As we wrapped up an incredible introduction to the Balkans we were faced with flights that all seemed to go through Istanbul to get to our next destination. We would call that, “a sign”. So we turned our 3 hour layover into a 71 hour layover.
As we had fantastic weather throughout our time in the Balkans, we had to pay the piper sooner or later. It turned out Istanbul was payback time. Single digit temperatures, rain, and winds for most of our time there. Ah well, one must take the bad with the good.
Karen found us a great hotel right in the heart of the old town which turned out to be a real blessing as it was wonderful to have a place close by to warm up. As you would expect in the heart of the tourist zone there was no lack of offers from businesses to come in and check out their wares. As our lifestyle precludes buying any souvenirs we stuck to warming up in the coffee shops which are quite numerous as well.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, or Blue Mosque, is quite spectacular. It was just down the block from our hotel which made night photos of it quite doable. Also with the rain it looked better at night anyway.Due to the crappy weather we ended up going in the Blue Mosque a couple of times, The difference between Christian and Islamic sites of worship are quite striking, I found. Being able to wander around most of the main area of the mosque is wonderful, though the attendants are noticeably more uptight in the Blue Mosque than they are in Hagia Sophia, more on that later.We got to check out the interior courtyard of the Blue Mosque the second time we were there. The call to prayer was about to happen which means everybody out, so we walked around the courtyard. Beautiful tile work throughout.
One of the chief reasons the Blue Mosque exists is because of Hagia Sophia. Located just down the street, Hagia Sophia is not quite as clean and crisp. As well, the nighttime lights are not quite as well done as the Blue Mosque, but there is a good reason for this. Hagia Sophia was built a thousand years before The Blue Mosque and therefore carries a lot more political/religious connotations. The Sultan Ahmed had The Blue Mosque constructed to show the superior power of Islam over the Christians after the Ottomans conquered the region. The need to continue to demonstrate that apparently continues to this day. Interesting how religious politics is the same the world over.
Built as a Christian church in 537 AD, Hagia Sophia has some serious baggage. The poor building has been a Christian church, a mosque, a museum, and back to a mosque. No wonder it looks a bit tired.The neat architectural fact about Hagia Sophia is that it has the second largest dome in the world after St. Peter’s Basilica. What is way more impressive is that it had the largest dome for over a thousand years before St. Peter’s was even constructed. Credit where credit is due, this is one incredible piece of architecture. Is the Blue Mosque Prettier, yes. But for us Hagia Sophia is much more welcoming. The sad thing is that it is a bit of a political chess piece for the current government and thus shows some signs of neglect that would be unacceptable to the masses in The Blue Mosque. We did enjoy being able to have a seat on the carpet and just relax and soak in the history.
Though these two mosques are certainly a major drawing point for Istanbul, there are many more things to enjoy here. Maybe not in the wind and the rain mind you.
If you enjoy history this city will keep you busy for weeks if not months. The old fortress walls along the waterfront give a tiny hint of the epic history this city has endured.However, I am also a real meat and potatoes kind of guy. How do you keep a city of this size running effectively? Simple things like public trash cans in a city of nearly 16 million people. Looks normal until you see the workers coming to empty it. The heavy duty metal sticking out of the top should have been a hint.Honestly, I was absolutely giddy when I saw what was under the little trash bin on the street. Bloody brilliant, that is all I can say.For those who love shopping, the Grand Bazaar is a must see. For me, not so much, but I toughed it out and wandered through it and the Spice (Egyptian) Market. The Grand Bazaar is certainly impressive and one would have no trouble getting lost in there. As was mentioned by a couple of guides we met. If you are going to buy, take a walk a few blocks and get the same produce in the streets for significantly less. Unless it was gold or money trading then the Grand Bazaar was the place to be.Something I truly enjoy in any city is simply wandering the streets. We came upon this heartwarming scene a few times on the edge of the Bosporus. People had left shelters, food, and water bowls (though they weren’t necessary while we were there) for the cats that called this area home.While looking for a coffee shop in Gülhane Park we came across several large dogs that seemingly had taken up residence in the park. It was wonderful seeing these dogs minding their own business and the people just leaving them alone. That is except for the occasional person walking in with a bag of food for both the dogs and cats. Oh, they also have some neat sculptures and fountains.Honestly, when it was time to leave we were ready to go. We do look forward to returning at a more comfortable time of year. But for now we were ready for some warm weather. When we arrived at the departures concourse of the Istanbul Airport it did a great job of filling you with a sense of wonder and adventure. Looking forward to our next destination.
