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Deb's Turkish Adventure
Got to bed late, soooooooooooooooo, you know.
As Bunny and I entered the dining room, Pinat was there smiling ear-to-ear. It was as if we were long lost friends. We held each other's hand and did the cheek kissing thing. I did not know I'd get this kind of reception, but kinda fell right in. I've met a lot of people, all over the world and everybody's reception is different.
I think my most memorable gesture was in Egypt. Outside of a museum, the guard was sitting in a chair and next to him was an empty seat. I looked around and we sort of caught each other's eye. He then patted the seat of the chair twice. I almost felt like I was being picked up. LMAO. But he just wanted me to have a seat, while I was waiting for the other Americans.
Anyway, I made my through to the omlet line to place my order. Breakfast was really good. An absolutely abundant buffet. Had to get me a slice of that Turkish Delight with my omlet.
We loaded up and headed for the Blue Mosque.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii) is a historic mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.
It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is still popularly used as a mosque.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has one main dome, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. The design is the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque development. It incorporates some Byzantine elements of the neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period. The architect, Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, synthesized the ideas of his master Sinan, aiming for overwhelming size, majesty and splendour.
The facade of the spacious forecourt was built in the same manner as the facade of the Süleymaniye Mosque, except for the addition of the turrets on the corner domes. The court is about as large as the mosque itself and is surrounded by a continuous vaulted arcade (revak). It has ablution facilities on both sides. The central hexagonal fountain is small relative to the courtyard. The monumental but narrow gateway to the courtyard stands out architecturally from the arcade. Its semi-dome has a fine stalactite structure, crowned by a small ribbed dome on a tall tholobate.
A heavy iron chain hangs in the upper part of the court entrance on the western side. Only the sultan was allowed to enter the court of the mosque on horseback. The chain was put there, so that the sultan had to lower his head every time he entered the court to avoid being hit. This was a symbolic gesture, to ensure the humility of the ruler in the face of the divine.
The six minarets were a matter of contention and a first, since four minarets were the common maximum. Only after one more minaret was added to the Masjid al-Haram, Grand Mosque, in Mecca was the six minarets issue settled.
At its lower levels and at every pier, the interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles, made at Iznik (the ancient Nicaea) in more than fifty different tulip designs. The tiles at lower levels are traditional in design, while at gallery level their design becomes flamboyant with representations of flowers, fruit and cypresses. More than 20,000 tiles were made under the supervision of the Iznik master potter Kasap Haci and Baris Efendi from Avanos (Cappadocia). The price to be paid for each tile was fixed by the sultan's decree, while tile prices in general increased over time. As a result, the quality of the tiles used in the building decreased gradually. The upper levels of the interior are dominated by blue paint. More than 200 stained glass windows with intricate designs admit natural light, today assisted by chandeliers. On the chandeliers, ostrich eggs are found that were meant to avoid cobwebs inside the mosque by repelling spiders. The decorations include verses from the Qur'an, many of them made by Seyyid Kasim Gubari, regarded as the greatest calligrapher of his time. The floors are covered with carpets, which are donated by the faithful and are regularly replaced as they wear out. The many spacious windows confer a spacious impression. The casements at floor level are decorated with opus sectile. Each exedra has five windows, some of which are blind. Each semi-dome has 14 windows and the central dome 28 (four of which are blind). The coloured glass for the windows was a gift of the Signoria of Venice to the sultan. Most of these coloured windows have by now been replaced by modern versions with little or no artistic merit.
The most important element in the interior of the mosque is the mihrab, which is made of finely carved and sculptured marble, with a stalactite niche and a double inscriptive panel above it. It is surrounded by many windows. The adjacent walls are sheathed in ceramic tiles. To the right of the mihrab is the richly decorated minber, or pulpit, where the imam stands when he is delivering his sermon at the time of noon prayer on Fridays or on holy days. The mosque has been designed so that even when it is at its most crowded, everyone in the mosque can see and hear the imam.
The royal kiosk is situated at the south-east corner. It comprises a platform, a loggia and two small retiring rooms. It gives access to the royal loge in the south-east upper gallery of the mosque. These retiring rooms became the headquarters of the Grand Vizier during the suppression of the rebellious Janissary Corps in 1826. The royal loge (hünkâr mahfil) is supported by ten marble columns. It has its own mihrab, which used to be decorated with a jade rose and gilt and with one hundred Qurans on an inlaid and gilded lecterns.
The many lamps inside the mosque were once covered with gold and gems. Among the glass bowls one could find ostrich eggs and crystal balls. All these decorations have been removed or pillaged for museums.
The great tablets on the walls are inscribed with the names of the caliphs and verses from the Quran. They were originally by the great 17th-century calligrapher Seyyid Kasim Gubari of Diyarbakır but have been repeatedly restored.
We'd spent a very long time here. The mosque is actually very beautiful.
We then headed over to the Hippodrome.
The Hippodrome was built by the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus in 203 AD and Constantine the Great enlarged and adorned it with beautiful works which were brought from different places of the Roman Empire when he chose Byzantium as his new capital.
Although there is not much left from the original building except the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine and Constantine Columns, according to the excavations carried out, the hippodrome was 117 m / 384 ft wide and 480 m / 1575 ft long with a capacity of 100,000 spectators.
Hippodrome was not only used for races but also for public meetings.
Chariots drawn by either 2 or 4 horses raced here representing one of the four political groups. Each group was represented by a color. Later on these four colors were united in two colors; the Blues and the Greens. The Blues were the upper and middle classes, orthodox in religion and conservative in politics. The Greens were the lower class and radical both in religion and politics. One of these political divisions ended with a revolt which caused the death of 30,000 people. This revolt was named after people's cries of "Nika" which meant "win" and this Nika Revolt took place in 531 AD.
The hippodrome was destroyed and plundered in 1204 by the Crusaders. After the Turks it lost its popularity and especially with the construction of the Blue Mosque, the ancient hippodrome changed its name and became Horse Square a place where Ottomans trained their horses. The only three remaining monuments from the original construction. These are theEgyptian Obelisk which the Roman governor of Alexandria sent to Theodosius I in 390 AD, the Serpentine Column which was erected in front of the Apollo Temple in Delpi, was brought by Constantine I in 4C AD and the Constantine Column from the 4C or 5C AD.
Then onto St. Sophia's cathedral.
Hagia Sophia (from the Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, "Holy Wisdom"; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Ayasofya) is a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica (church), later an imperial mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its construction in 537 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum on 1 February 1935. The Church was dedicated to the Wisdom of God, the Logos, the second person of the Holy Trinity, its patronal feast taking place on 25 December, the commemoration of the Birth of the incarnation of the Logos in Christ.Although sometimes referred to as Sancta Sophia (as though it were named after Saint Sophia), sophia being the phonetic spelling in Latin of the Greek word for wisdom, its full name in Greek is Ναός τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Σοφίας, "Shrine of the Holy Wisdom of God".Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture." It remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years thereafter, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by the Greek scientists Isidore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician. The church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured, among other things, a 15-metre (49 ft) silver iconostasis. The focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years, the building witnessed the excommunication of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius on the part of Pope Leo IX in 1054, an act which is commonly considered the start of the Great Schism. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II, who ordered this main church of the Orthodox Christianity converted into a mosque. By this point, the Church had fallen into a state of disrepair. Nevertheless, the Christian cathedral made a strong impression on the new Ottoman rulers and they decided to convert it into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels and other relics were removed and the mosaics depicting Jesus, his Mother Mary, Christian saints and angels were also removed or plastered over. Islamic features - such as the mihrab, minbar, and four minarets - were added. It remained a mosque until 1931 when it was closed to the public for four years. It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum by the Republic of Turkey. From its initial conversion until the construction of the nearby larger Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque of Istanbul) in 1616, it was the principal mosque of Istanbul. The Hagia Sophia served as inspiration for many other Ottoman mosques, such as the Blue Mosque, the Şehzade Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque, the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque. On to the Topkapı Palace (Turkish: Topkapı Sarayı or in Ottoman Turkish: طوپقپو سرايى) is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years (1465-1856) of their 624-year reign. As well as a royal residence, the palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments. It is now a major tourist attraction and contains important holy relics of the Muslim world, including Muhammed's cloak and sword.[2] The Topkapı Palace is among the monuments contained within the "Historic Areas of Istanbul", which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and is described under UNESCO's criterion iv as "the best example[s] of ensembles of palaces [...] of the Ottoman period." The palace complex consists of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At its peak, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people and covered a large area with a long shoreline. It contained mosques, a hospital, bakeries, and a mint. Construction began in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. It was originally called the New Palace (Yeni Sarayı) to distinguish it from the previous residence. It received the name "Topkapı" (Cannon Gate) in the 19th century, after a (now lost) gate and shore pavilion. The complex was expanded over the centuries, with major renovations after the 1509 earthquake and the 1665 fire. After the 17th century the Topkapı Palace gradually lost its importance as the sultans preferred to spend more time in their new palaces along the Bosporus. In 1856, Sultan Abdül Mecid I decided to move the court to the newly built Dolmabahçe Palace, the first European-style palace in the city. Some functions, such as the imperial treasury, the library, and the mint, were retained in the Topkapı Palace. Following the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, Topkapı Palace was transformed by a government decree dated April 3, 1924 into a museum of the imperial era. The Topkapı Palace Museum is administered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public today. The complex is guarded by officials of the ministry as well as armed guards of the Turkish military. The palace includes many fine examples of Ottoman architecture. It contains large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as a display of Ottoman treasures and jewelry. Then we had a beautiful Bosphorus cruise. The cruise is close to the Black Sea. We saw beautiful scenery with complemented the grandeur of the Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses. We were tired, but not too tired to get to that Grand Bazaar for a few hours. It was Sunday, but the place was packed. Felt just a bit uncomfortable, because there is no space between my arms and the next person's arms. It was tight. We literally had to wait to be shuffled from stand to stand. You were actually leaning over any vendor's goods, just trying to pay for something. There was an alley (sort of) next to Mehmet Efendi Coffee Shoppe; however, there was also a long line, waiting to purchase coffee. The had a smooth operation there also and were pumping out the packets of coffee. We headed indoors and over to a spice stand. I didn't purchase any spices for myslef, but Martha wanted some saffron. They also had bins of candied fruits. They looked so very delicious, so I had to buy some. They also vacuum sealed it, for the trip home. After a few minutes we kinda broke up but headed towards the exit. It was still about a mile away. Lots an lots of intersting shoppes along the way. I was almost disappointed that I didn't find the Turkish Delight I wanted. Mos tof the shoppes had the pre-packaged versions, but I wanted the same slab type they had at the hotel. The last stand had it and I purchased 3 slabs. They were $45. I was almost floored, but as my Mom would say, "get it, because if you don't, I'll never here the end of it." After we headed out, we were wisked on to dinner. We headed down to the Kumkapi Fisherman's District. This strip of seafood restaurants was very different but seemed exciting, as there were lots of people dining out. Just inside the walk, this guy clanged this bell really loud and screamed something in Arabic. He was smiling, but I was really startled. But it was actually a welcome. Glad I didn't have to use the bathroom at that moment. We were seated at an outside table of the Golcek Restaurant. It had a pretty nice ambiance. There was a little boys selling home made dolls. He'd stopped and talked to Berna who told us that he's an actor in a daytime soapopera on television there. I thought, "hum, actor by day, hustler by night." Our salads and bread were served and who comes by again? The little boy. Now he actually has a black doll. Too funny, but one of the ladies purchased it. While waiting for our dinner to come, we watched the wedding party across the isle at another restaurant. The waiter brought out this flaming white thing. After he put the fire out, he started banging on it. Inside was a whole fish. The outside was hardened salt. Our fish came and it was really tasty, just way too small. Berna told us what kind of fish it was, but of course, I don't remember. The night was really nice on the shore and I was thinking about going home and how I miss my home. I'm always torn at this time. I want to stay, but I also want to get back home safely. If I had a good 8 hour sleep...... oh the possibilities. I remember wandering around in dark alleys in the wee hours of the night in China and London. This was an absolutely wonderful trip and I hope to see you all in India (2014).
http://www.statravelblogs.com/heavydclevelandegypt2010
Hagia Sophia (from the Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, "Holy Wisdom"; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Ayasofya) is a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica (church), later an imperial mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its construction in 537 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum on 1 February 1935. The Church was dedicated to the Wisdom of God, the Logos, the second person of the Holy Trinity, its patronal feast taking place on 25 December, the commemoration of the Birth of the incarnation of the Logos in Christ.Although sometimes referred to as Sancta Sophia (as though it were named after Saint Sophia), sophia being the phonetic spelling in Latin of the Greek word for wisdom, its full name in Greek is Ναός τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Σοφίας, "Shrine of the Holy Wisdom of God".Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture." It remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years thereafter, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by the Greek scientists Isidore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician. The church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured, among other things, a 15-metre (49 ft) silver iconostasis. The focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years, the building witnessed the excommunication of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius on the part of Pope Leo IX in 1054, an act which is commonly considered the start of the Great Schism. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II, who ordered this main church of the Orthodox Christianity converted into a mosque. By this point, the Church had fallen into a state of disrepair. Nevertheless, the Christian cathedral made a strong impression on the new Ottoman rulers and they decided to convert it into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels and other relics were removed and the mosaics depicting Jesus, his Mother Mary, Christian saints and angels were also removed or plastered over. Islamic features - such as the mihrab, minbar, and four minarets - were added. It remained a mosque until 1931 when it was closed to the public for four years. It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum by the Republic of Turkey. From its initial conversion until the construction of the nearby larger Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque of Istanbul) in 1616, it was the principal mosque of Istanbul. The Hagia Sophia served as inspiration for many other Ottoman mosques, such as the Blue Mosque, the Şehzade Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque, the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque. On to the Topkapı Palace (Turkish: Topkapı Sarayı or in Ottoman Turkish: طوپقپو سرايى) is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years (1465-1856) of their 624-year reign. As well as a royal residence, the palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments. It is now a major tourist attraction and contains important holy relics of the Muslim world, including Muhammed's cloak and sword.[2] The Topkapı Palace is among the monuments contained within the "Historic Areas of Istanbul", which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and is described under UNESCO's criterion iv as "the best example[s] of ensembles of palaces [...] of the Ottoman period." The palace complex consists of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At its peak, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people and covered a large area with a long shoreline. It contained mosques, a hospital, bakeries, and a mint. Construction began in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. It was originally called the New Palace (Yeni Sarayı) to distinguish it from the previous residence. It received the name "Topkapı" (Cannon Gate) in the 19th century, after a (now lost) gate and shore pavilion. The complex was expanded over the centuries, with major renovations after the 1509 earthquake and the 1665 fire. After the 17th century the Topkapı Palace gradually lost its importance as the sultans preferred to spend more time in their new palaces along the Bosporus. In 1856, Sultan Abdül Mecid I decided to move the court to the newly built Dolmabahçe Palace, the first European-style palace in the city. Some functions, such as the imperial treasury, the library, and the mint, were retained in the Topkapı Palace. Following the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, Topkapı Palace was transformed by a government decree dated April 3, 1924 into a museum of the imperial era. The Topkapı Palace Museum is administered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public today. The complex is guarded by officials of the ministry as well as armed guards of the Turkish military. The palace includes many fine examples of Ottoman architecture. It contains large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as a display of Ottoman treasures and jewelry. Then we had a beautiful Bosphorus cruise. The cruise is close to the Black Sea. We saw beautiful scenery with complemented the grandeur of the Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses. We were tired, but not too tired to get to that Grand Bazaar for a few hours. It was Sunday, but the place was packed. Felt just a bit uncomfortable, because there is no space between my arms and the next person's arms. It was tight. We literally had to wait to be shuffled from stand to stand. You were actually leaning over any vendor's goods, just trying to pay for something. There was an alley (sort of) next to Mehmet Efendi Coffee Shoppe; however, there was also a long line, waiting to purchase coffee. The had a smooth operation there also and were pumping out the packets of coffee. We headed indoors and over to a spice stand. I didn't purchase any spices for myslef, but Martha wanted some saffron. They also had bins of candied fruits. They looked so very delicious, so I had to buy some. They also vacuum sealed it, for the trip home. After a few minutes we kinda broke up but headed towards the exit. It was still about a mile away. Lots an lots of intersting shoppes along the way. I was almost disappointed that I didn't find the Turkish Delight I wanted. Mos tof the shoppes had the pre-packaged versions, but I wanted the same slab type they had at the hotel. The last stand had it and I purchased 3 slabs. They were $45. I was almost floored, but as my Mom would say, "get it, because if you don't, I'll never here the end of it." After we headed out, we were wisked on to dinner. We headed down to the Kumkapi Fisherman's District. This strip of seafood restaurants was very different but seemed exciting, as there were lots of people dining out. Just inside the walk, this guy clanged this bell really loud and screamed something in Arabic. He was smiling, but I was really startled. But it was actually a welcome. Glad I didn't have to use the bathroom at that moment. We were seated at an outside table of the Golcek Restaurant. It had a pretty nice ambiance. There was a little boys selling home made dolls. He'd stopped and talked to Berna who told us that he's an actor in a daytime soapopera on television there. I thought, "hum, actor by day, hustler by night." Our salads and bread were served and who comes by again? The little boy. Now he actually has a black doll. Too funny, but one of the ladies purchased it. While waiting for our dinner to come, we watched the wedding party across the isle at another restaurant. The waiter brought out this flaming white thing. After he put the fire out, he started banging on it. Inside was a whole fish. The outside was hardened salt. Our fish came and it was really tasty, just way too small. Berna told us what kind of fish it was, but of course, I don't remember. The night was really nice on the shore and I was thinking about going home and how I miss my home. I'm always torn at this time. I want to stay, but I also want to get back home safely. If I had a good 8 hour sleep...... oh the possibilities. I remember wandering around in dark alleys in the wee hours of the night in China and London. This was an absolutely wonderful trip and I hope to see you all in India (2014).
http://www.statravelblogs.com/heavydclevelandegypt2010
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