electricity for this Master Potter

"Oh..I think I'll take up pottery when I get home" squeals Pammie!! Darryl shoots daggers this time, "Enough hobbies already Pamela" he says...."why not take up housekeeping?" D&P would have loved to purchase a piece by the Master Galip but the prices are a wee bit beyond their bank accounts allowances. Besides the two couldn't agree on a piece they both loved so they left empty handed.

Next stop..right outside the shop...The Hippodrome..or what is left of it. This is where the chariot races would have been held etc. There is only the center section now and even there there are only a few of the decorative pieces. There is The Obelisk of Theodosius brought from Egypt as a gift and erected in the 390A.D.  .. on the bottom stand is a depiction of how it was transferred

There is also another brick obelisk that was once covered in Bronze from top to Bottom. The bronze was taken and melted during one of the Crusades!

OH.."off we go to the Cystern" says Billy Joel

Along the way they pass a simple broken stone with a plastic coated sign hanging by it. "All Roads lead to Rome?" askes BJ of the traveling Canucks..."No..they lead to Constantinople (Istanbul today)" This marker was where all distances of the empire were measured..

"WOW" says Darryl, "that's pretty cool"

On they wander to the Cistern. Pammie is thinking..."how interesting could a water storage source be? Isn't it lunch time yet?" She sucks it's up and down they go to the Cistern. "OMG" cries Darryl. "OMG" echos Pam "this is surreal! Look at the lighting" she exclaimed. And out came the camera.

And so it was they walked through the soaring arches of The Cisterns that once held the water that was used to water the gardens of Topkapi Palace. It is 70 meters wide and 140 meters long and held 80,000 cubic meters of water. Hundreds of pillars hold up the arched ceiling which is just beneath a bustling modern city above. "Hard to describe" says Darryl. "Don't worry" says Pammie "I'll throw in a few photos" There are two pillars that were used and were a bit short so they used to carved heads of Medusa from another ancient location to prop them up...

 
 

"I'd love one of those in my garden" quips Pammie

Archeological overload. Darry's perky mind is almost exploding with information and visuals. "Time for Turkish Pizza" announces Billy Joel. "Perfect" squeal the two and off they go down a side street lined with tables

Pide...Turkish pizza..

Cold Efes all around.....

What a day. D&P bid Billy Joel goodbye 'till tomorrow and head back to their hotel. Everything they saw today is minutes from their hotel..amazing.

Poor D&P crash for a couple of hours and then awaken refreshed and ready to face the evening and find dinner. They could get used to this lifestyle!!!

They come upon this cool looking restaurant. You can sit on the floor cushions or on chairs ... "Chairs" states Darryl...my back won't hold out after today if I sit on the floor. So hey sit at a table and order some Mezze (cold appies) , beer, bread and calamari that melted in their mouths. "Crazy day" states Darryl, "Uber crazy day" agrees Pammie.

Time for bed. Lyi Geceler Darryl, Lyi Geceler Pammie ... sleep well..tomorrow is another busy day!!!

Comments

[leslie (crookedstamper)]

Wow, they don't build them like they used to. Can you imagine any of our current buildings lasting 1600+ years? Not.

Tell us about those paintings where the bottom parts are worn off. Are they being restored, or is that all that's left of them?

Thanks for the great pics! I look forward to more!

[Mariam Kobras]

Incredible... I've always wanted to go, and we will yet.
Leslie, buildings of that age are not so unusual in Europe. We should go to Rome together some day.... :)

[teeny]

Susie these photos are stunning!!!!! I love the hotel and the mosque! And I think you would love pottery- I have a wheel at home that needs some love ;) hehe

xo

[Tammy McChesney]

Next time you take a holiday you have to stuff me in your suitcase (well, it would have to be a pretty large suitcase, but none the less...) LOL

OMG these images show so much culture and beauty! I could stare at these for hours...can hardly wait for MORE!

[Sue C]

Thank you for sharing this amazing vacation! We must get a few of us together, to see the photos and hear more...

[Sue]

Leslie, the pictures are actually Mosaics. The Hagia Sofia church was originally Greek Orthodox, when it became a Mosque they covered the mosaics in a sort of whitewash, some of them are lost but they are still uncovering more. They are stunningly beautiful...you can see more on the Flickr link I sent you. The church is now a museum.