Tag: Turkey

Next morning we were in the queue for Hagia Sophia by 9.00 and just under an hour later, we entered! It was built in the C6th for Emperor Justinian as a Byzantine church and remained the largest enclosed space in the world for a thousand years.

The huge dome has collapsed a couple of times and been rebuilt, with bigger buttresses that block some of the windows, making the interior rather gloomy, not helped by the grey marble. In 1453 the city was captured by the Turks and Hagia Sophia was converted to a mosque, which it remained until 1934 when it became a museum. They are part way through redecorating, which must be a huge task in building of this size. We wandered round the gallery first …

… and saw some of the Byzantine mosaics …

… and also some Viking graffiti left by warriors who were employed as bodyguards to the Emperor.

We even caught a glimpse of the Blue Mosque through the window!

Downstairs, the spot where Byzantine emperors were crowned is marked by marble inlay …

… and behind is the mimbar or pulpit and the mihrab …

… but there seemed to be as much interest in the resident felines!

On the way out, Chris touched the weeping column as it is renowned for curing ills in the hope it would help get rid of the nasty cough he’s been suffering with.

Over the road, the underground Basilica Cistern was built in the C6th to store water for the palace and the roof is supported by 336 columns. A couple of the columns are supported by Medusa heads, clearly relics from a previous building, and while it was suggested they were to protect the cistern, it seems strange for this one to be upside down. The atmospheric lighting alone made it worth a visit.

Returning to the story of the Turks capturing the city in 1453, we took a tram to look at the Byzantine land walls, of which various stretches remain. We went to the Panorama Park, a popular place for locals to go for a weekend bbq and picnic, and walked along the walls until we reached the spot that Mehmed the Conqueror and his troops breached the walls and entered the city.

Close by is the Kariye Museum, which was billed as having some of the best preserved Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in the world. Unfortunately, it was undergoing renovation, and only part was open but here is the best of what we saw.

A short cab ride in the busy Istanbul traffic, spotting a stretch of aqueduct on the way …

… took us up to the top of the hill to the Suleymaniye Mosque, completed in 1557 by the renowned architect Mimar Sinan for his patron Süleyman the Magnificent.

We arrived during prayers and enjoyed the courtyard until we were allowed to enter.

The difference when compared with Hagia Sofia this morning is astounding – it is big, but manages to be so light and airy and uncluttered!

A short walk down the hill, a tram ride back and one last stop … the Arcadia Blue Hotel which has a rooftop bar with a bit of a view of both Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, which we enjoyed with our glass of rose!

Later we returned to Akbiyik Cad where we have eaten every night and had a lovely meal at the Magnaura Cafe & Restaurant.

Istanbul sits on the Bosphorus, with Europe on one side and Asia on the other. It has been the capital of both Christian and Islamic empires and while no longer the capital, it is the economic and cultural heart of a modern secular Turkey.

Last time we were here we took a boat trip and also visited the Asian side,  but this time we are concentrating on the old city within the original Byzantine walls.

Having taken the metro and a tram, we arrived in Sultanahmet, the heart of the old city, and took a few snaps as we passed.

We are staying at the Marmara Guesthouse, located in a quiet part of the old town. There are views over the Bosphorus from the rooftop terrace and it is within walking distance of the main sights and a choice of restaurants.

We picked The Turquoise Cafe & Restaurant for our first Turkish meal, at a cosy table with cushions and a red rose, overlooking the street. The mezze and casseroles were very tasty and we were ready to turn in after our long day.

Next morning, there was a wonderful spread for breakfast – eggs, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, olives and peppers then bread and pancakes with a huge array of jams finishing with a selection of cakes and biscuits. We ate on the sunny terrace watching the ships busy on the water and the rose jam was amazing!

Our first stop was Sultanahmet Camii, often called the Blue Mosque, after the blue Iznik tiles which decorate the interior.

It was built for Ahmed I and finished in 1616 and boasts six minarets, visible on the skyline from various spots round the city. Until then only the mosque in Mecca had as many minarets, and then they built an extra one so it still had most!

We got as far as the courtyard before we saw the restoration notice and realised we could only see the outside, but fortunately we did go inside last trip.

We did manage to visit his tomb though, which is decorated in similar tiles to the mosque.

We had planned to visit Hagia Sophia next, but when we saw the queue, decided to get there early next day. Instead, we walked down the Hippodrome, now a paved park, but once the chariot racing track in Byzantine times.

There is an Egyptian obelisk that was brought here in the C4th, remains of a Greek bronze column made up of three entwined serpents which have lost their heads from the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, and a tall but unimpressive column to Constantine.

We took a turn round the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art but apart from a hall of carpets and snippings from The Prophet’s beard, the most remarkable thing was the view of the Blue Mosque.

The Mosaic Museum displayed quite a lot of the huge floor from the Byzantine Great Palace including quite ferocious animals.

After a late lunch of pide and salad, we took the tram to Eminonu Square which was busy with food stalls and beside the Galata Bridge.

A short walk brought us to the Spice Market, or Egyptian Bazaar, where there is a huge selection of spices and Turkish delight for sale in quite smart shops.

From there, we followed the throngs of shoppers through streets lined with stores selling anything and everything until we reached the Grand Bazaar.

With 66 alleys and more than four thousand shops, we were never going to identify the carpet shop we were standing outside when we started chatting 10 years ago.

Nonetheless, it all looked very familiar as we wandered round and bought a couple of souvenirs, before calling it a day and returning to our guesthouse.

We found out about Cooking Alaturka too late to schedule a class, so instead went for dinner in the restaurant and were treated to some delicious specialities, the best being the hot yogurt soup which sounds a little strange but which was amazing, the mushroom filled vine leaves and the walnut stuffed figs.