This morning we
travelled to the Hagia Sophia, built in 537 CE by Emperor Justinian. For the first 1000 years of its existence, it
was a Christian church. However, after
Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople in 1453, he changed the church into a
mosque. In 1934, Kemall Ataturka, the
founder of the Republic of Turkey, proclaimed it a museum. But in 2020, it reverted back into a working
mosque. Its interior was designed as an
earthly mirror of heaven, and it is still possible today to see its stunning
Byzantine mosaics.
 |
| Hagia Sophia |
 |
| Praying Area |
 |
| Hallway in Mosque |
 |
| Praying Area |
 |
| Archangel Mosaic on Wall of Mosque |
 |
| Mosaic of Jesus (Center) |
 |
| Madonna and Child Mosaic |
 |
| Mosaic |
 |
| Madonna and Child Mosaic |
Our next stop
was to Misir Carsisi (the Spice Bazaar).
Although not as large as the Grand Bazaar, it is still one of Istanbul’s
largest bazaars. As you wander through
the many alleyways lined with stalls, you are almost overcome with the
delightful smells and colorful displays of the many different spices. Before entering the bazaar, there was a
smaller one that sold cat food and other pet supplies and a vendor that sold
leeches. People in Istanbul swear by
them to help cure medical problems caused by excess or toxic blood, such as varicose
veins, and also for pain management, especially with the knees. And no, I did not try this therapy!!!
 |
| Mounds of Spices for Sale |
 |
| One of the Spice Vendors |
 |
| Turkish Delight for Sale |
 |
| One of the Leech Vendors |
 |
| Leeches for Sale |
 |
| Cat Food Anyone? |
In the bazaar
we had the owner of one of the spice shops talk to us about the different
spices they sold and how they can be used.
They primarily spoke about saffron as this is what most Americans are
interested in. Based on prices I have
seen in the States, it is much cheaper to buy here in Turkey. However, as I do not cook with saffron, I did
not purchase any. It was amazing to see
all the piles of various spices that the vendors had for sale. They also had all the Turkish Delight you
could want.
After our
little visit, several of us walked to a nearby restaurant for a light lunch of
lentil soup and bread before our Bosporus Strait Cruise. While eating, it was time for the Muslum call
to prayer. There are six times a day
when they pray. The exact time varies
from day to day, but it is approximately like this: Fajr (Dawn) 4:00 am, Shurug (Morning) 5:50 am,
Dhuhr (Noon) 1:00 pm, Asr (Afternoon) 6:00 pm, Maaghrib (Evening) 8:00 pm, and Isha
(Night) 9:40 p. As there were two
mosques close to the restaurant, it was very noisy as the “call” takes about 5
minutes of loud, recorded chanting by the Iman.
And of course the mosques were not synchronized.
Following lunch
we walked across the street to where all the ferries and cruise boats were
docked. We were the only group on our
boat so we spent a very relaxing 2 hours cruising up and down the Bosphorus
Straits. The Straits is a very busy body
of water and the only access from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea via
the Sea of Marmara. Today, although the
Straits belong to Turkey, as a result of the Montreux Convention Regarding the
Regime of the Turkish Straits of 20 Jul 1936, the Straits are treated as an
international shipping lane except that Turkey retains the right to restrict
the naval traffic of non-Black Sea states.
As a result there are many Russian oil tankers that use this body of
water.
Ahmet was our
guide during this cruise pointing out the many palaces and old homes that line
the Straits on both sides. When we came
to point where the boat turns around to return, there is an old fortress – the
Rumeli Fortress. It is an old Ottoman
fortress built between 1451 and 1452 CE for a planned Ottoman siege on the
Byzantine city of Constantinople. On the
opposite side of the Straits was an older fortress, the Anatolian Fortress, and
the two worked in tandem to stop all naval traffic through the straits thus
helping the Ottoman Empire conquer Constantinople in 1453. It was a very relaxing and fun way to spend
our last afternoon in Istanbul.
 |
| Dolmabahce Palace |
 |
| Suleymaniye Mosque |
 |
| Houses Alone the Shore of the Straits |
 |
| Egyptian Embassy |
 |
| Rumeli Fortress |
 |
| Anadolu Fortress |
 |
| One of the Old Palace Homes |
 |
| Homes Along the Shore of the Straits |
 |
| Beautiful Red Trees behind the Homes |
 |
| Military School |
 |
| Maiden's Tower |
 |
| Section of the Valens Aqueduct |
On the way home we drove under some of the remaining aqueduct sections of the Valens Aqueduct built by the Romans in the 4th century. It was the longest aqueduct ever built by the Romans.
It will be an
early evening tonight as we much get up at 2:45 AM to travel to the airport for
our 6 AM flight to Cappadocia! Farewell
Istanbul, it was an enjoyable and educational experience!
No comments:
Post a Comment