Wonderous Istanbul

The Basilica Cistern
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As we flew into Istanbul from Bucharest we were first surprised at how big the city is, spreading out for miles and miles before we even reached the airport. Next we were struck by how modern the city appeared, we could have been flying over any Southern European city. Perhaps we were pretty naive (or under informed) expecting Istanbul to more closely resemble a city in Morocco than one in Europe.

From the airport we hopped the metro into town, then switched to a tram to Sultanahmet, the heart of Old Istanbul. Stepping off the tram we were immediately wowed by the scene of the Aya Sofya and the Sultan Ahmet Camii (better known as the Blue Mosque) facing each other across a grassy park, competing for our attention. These two amazing buildings quickly became part of our daily scenery, passing them to and from our hostel. We initially stayed at the Antique Guest House and Hostel, in a cozy room with a great view overlooking the Sea of Marmara. All the guest houses in Sultanahmet have rooftop terraces to take full advantage of the gorgeous views down to the water. They are the perfect place to enjoy a delicious Turkish breakfast (a hard boiled egg, white cheese, slices of cucumber and tomatoes, black olives, bread with jam/honey, and a piece of fruit, washed down with coffee or cay (tea)), included with the cost of the room. We later moved to the Metropolis Hostel which was a little bit cheaper but still comfortable and with a great terrace.

Fish in the cistern!
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Our first day in Istanbul we wandered around the old town to get our bearings. Everywhere there are shops eager to sell you carpets and kilms, enticing us to come in just for some information and to look. It is difficult to resist them, as the carpets hanging in the windows are all so beautiful. We know the time will come for us to buy a carpet, but it was not going to be on our first day in town. We headed towards the Blue Mosque, first admiring the wonderful Byzantine influenced Ottoman style architecture and its perfect symmetry from the surrounding gardens. Along one side of the mosque are the ablution fountains where men come to cleanse themselves before entering the mosque, a ritual in itself. Unlike in Morocco where only Muslims are allowed to enter a mosque, anyone can enter a mosque during non prayer times in Turkey, so long as they dressed respectfully. At the Blue Mosque they make this even easier for tourists, offering blue scarves at the entrance for women to cover their heads. Inside the great dome rises overhead, supported by 4 huge "elephants feet" pillars. The walls and ceiling are covered in blue tiles lending it its unofficial name.

Found materials (a medusa head) used in the construction of the pillars of the Baslica Cistern.
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From the Blue Mosque we strolled along the Hippodrome, still a popular meeting place for locals, admiring the various monuments. Then we stumbled upon the Theodisius Cistern, one of many cisterns scattered around the old town. It felt as though we discovered it ourselves as it was poorly signed and not covered in our guidebook. That night we had our first sampling of mezes (like tapas) eggplant, yogurt with cucumber and mint, and lentil soup, delicious. This meal was just a taste of the mouth watering things to come.

A medusa head used in the construction of the pillars of the Baslica Cistern.
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The Aya Sofya or Hagia Sofia was next on our hit list. We joined a guided tour to learn more about the history of this Byzantine church come mosque come museum. The interior is completely covered in marble from all around the Mediterranean. The most commonly used marble, seen in the floor, comes from the island of Marmara (the island is 80% marble and is where the name marble is derived). In some parts where the marble has been damaged (earthquakes) it was painted to look like marble instead of being replaced. The dome was even more impressive than that in the Blue Mosque, without any visible support structure, however scaffolding obscured most of the ceiling for restoration work. Originally a Christian church that was later converted into a mosque, you can see beautiful mosaics of Jesus alongside Muslim calligraphy artwork. The mihrab of the Mosque was even located in the former apse of the church, however a few degrees out of line with the church in order to face Mecca. In one of the aisles is the weeping column, where you insert your thumb into a hole, spin your hand around in a circle and make a wish. Supposedly if your thumb emerges moist your wish will come true. Let’s see.

The Blue Mosque lit up at night
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While admiring the beautiful mosaics around the Aya Sofya, I (Erin) was attempting to increase the resolution of the pictures when I accidentally reformatted the memory card, deleting all our pictures from Romania and some from Morocco!!!! Hence the missing pictures on the blog. After thoroughly cursing myself and putting both of us in a foul mood, we made our way back around the Aya Sofya retaking our lost pictures.

Despite our loss we continued on with our sightseeing, visiting the Basilica Cistern. This cistern is about 4 times larger than the previous one we visited, with 336 columns and a raised wooden platform to explore upon. It still contains about one foot of water and is home too many carp. At the back of the cistern are 2 columns supported by gigantic Medusa heads and another one covered in a teardrop pattern. The dim lighting made it all the more atmospheric. We wrapped up our day on a local note, sipping cay, puffing on a nargileh (water pipe) and attempting to play backgammon at Café Mesale. There was even a whirling dervish performance. The combination of sounds was quite stimulating, traditional Sufi music, the click clack of backgammon tiles, gurgling water pipes, and the din of conversations surrounding us.

Michael with nargileh. Flavored tobacco only.
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Our third day in Istanbul we ventured to the Grand Bazaar.  Before arriving we mentally prepared ourselves for an onslaught of merchants calling out to visit their shops, squeezing through masses of people, and getting lost in the laberynth of stalls (just like in the souks of Morocco). We were presently surprised, yet at the same time a little disappointed to find a clean, orderly, and not too crowded shopping arcade. There were numerous stalls selling jewelry to carpets, tea sets to leather goods, and every other Turkish souvenir imaginable.  When inquiring about the price of a simple set of tea glasses the young merchant started off saying it normally went for $1000 but he would give it to us for $100. We simply laughed at this.  His final price wen down to $5 as we walked away. We managed to walk out of the bazaarhaving purchased only one evil eye pendant.

Erin smoking flavored tobacco in a nargileh
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Next we visited the Spice Bazaar which was so aromatic from the numerous stalls packed with spices.  There were also special sweet shops selling the infamous lokum (Turkish Delight), dried fruits, and nuts.  A special stall sold essential oils, potions, lotions, and even the Sultan's own aphrodisiac.  Michael walked away with a nice smelling parfum.  Just outside the SPice Bazaar was a plant market.  While browsing around we came across a creepy sight.  Awoman was sitting against the wall with a large jar full of leeches, wriggling around trying to get out.  Apparently they are still sold for medicinal purposes, yuck! There was another person selling baby ducks and chicks, whether as pets or to eat I'm not sure.

A colorful cherry juice vendor
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We strolled along the Galata Bridge taking in the beautiful views of Istanbul, stopping for a drink at one of the many cafes below the bridge. From there we went in search of the best lokum in the world, straight from the source.  We found the shop of Ali Muhadin Haci Bekir, inventor of lokum, and proceeded to sample the goods.  My (Erin) favorite was the rose water flavor while Michael couldn't resist the pistachio.  We left with only one small box and we both regretted not having bought more.

The Spice Bazaar
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That afternoon we took a lovely cruise along the Bosphorus with a guide pointing out the various buildings and sights along the coast. The views of Istanbul are best from the water and you really get a sense of how large the city is and what a crossroads it has been. That evening we had a fantastic dinner at a swanky fish restaurant called Balikci Sabahattin.  First we ordered hot mezes, then a tray of cold mezes was brought for us to choose from.  Later a tray of various fresh fish was presented, Michael chose the red mullet and I had sea bass.  It was delicious.  Surpirisingly we still had room for desert, which consisted of 4 different kinds for us to savor. It was a feast and we had to roll ourselves back uphill to hotel that night.