After a delayed flight from Amsterdam yesterday, we landed the Istanbul airport on the Asian side at 1:30 am. So we (Kristin having more success) tried to sleep in the baggage claim until things started moving. Around 7:00 am (still in the airport) we had a sesame seed and Turkish cheese sandwich and hopped on a bus (45 minutes) to the ferry, which in maybe 20 minutes whisked us across the Bosphorous Strait to the European side of Istanbul. From here we walked about 15 minutes to Sultanahmet, the old city of Istanbul right next to the Aya Sofya and Blue Mosque to where our hostel is. The roof terrace has marmelous views of the Sea of Marmara.
We ate a Turkish lunch and a deliciously super sweet dessert - baked shredded wheat saturated in honey. Saw a woman weaving a small Turkish carpet with silk and a loom. Kristin helped her make two stitches in "double knot" form. Then spent some restful time in the parks and the cool breezy gardens of the sultans (Gulhane Parki).
Later we found a movie theater and a massive 6 floor mall (they say the biggest in Europe). Saw Inception, which played in English with Turkish subtitles. Halfway through the movie during the absolute pinacle of climax, the movie jolted to a stop and everyone stood up and started walking out. We were confused. Apparently movies have intermission? 15 minutes later we returned to the scene, the car chase/gun fight continues seemlessly into the second act. It was interesting to see the mall and surrounding neighborhood of Beyoglu. It could be anywhere in the US.
Today we've seen some amazing sights. The Aya Sofya (Church of Divine Wisdom) was impressive with it's marble and mosaic walls, golden domes, and Byzantine architecture. We sat fascinated for a while contemplating the history of this place, built originally in the 400s as a Christian center for the Byzantine Empire, then turned mosque with the Ottomans and now secularized into a museum. Turkey, more specifically Istanbul, was a valuable point of interest in history, with a foot in Asia and the other in Europe, and it's location on water for trade. Upon leaving we passed through two huge brass doors from the 2nd century BC. Way old. Then we had some delicous lokum (Turkish delight) - pitashio crusted pieces and traditional rose. We lounged eating lokum with our Turkish coffee and cappachino waterpipe. Then we saw the tombs of other sultans and family before entering the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) built in the 1600s to rival the Aya Sofya in grandeur. It is called the Blue Mosque for its decorative blue tiles. We were surprised that we were able to enter with today being the start of Ramadan. Afterwards we explored the underground Basilica Cistern (Yerebatab Sarnnici or "Sunken Palace"). The huge source of water to the old city was built in the 4th century and enlarged a couple centuries later with over 300 marble columns and fish swimming in it. It became disused after the Ottoman conquest but was restored in 1987 with walkways. There are two hugely carved Medusa heads (one upside down and the other on its side) at the base of two of the columns. Entering the cistern was like entering a underground city. The cool and darkness was a beautiful contrast to the hear and motion of world above.
i'm dizzy! i had almost acclimated to the pace of western europe and now i find myself in a 1700-year-old underground cavern-city for ramadan. i'll hold on for dear life and wait for the next installment .....
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