Sultanahmet is hot, the sun bakes the domes and minarets of Ayasofia, the Blue Mosque, the Hammam and the surrounding buildings. The air cools as we descend into the ancient Basilica Cistern below.
Istanbul Sunset on the Sea of Marmara
We leave the Blue Mosque, head northwest into a local neighborhood. Tourist traps give way to run-down apartments, spartan çay shops and a dearth of trinkets. We enter the courtyard of a school, walking out to the terrace with the view of the Sea of Marmara.
Main Attractions: Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque
Hagia Sofia (or Ayasofia) was founded as a Catholic church in the 6th century, and converted to a mosque when Istanbul was conquered in the 15th century. It is no longer a functioning mosque. It is fascinating to see the massive round Arabic canvasses, thirty feet in diameter, surround the main chamber, while ancient Biblical mosaics adorn the walls. Light …
A Terrace and a Mosque With New Friends
From Ojai, evan puts us in touch with Kelly in Istanbul. She is American, in Turkey for the last six years, which began as a period of time with her aging grandmother. We meet her and family friend Paul at Konak Cafe in Galata, another terrace with another amazing view – this time south to the Golden Horn and west …
The Pierre Loti Terrace and Into The Grand Bazaar
We take the tram west of Sultanahmet to Çemberlitaş. Passing Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque on our left, we climb the hill and exit at the Column of Constantine, built on the orders of the Roman emperor in 330 AD. Crowds swarm around the entrance of the Grand Bazaar and the adjacent Atik Ali Pasha Mosque is in prayer, …
A Sampling of Istanbul
Following are a few photos from a couple days back. A view from our window, a minaret on Beyoglu, snapshots from the market, a contrast in toilets…
Entering the New Mosque of Istanbul
We duck down to the right of the Galata Bridge, into the fish market. It’s loud, smelly and wet. I’m not sure what you were expecting – it is a fish market. We double back and at the entrance is a street vendor selling fish sandwiches. Our Aussie neighbors raved. We get one to go, walk onto the bridge with …
The Seven Hills of Istanbul
The seven hills of Istanbul are topped by seven mosques, a mystical Eastern parallel to the seven hills of Rome. From the Galata Bridge, spanning the Golden Horn as it empties into the Bosphorus strait from the west, one can see six of the hills, a stunning, ancient skyline. Across the strait lies Asia, the eastern bookend to the only …
Arrival in Istanbul
Once we reached Beograd, the anticipation for Istanbul mounted, despite our self-admonitions to always be present and enjoy our current “home address”. We board our half-full plane on Serbian carrier Jat Airlines, stretching out with an empty middle seat between us. We use up our final Serbo-Croatian please’s and thank you’s – molim’s and hvala’s – on the stewardess. The …