Thursday--January 20--Istanbul--all the big sights
Still not feeling so well but not willing to give in. I drag myself out of bed, take a musinex and head to the tram down to Sultanahmet so I can visit all the ‘major’ sites. I decide I'm not in the mood to take photos but know that I'll regret it if I don't take any so I compromise with myself and take the point and shoot.
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| front of Hagia Sophia |
First stop, Hagia Sophia. The weather is nice a bit cool but o.k. The one thing about traveling in the off season is less crowds. There are certainly people (tourists) but not what I imagine it would be like in the spring or summer.
I enter the Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia), and was amazed at the enormous size of the place. It took 10,000 people to build it and I’m sure can hold at least 10 times that, if not more.
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| on ground level |
Hagia Sophia (from the Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, "Holy Wisdom"; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Aya Sofya) is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1934, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.
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| marble jar |
Walking around I admired not only the structure but also the materials that were used to build it. The different marble used for the columns and floors were incredible. Not to mention this jar of enormous size made from one piece of marble.
No way someone could do this today. Also the lighting fixtures, although I’m sure not original are magnificent. This is another one of those places that you just have to see to really gain the full impact.
Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture."[5] It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by Isidore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician.
This was built more than once, really? Who does that on this scale of size? Well I guess it’s better to spend the money rebuilding a church than on a war.
To get to the upstairs part of the building you must climb very steep ramps made of large marble stones (very slippery). It’s quite worth it because the best view is from the top. You can also have a better view of the dome the mosaics and frescos.
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| view from the top |
The Blue Mosk is just across the street from Hag Sophia. There is a lovely park with a beautiful fountain and many people hanging out. Walking over to the Blue Mosk I heard some interesting comments.
“hello, lady”, I don’t respond and continue walking.
“are you Spanish, hello?” I still don’t respond.
“are you deaf?” this is my favorite not to mention probably pretty desperate.
I was told not to spend more than one minute talking to a Turkish man because he will think you want to go to bed with him. Really. So I take the “no talking” approach as the best.
The Blue Mosk is nothing in comparison to Hag Sophia. I hate to sound mean, but it’s another Mosk. Maybe it’s because I’m not feeling so well but it’s a big room with tourists looking and muslims praying. O.k, the stained glass windows are beautiful.
After the Blue Mosk, I try to find the Turkish carpet museum that Maria had told me about. I saw a sign but I think it must have been closed.
I decided to go see the Basilica Cistern. Maria and the other girls staying at the hotel told me it’s a bit difficult to find the Cistern because the entrance is not so obvious.
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| local color |
I see a sign that has a straight arrow on it saying Basilica Cistern 50M. I follow it through the park, eyeing some local color, but no it’s not there.
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| local color |
I walk around the street a few times thinking it’s got to be here and just as I was going to go ask the policeman, I turned and there was the entrance, across the street from the police station.
The Basilica Cistern (Turkish: Yerebatan Sarayı - "Sunken Palace", or Yerebatan Sarnıcı - "Sunken Cistern"), is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), Turkey. The cistern, located 500 feet (150 m) southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.
This was a very interesting place. An underground waterway. You need to walk down very slippery steps to get to the bottom. The other attraction down here are the two Medusa heads. They were found on top of pillars but have been placed one upside down and the other on its side. Theory has it that if you look at Medusa you will turn to stone so they put her upside down and sideways therefore you can’t look at her. While I was standing at one of the heads, a man said to me, “don’t look, you’ll turn to stone.”
Thanks.
I propel myself back up the stairs and decide to go to the Grand Bazaar. My head is not so clear but I figure since I’m out and in the neighborhood I might as well go now. Big mistake.
The Grand Bazaar was just a few blocks away but when I got there was totally overwhelmed. This place was so big and I could see how easy it would be to loose one’s way. Not the thing you want to do as a woman on your own. It’s much better to act as though you know where your going. Ha.
There are signs on the ceiling telling a bit of the history and it says there are 22 entrances. Yikes. Therefore I decided to walk in one straight line.
I turn my head when I pass an intersection to see what is there but it all looks the same. The more I see the more I just want to get out. I get overwhelmed going to Ross (you know dress for less).
Another one of the signs overhead says that originally there was a “no competition” rule and therefore names for stores were not allowed but rather they had numbers. Also there used to be 6 mosks and now there is only one.
Opened in 1461, it is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by the type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake. The grand bazaar consists of 12 major buildings and has 22 doors.
Fortunately where I walk out of the Bazaar is the tram station. I buy my token and get on the tram. I'm tired but think I'll stop at the Istanbul Modern (art museum) and see the exhibit. I also think I maybe they have a cafe and I can get something to eat. I take the tram to the Kordokoy stop and walk a short distance to the entrance of the museum.
When I walk in I go to the desk and the lady says,
"it's free today."
Wow. lucky me. I ask if there is a cafe and the security man points toward the back of the museum. I walk over there and am really looking forward to sitting down and resting for a bit. I take a look at the menu and can't believe how pricey and fancy this museum cafe is. There isn't really anything I want and so I leave.
I go back into the museum and in the first room find a nice big bench to sit on. The room I'm in is titled "self-portraits". It is self-portraits of many Turkish (I'm sure well known) artists, none of whom I've ever heard of. I sat for a while and looked at the art that was around me. It was peaceful here and felt so good to sit down and rest.
I went to see if they had a photo exhibit and see the sign pointing downstairs. When I got downstairs I saw a bunch of TV screens with videos playing. I read that the exhibit was interviews of people from "Orange County, CA" talking about their lives. Really. One teenager was talking about how she wanted to be a star. I didn't need to listen to that. But I will admit it was displayed rather well. I hope the Turks appreciate it.
Now I was ready to go but remembered they had the “Body Worlds” exhibition by Gunther von Hagens’ next door.
The BODY WORLDS are the only public anatomical exhibitions that stem from an established body donation program and use donated bodies. Body WORLDS & The Cycle of Life, is more than 200 authentic human specimens transformed through Plastination.
It sounded interesting but the ticket was expensive, and I was now exhausted so didn’t go.
I was ready to go back to the hotel. I was only two tram stops away from the funicular so walked to it. I took the funicular and walked back to the hotel and rested.
Now I was ready to go but I remembered
Back to the hotel and to rest.
Nothing very exciting for dinner and I’m really not feeling well. Maria told me that the restaurant on the corner was good so I decide to go there. It is a very simple place (sort of cafeteria style) and cheap. Of course I am the only woman. I tell the man who seems to be in charge that I am staying at Ferit’s hotel and he said I should eat here. O.k.
“Where are you from,” he asks.
“California”, I tell him.
“Oh my cousin lives in California. What part do you live in.”
“Santa Barbara”
“Yes, my cousin has a Turkish restaurant there.”
“Really, I don’t think so. I don’t know of any Turkish restaurants in Santa Barbara.”
“O.k. I’ll find out and let you know where it is.”
I have cooked vegetables, I think it’s chard, that they put yogurt on with some red rice. It was fine. Something to fill my tummy and off to bed.
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