Musings from the Mediterranean: Istanbul: Day 2

I ordered a mysterious pastry this morning (being unable to communicate beyond pointing and motioning). It contained slices of seasoned meat and cheese, and cost 1,75 TL (about $1.20). I’m eating too much meat…

Blue Mosque

The pillars in the mosque are absolutely massive. I’m still finding myself amazed at how such tall structures are erected.
The glass at these mosques is exquisite. The symmetry of the designs, as well as the brilliance of the colors, is stunning.
Light bulb “lanterns” hang down in circular rings from the ceiling. There are lots of support and electrical wires stretching upward from the lanterns.
No Arabic letters have been used in Istanbul since 1927, as part of a sweeping modernization.

Most visitors to the mosque cannot read the Arabic script which adorns the interior. That’s a bit of a shame which epitomizes the struggle between tradition and modernity.

Melis complained to me, “It smells like stinky feet!” (everyone has to remove their shoes when entering the mosque).

Topkapi Palace

The driveway and park surrounding the palace are quite picturesque. They remind me of the environs surrounding Villa Borghese in Rome.
The palace is a rather large complex, housing a number of significant relics, treasures, and historical buildings.

The skull of St. John the Baptist and the sword of Prophet Muhammad are stored here.

There are lots of trees and small plants in the gardens (the palace has three layered courtyards). It’s a comfortable place.
A stunning view of the Bosphorous can be seen from the edge of the palace grounds. I really enjoy the water and breeze.
The treasures are incredibly ornate pieces of gold, silver, and precious stones. Most of the objects seem rather unwieldy to use due to their fanciness (for instance, a goblet with finely gilded handles would be rather uncomfortable to drink from.
There are 48 kg candles and an 86 ctw diamond in the Topkapi treasury. Those are ridiculously huge artifacts of extravagance.

Palatium Restaurant (Lunch)

Haggia Sophia

Haggia Sophia means “Holy Wisdom” – it’s not named after a person. This was surprising to me.
The Haggia Sophia is very large, and is perhaps the most iconic mosque in Istanbul, and the world. Its inner and outer symmetry are spectacular.
The mosque was originally a church. Most of the Christian paraphernalia were removed when it was converted. Chiseled-out crosses and fragmented mosaics can be seen around the building.
There are several large (~25 m in diameter) discs which adorn the pillars of the mosque. Each disc is decorated with Arabic writing. The Arabic is very elegant and pleasing, but the massive size of the discs is rather conspicuous and unappealing.

Basilica Cistern

The cistern is a cavernous underground water storage area which is fed by aqueducts. It was constructed in 532, and at [140 m x 70 m] is the biggest covered cistern in the world.
There are 336 columns in the cistern, all of which are taken from other sites and structures.
It went unused by the Ottomans, who preferred constantly-flowing water.
There are currently carp in the waters of the cistern. They keep the water clean.
The coolness and darkness of the cistern are a refreshing change from all the hot, humid treks we’ve been making.
It is estimated that some 3,000 workers died during the construction of the cistern. Its complex underground design would seem to facilitate this, but 3,000 is rather shocking. It’s suggested that one of the pillars in the cistern is decorated with tears, in memory of the fallen workers.

Pera district

“Pera” means “day” in Turkish. We are visiting it during the day…
The Pera district is insanely crowded. It’s basically a community of shops and restaurants arranged along a main street and its tributaries.
White Christmas lights are strung above the full length main street. I’m curious to see what it looks like illuminated (though… that would suggest visiting the “day district” at “night”…
Traffic in this area at this time is absolutely TERRIBLE. It’s made worse by people who honk incessantly when obviously no one has room to move.
Extremely young (~8 years old) children can be seen selling water throughout the district.
We saw a couple of small protests in the streets. Couldn’t tell what they were for, but everyone had Turkish flags and clothing.
Across from the largest Catholic church in Turkey is a bar/club. That setup was quite an ironic juxtaposition.

Asmali Mescit Zeytinli (Restaurant)

Turkish antipasti (appetizers) come in waves. Seriously, we had ten appetizers (some cold and some hot).

If food is placed in front of me, I will eat it. I don’t like to waste.
I have a particular liking for bread.
It is not good when the servers keep replenishing the bread supply right in front of me.

Musings from the Mediterranean