Of cats and domes and bazaars

Now this is what I call a key to the city
see all photos »

This is the longest I have been in one place my entire trip.  There has been plenty to see and do to fill the time.  Like stopping to pet the multitude of cats or filling photo cards with images of domes or walking the Grand bazaar which seems endless only to come to the spice bazaar which are both linked by streets full of stuff for sale.

Yesterday Bunny and I made it a day by exploring the Islamic and Turkish art museum.  There is a room in this place that is one of the most beautiful rooms I have seen.  Exquisite carpets some as old as 3rd century BC drape the walls.  There was a side exhibit of paper cuts of  a delicacy and precision that is hard to imagine anyone in the US  having the patience to make.

The most beautiful museum room
see all photos »

There were rooms of pieces that covered ceramics, textiles, metalwork and rooms of faceless female forms dressed in various era clothing.

We rode the tram out to the city wall which the Ottomans inherited from the Byzantines.  Once there I noticed people climbing through a gap and figured we could go on top and take in the view from there.  Once up though the vibe was decidedly weird.  All these guys were shifting through what looked like abandoned clothing and personal items.  There were some small fires burning stuff and a lot of guys just sitting about.  Then as Bunny had insisted we turn around and get out of there a younger guy asked "What are you doing here?"  Then he said "If you know what goes on here you would not be here."  That got us leaving in a hurry and then speculating the rest of the evening on what the heck was going on up there.  Decidedly not gay cruising.  Drugs?  Identity changing and illegal immigration?  Selling of people?  of organs?  All the worst we could conjure but no confirmation from anyone here.  Istanbul has its dark secrets.

A room of the faceless women
see all photos »

We stopped by the Grand Bazaar.  Being Sunday it was closed but the street was full of people selling and buying.  Lunch consisted of what I could almost label midwest comfort food.  I had a form of chicken pot pie without the crust and wide shaped green beans.  It was yummy and filling.

We later joined up with the music group for dinner.  Up in the busiest pedestrian street in the city we ate at a cafeteria and then went out bar hopping.  Once again Istanbul amazes me with young folks dancing.  Bunny was the only one brave enough to jump up and join in the line dancing which these kids were all very practiced at.  Later we heard a young woman crooning Turkish torch songs looking  picture perfect  1968.  Very long very straight hair.  Darkly made up eyes and pale lips.  A thin almost sheer shirt of intricate design and jeans.

A paper cut out piece
see all photos »

At one point one of the band members joined her in song and the two voices male and female intertwining a yearning soulful sound that hit me right in the heart.  It was a moment of touching a notion of what this place is.  We were all pretty much in a hypnotic stupor when a Dumbek player (a tabla type drum) joined them onstage and blew our minds with his dexterity and artistry.

I managed to lead two of the group members successfully back to the funicular-tram ride and to the hotel before the public transport ended for the night.  Bunny had to taxi it for return later.