We are now on our last full day here and I can't believe how fast the time has gone! When we planned Istanbul, we did not really check on everything that should be seen here and found we could have spent a full two weeks in this city and still not have seen all the important things - the must sees - and do a few more Turkish baths. Turkey is definitely a country we need to visit again and tour the entire country. Really impressed with it.
Our day started with the news that the U.S. beat Ghana in the World Cup in the wee hours of the morning. Great way to start the day!
So for our last day we planned to visit the Topkapi Palace. Imagine our surprise when we found out it was closed on Tuesday. While we were a bit upset and chided ourselves for not checking that out earlier and scheduling our days differently, we also acknowledged that we would have missed the Chora Church. We could have taken the Bosporus tour on Tuesday but then the palace they normally visit would have been opened and we would not,have gotten the Chora Church. Considering how well hidden and difficult this little church would have been to find on our own, we were so pleased to have seen it.
So instead we visited the Hagia Sophia and were not disappointed. Yes the line appeared long but after waiting it line, it moved really quickly. It was so funny because as we waiting in line, we were constantly hounded by tour guides who claimed they would have gotten us in quickly and provided a 30 minute tour in addition to the early entrance. So glad we didn't hire one of the guides as we spent almost 3 hours in the church.
The original church was built in the 6th century (actually the monument was dedicated to Emperor Justinian on December 27, 537) and had additions and changes made through the centuries depending on who conquered the city and then claimed the church. What was amazing is the when the Hagia Sophia was claimed for the Islamic cult in 1453, and converted it to a mosque, they left the Christian mosaics in place. What a phenomenal stroke of good fortune for the rest of us. Yes time has taken a toll on many of the mosaics but think about how long they have been there.
The church covers 7,000 square meters, the dome is 56.6 meters high and has a diameter of 32.5 meters.
These mosaics were all over in various states of disrepair.
The photo below is what the original mural looked like. The one below that is what's left today.
The marble jars were used to distribute water and sherbet on special days. The jars belong to the Hellenistic period (4-3 centuries BC).
This mosaic panel (13th century) shows Christ in the middle, John the Baptist on the right and the Virgin Mary on the left.
This panel (12th century) shows the emperor and his wife donating money to Hagia Sophia.
This panel from the 10th century shows Emperor Constantine, founder of Constantinople, holding a model of the city. On the left is Emperor Justinian holding a model of Hagia Sophia and presenting the. To the Virgin Mary and the Child.
We placed our thumbs in the wishing column and made our wishes while turning our hands. It was said that it was believed that an angel lived in the column and it left 5 days before the fall of Constantinople thus the city fell because the angel left. The Sultan Mahmet put his hand on the column and the angel returned and granted his wish that the city would not be recaptured. So it is believed that this column bring good luck.
By the end of our visit here, we were hot, tired and very hungry. We saw an Indian restaurant near here the day before and decided that we wanted something other than kebabs. A few days earlier we had asked our guide, Semih, about traditional Turkish food and what we should be sure to try - lentil soup, eggplant and tomatoes, kebabs, fish and that was about it. He said that most Turks eat at home and when they go out to eat, they wanted food they couldn't cook at home. Since they don't grill at home, almost,all of the restaurants are kebap places. After a while, one gets tired of eating kebaps. So the Indian food sounded really good. Again, we were not disappointed. The only surprise was how small the restaurant was.
After lunch, one more ride on the metro. Got a few final photos of folks selling fruit from push carts, selling Spirograph sets, having goods delivered and the crazy stores that are a ½ story below street level so the stairs are placed from the middle of the sidewalk and there are no barriers or railings to protect the walkers from falling in.
I must admit that the first day here was overwhelming with the crowds but by our last day, you just take it in stride and accept it as part of Istanbul. You also get over being rude to vendors who are in you face all the time, even more than vendors in the mercados in Mexico.
The following photos are my last remembrances of Istanbul from the street vendors to the guys moving goods from one place to another to the ice cream stores to the Spirograph sellers to the street cleaners to the guy who delivers tea and cookies to the shop owners.
Yes that is ice cream that he is holding on the stick!
This last photo is a special one. This is a costume on a mannequin but we saw several boys wearing this as they paraded through town with their families. You will never guess where they were going ---- to their circumcision! Yep that's right. I just couldn't get a picture of one of the boys since they were walking down the street and I didn't want to be intrusive.
Back at the hotel to pack for our flight to Milan tomorrow and to watch Brazil play Mexico in the World Cup. The game ended in a tie and was a great game!
Goodbye Istanbul. We will be back!
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