Turkey - Istanbul - Part 4

Day 11 - We took it easy and joined a day tour for a Bosporus Cruise. Turning our heads from left to right and right to left, trying to understand what the guide was explaining. In the end, i gave and just enjoyed the views.
 






Day 12 - We headed to the new Istanbul and visited Taksim Square




We then made our way down to İstiklal Avenue.






Ending the night on a roof top bar


Day 13 - I visited the Blue Mosque again to say my goodbyes. I was there - the first one in line - as it opened.



Coming back to our tiny hotel with a view for breakfast before making our way to the airport


Looking back at the photos, this would definitely rank as one of the most interesting trips that i had in a while. :) Also, the most valuable takeaway in the whole trip was this loving couple with me, they made me believe in soul mates - all over again.

Turkey - Istanbul - Part 3

Day 10 - This was the last day of our museum pass and we were determined to make the most of it. Embarking to the Great Palace Mosaic Museum first. This was a collection of the old Byzantine floors found around the Arasta Bazaar and most likely to be from the Roman Emperor Justinian era. Honestly, we were a little bit shocked by how run down this place was. There was a roof - but it was mainly open air - the sun light could come in at selected areas. There was no temperature control & the mosaics were fading.

Still, it was pretty amazing.





Our next stop was to the Chora Museum. This was very much out of the way. We had to leave the Sultanmahet area that we were in, head towards the Grand Bazaar then take a 30 min bus ride to the area. Thanks to the kindness of strangers, we made our way there in one piece.

The Chora Museum was seriously worth the trip. I wanted to see Byzantine art - my god, i did and this was clearly the most well preserved of what we had seen so far. Later on, i would find out that this was one of the most beautiful Byzantine churches that was left in the world.







Navigating the back streets, we made our way to another smaller church. Unfortunately, i cannot remember the name now. On our way back, we went past a local madrasah which gave me a glimpse of how religion had polarized Turkey. In the past, Turkey was always a mix of the East and the West. It was a cultural melting pot of Christian beliefs and Islamic religion. The Ottoman Empire was accepting of both and invited conversation between the faiths. In the tourist area that we were in, as this was the Ramadan, we saw local people camped out in the park and it was an even mix of conservative and western clothing.

Here in this area, women and children were clad from head to toe. Us in our tiny shorts and tops, were looked upon curiously. If this was how Istanbul was like in the residential areas, it was a sad turn of events as what our hosts were explaining to us and now we see first hand.




Leaving the area, we went to the Spice Bazaar for lunch. Now, this was the bazaar that we were waiting for. Local food and wares, we could see the local people shopping here as well. We loved this area.











We ended the evening sitting along the Galata Bridge - which linked Old and New Istanbul together. There were people fishing on top of the bridge and 2 lines of restaurants dotted under the bridge. We grabbed a cheap local fish sandwich and sat there people watching and seeing the boats go by.

Turkey - Istanbul - Part 2

Day 9 - We were on the road for a while now, and really did over do it on Day 8. By the time, Day 9 came, our legs were aching and we were exhausted.

We started with the Sofia Mosques - where the past Ottoman Sultans were buried with their children. Due to the nature of succession & the harem structure - we saw plenty of coffins for little princes whom was done away during the infighting.



Our 2nd stop was the popular Tokapi Palace - where the Ottoman Sultanate stayed for years. I was really annoyed with this place - where picture taking was extremely limited. In the end, i gave in and bought a souvenir book, if not, there was no way to remember what I saw.

There was an intricate jewelry section - where one saw gilded & exotic thrones, the famous Tokapi Dagger, enormous diamonds and other gems. A section where beautiful, detailed clocks were gifted to the Ottoman empire. The section that i loved in particular was its Islamic artifacts - where one saw Moses Staff (the very one that was used to part the Red Sea !), David's sword, The artifacts of Prophet Mohammad (his beard and teeth, cloak, sword & banner). This section was truly amazing. Even the Sultans could visit this place - for just 1 day in a year and here i was in this holy place. There was a holy man onsite chanting non stop all day long.

Other areas that i liked were the rooms with the classic Byzantine design which were limited - due to later rulers who favored the European designs.







The harem was so-so with the exception of the room that Sinan designed for the Emperor. Now that was truly something else.




The palace is a must go, yet in a way, disappointed me the most. The areas were still under renovation or restoration - the signs and paths were incoherent even with an audio guide. The inability to take photos in most areas were off-putting. Yet - to see the Islamic artifacts - was truly an unique opportunity.

3rd Stop - Being the museum fanatic that i was, i was determined to make my way to the Istanbul Archaeology Museum - which was ranked as one of the top 10 museums in the world. At this point, my legs felt like they were dying, i was starving and just running on fumes. My friends had already given up at this point and were resting in the hotel.

I lounged in the museum cafe for 30 mins before making my way around. I had about an hour before the museum started closing. Again, despite this was Summer Season, half of the museum was under renovation and the exhibits were being rotated & some were under conservation. Being so exhausted, i just tried to hit the highlights.

Reliefs from the Ishtar Gate. This paved the way to Babylon and was considered as one of the wonders of the world.



Kadesh Peace Treaty - this first peace treaty in the world.





I was particularly sore that the most famous exhibit of them all - the Alexander Sarcophagus was in fact under restoration and not on display. Swearing under my breath, i vowed to visit Istanbul again. It was a really beautiful museum - with treasures coming from the present Iraqi, Syria & other nearby countries. This would be the nearest - that i believe - to Mesopotamia in my lifetime.

My last stop came from my love of Hagia Sofia and trekked to Little Aya Sofia. The 'trial' model in which the present Hagia Sofia was built upon. This was a miniature version before they started building the Hagia Sofia.

Away from the main tourist areas, i particularly enjoyed this mosque for its calm and residential areas. There were little old ladies sitting outside on the grass - chit chatting among themselves



We made friends with the hotel manager & owner. Before we knew it, we found ourselves being invited to a BBQ on the hotel rooftop - discussing about the state of Turkish politics.
 


Wonderful end to the day.