Email home from Istanbul
Sat. 5:20 pm, May 28, 2011
Istanbul, Turkey
Pop. about 17 million
Hi family & friends,
Greetings from the future (7 hours ahead of E.S.T.). We are at The Terrace Guesthouse, in the old part of Istanbul, only blocks away from the famous Blue Mosque and its older counterpart (by 1,000 yrs) facing it: Aya Sofya, which was originally built as a church, then later converted into a mosque.
Hoyt & I have spent 4 wonderful days in this fabuous ancient city a.k.a. Byzantium then Constantinople. We've been awed by the beauty of mosques, mosaics, markets, and many friendly Turks and tourists, one even from St. Petersburg, Florida who saw Hoyt's cap with the Orlando Magic emblem on it.
Weather: sunny for two days, rainy and overcast yesterday and today.
Next: Tonight we leave on a night train to Ankara, the capital, to join a Pasha Tours group of three more people until June 11 when we break away, rent a car, and drive up the western coast.
Much love to you all,
Charlene & Hoyt
For some good info on Turkey visit: http://worldfacts.us/Turkey.htm
Istanbul - A mosaic of a city on seven hills
This city is a mosaic of famous mosques, churches, bazaars, a Sultan's palace, Turkish coffee cafes, neighborhood cats, carpet sellers and evidences of its extremely long history at every turn in the cobbled streets, especially in the Old Town - a fascinating pattern of old and new. Countless web sites cover it, so I'll try and give you something different - from our eyes to yours.
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| Charlene L. Edge breakfasting on the roof of The Terrace Guest House with Blue Mosque in background (more on Blue Mosque below) [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
Where we stayed in Istanbul
If you don't mind climbing narrow, spiral staircases up a few flights with your suitcases, we highly recommend The Terrace Guest House. One of our friends who had stayed there told us about it and we're GLAD he did. Tucked in the Old Town called called Sultanahmet, this house was cozy (pretty small) but clean, and on a trip like this what counts is location, location, location. We could walk nearly everywhere we wanted to go. |
| Hoyt L. Edge outside the guesthouse in the Old Town. The owner is a peach, the rooms clean, the breakfast more than generous. [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Lavash bread at Albura Kathisma Cafe, Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
Magnaura Palace Ruins
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| Charlene Edge roams underground Roman Magnaura Palace Ruins [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Stairs out of the Magnaura Palace ruins [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Now they tell us! After we go through from the cafe, the sign is at the other entrance. [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
Called the "Haghia Sofia" in Greek and the "Church of the Divine Wisdom" in English. We called it lovely.
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| Aya Sofya by night [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Aya Sofya by day [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Inside the Aya Sofya [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Inside the Aya Sofya [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Hoyt L. Edge inside Aya Sophia [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] The nearby Basilica Cistern is gigantic, with rows and rows of columns holding up the ceiling. Built to supply the city with water, it is now a museum sparkling with colored lights.  [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
The Grand Bazaar
It's more than grand, it is a roofed maze with about 4,000 shops and several kilometers of aisles. It includes shops for jewelry, carpets, pottery, luggage, clothes, you name it; plus banks, mosques, police stations, and restuarants.
Warning: Leave a trail of bread crumbs if you ever expect to escape.
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| Grand Bazaar entrance, Charlene L. Edge leaving a trail of bread crumbs. [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Charlene L. Edge inside Istanbul's Grand Bazarr [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Charlene L. Edge in front of Isnik Works, a pottery and tile shop Grand Bazaar of Istanbul [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
A friend recommended we eat at the famous Pandeli Restaurant in the nearby Spice Market and we found the food delicious! The market, named for the spices imported from Egypt and elsewhere, is a feast of color.
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| Spices in an appropriate market: The Spice Bazaar, a.k.a. The Egyptian Market [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Turkish delight - and yummy [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Spice of a different nature [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| The evil eye is to protect you from evil. Oh, if it were only that simple! [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
Opposite the Aya Sofya and not far from the Bazaar, stands the Sultan Ahmet Camii ("camii" means "mosque" in Turkish). This mosque is commonly known as the Blue Mosque because of its gazillion blue tiles. Built in the early 1600s by Sultan Ahmet's workers to rival the Aya Sofya, it has 260 windows and the central prayer space is huge. Muslims still use it today, especially on Fridays, their day of prayer.
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| Blue Mosque from our Terrace Guest House roof [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Courtyard of Blue Mosque [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Inside the Blue Mosque [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Prayer space in the Blue Mosque [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
Topkapi Palace
The Lonely Planet for Turkey tells us this palatial palace "is the subject of more colorful stories than most of the world's royal residence's put together." The extensive buildings and gardens are the result of building and reconstruction efforts since the mid 15th century.
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| Model of Topkapi Palace inside Palace grounds. [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
Seeing the palace means spending a few hours there. We rented Audio Tour recorders, which really helped us understand what we were experiencing. The Palace includes the Sultan's living quarters and rooms for conducting the business of the empire. It's worth the extra ticket to see the Harem, which isn't what you think. It was the "imperial family quarters, and every detail of Harem life was governed by tradition, obligation, and ceremony. The word 'harem' literally means 'private'" (Lonely Planet). I learned that the Sultan could have four legitimate wives, the max allowed by Islamic law. Most American men think one is more than enough! The "slave girls" that the Sultan could choose from could not be of the Islamic faith so they were imported or were gifts from other rulers.
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| Charlene L. Edge at Topkapi gates [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
Several interesting characters have filled the Sultan's slippers over the centuries from 1453 until 1839: "Selim the Sot, who drowned after drinking too much champagne; Ibrahim the Mad, who lost his reason after being imprisoned for 22 years by his brother Murat IV; and the malevolent Roxelana, a former concubine who became the powerful consort of Suleyman the Magnificent." (Lonely Planet)
Wow. It was another world in there...
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| Topkapi Palace fountain. Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Entrance yard to Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
For an extra charge, we went through the Palace's Treasury, but no photos are allowed inside because of its amazing works of art and teasures like jewel-encrusted swords, gold and diamond candlesticks, and most notably, the Spoonmaker's Diamond, which is an 86-carat teardrop stone making it the 5th largest diamond in the world (Lonely Planet). As we progressed through palace gates, courtyards, elegantly carved doorframes and tiled hallways, I began to think I could get used to this palace overlooking the Bosphorus!
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| Charlene L. Edge - Topkapi Palace railing overlooking Bosphorus Sea Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Topkapi Palace Music Room Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Mosque inside Topkapi Palace complex Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Wall tile in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Corridor in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Charlene L. Edge in front of gate in Topkapi Palace Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Wall tiles in Harem of Topkapi Palace Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Harem courtyard in Topkapi Palace Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
After our jaw-dropping visit to the Palace, we had tea in the gift shop before strolling down the hill to this museum to see more great treasures from Istanbul's surroundings, including sarcophagi, sculptures, mosaic floors and frescos.
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| Hoyt L. Edge in gateway to Istanbul Archeological Museums Near Topkapi Palace [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
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| Mosaic floor preserved in Istanbul Archeological Museum [Photo property of Hoyt Edge] |
Chora Church a.k.a. Kariye Muzesi (pronounced Kora)
It takes a taxi ride out to the Western District, but we're glad we didn't miss seeing this gem of a church. It is a mosaic/fresco-laden Byzantine church in the hills outside Istanbul. Again, we sought it out due to friends' recommendations. Built in the 11th century A.D., it has two special dome ceilings, one depicting the life of Mary, the other Jesus. Even the outside was charming, with its crumbling walls and intricate archetecture. It was peaceful there, away from the hustle and bustle of more heavily touristed areas in town.
We oogled the inside walls and ceilings for about an hour, straining our necks looking up at the colorful mosaic art, shining with gold everywhere. Several side chapels are filled with storyboard mosaics and frescos, too. At one time, the building served as a monastery, at another, a mosque. For extensive descriptions and photos, visit the museums' web site: http://www.choramuseum.com/
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| Outside Chora Church [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Entrance to Chora Church outside Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Inside Chora Church [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Ceiling depicting Jesus and his ancestors [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
I saw no church mice. Must be due to this little guy's diligent efforts. Oh no...he's too busy craining his neck like the rest of us!
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| Chora Church cat [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Inside Chora Church. Charlene L. Edge on right. [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Through doorway into basilica - Chora Church [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
Bosphorus Cruise
The Bosphorus Strait is considered the major transportation venue in Istanbul. It connects the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea, so Europe is on one side, Asia on the other. It cuts Istanbul into two parts, one on each continent. Yes, Istanbul is certainly a crossroads of cultures even today.
The dock where you hop on a cruise boat is busy with food vendors and people waiting to catch a ferry boat either to or from work or a cruise boat to sightsee. People-watching was marvelous, even better than in airports.
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| Hey mom! Who are those tourists with cameras? [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| A Japanese "Rick Steves" taping a show on the boat dock [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| The daily hustle and bustle of life [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| The boat. We climbed to the top deck for a good view. [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| We froze on the top deck for the good view! [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
From the boat, you can see several significant buildings along the waterfront, including a fort called, Rumeli Citadel. "Built in first half of 1400s, this is the large medieval castle under the Second Bosphorus Bridge. Its former name Boğazkesen (Turkish)/Laimokopia (Greek) means both "strait-blocker" and "throat-cutter" in both languages and denotes the reason of its building—to shut the supply routes from the Black Sea in the north into the slowly falling apart Byzantine Empire through the Bosphorus." http://wikitravel.org/en/Istanbul/Bosphorus
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| Rumeli Citadel [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
A few last glimpses of Istanbul
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| Cats are carpet sellers, too. Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Street in Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Oops...is this a restaurant or what? Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Cleaning up Istanbul, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Hoyt and Charlene Edge's tired feet [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Charlene L. Edge in Istanbul train station, leaving for Ankara, Turkey [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
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| Bye, bye Istanbul...we loved meeting you! [Photo property of Hoyt L. Edge] |
On the top right side of the page, click Part II of IV: Ankara to Antalya
