A crowded day in Istanbul

Friday, May 22.

The flight to Nevshehir and the Hotel at Ortahisar have been confirmed. We are off next Monday.

After our own light breakfast, we get going for our agenda for the day which is the Mosaic Museum, the Underground Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. At the bottom of the hill, we top ourselves off with a freshly grilled fish sandwich from the market near the bridge. Pity we got it in just plain white bread and not Turkish flat bread. It may just be that what we regard as Turkish bread back home is traditional farmers stuff that locally has fallen out of favour.

We are obviously a little early for everybody else.

That very fine view.

As we enter the tram platform through the turnstiles, we discover that our electronic card has run dry. I am in but Lois is on the outside. What to do. A local notices our dilemma and uses his card to let L through. Thank you. The Turks are not a bad lot. At the other end the ride, we top it up by another 20tl.

Constantine and his successors built a fine complex of palace buildings near the Hagia Sophia. The place was finally abandoned after the fourth crusade in 1204 when the city was ransacked. The ruins were pillaged and materials used for other buildings. Recycling is not as new as we think. As the city grew and developed, the palace site was eventually built over and forgotten about. The various remains were discovered only in the 1950’s when more contemporary building work took place. Some of those remains are a number of the magnificent floors of the former palace. The mosaic museum is not big but quite amazing. Some of the mosaics have been taken up for preservation purposes by very special methods and the latest technologies. Their display and general location is in the area where they were found.

Just as in Riga, I cannot resist photographing this fine skyline.

 Most of us have seen mosaics but these are truly something else. They are paintings with tiny pieces of coloured stone. The detail and the subtlety and detail of rendition of the subject is truly amazing. It can only be appreciated close up. The segments are on average about 3mm square and no more than 2mm thick. To cut and select them for colour is a mighty achievement with technology nearly 1500 years ago. This work is truly unique.

A conjecture of the old palace.

His right eye.

Our next stop is the Basilica Cistern – and a stop it is too. Again there are crowds and queues. I line up and hold our place while Lois sits down. Fortunately, the progress is better than we thought.

Crowds - local and foreign. 

Like everything else of the older era, this place too has a colourful history. It was commissioned by Justinian in 532 to hold some 80,000 cubic metres of water for the Great Palace, delivered by aqueducts from a reservoir near the Black Sea, some 20km away. How far above the ground it was in Justinian’s day, who knows but today it is underneath the city’s street level. When the Byzantine Emperors relocated the Grand palace, the cistern was forgotten about and rediscovered in 1545. However, it was not given any regard until it was renovated in 1985 and opened to the public two years later. It is a most impressive brick vaulted place with 335 columns. There is some shallow water still at the bottom with fish, no doubt for tourist interest. One cannot help but marvel at the achievements of the Byzantines – but at what cost to the local community? The ‘investment’ then is bearing dividends today and will continue to do so for centuries. How willing are we today to commit funds for something from which only future generations will derive benefits?

Just plain column capitals were not good enough, even for a water tank.

The cistern, impressive as it is, did not take too long to admire. As the Grand Bazaar is nearby, we might as well ‘do’ that too as we are not ready to return. The G.B. was commissioned by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1461 to cover a large market area of a maze of quite chaotic little trading alleys. Now it is a large formal building but over the years has changed into almost a labyrinth of lanes and ‘malls’. Nevertheless, undeniably, it could be regarded as a forerunner of the huge shopping centres of today.

After finding our way to the entry point, it is such a jam and crush of people that it feels like battling a football crowd. The big challenge is not to get separated as well as get lost. L is helpfully wearing black today. The mass is moving slowly in both directions but it is so dense that it is almost impossible to inspect anything or even pause. It is obvious that most people here are lookers and not buyers. Some trades are obviously made otherwise the shops and stalls would not be open. Yet, even if one wanted to make a purchase, one is bewildered by the selection of ‘stuff’ that it is truly difficult to see the trees for the forest. On top of that of course there is the urging of the sellers and the certain knowledge that you would have to haggle or be ripped off. We are not in the mood for that today. It is not that it is uninteresting but we cannot wait to find our way out. Oh for some air and daylight!

Too much is not enough.

There is still a lot of light and street activity to enjoy. 

Observing worshipers is not a spectator sport but it does make a colourful sight. The mosque is crowded.

Trams are now our favourite and most convenient way of getting around here. Back at Galata, there is still a lot of daylight by which to enjoy observing the other observers, colourful businesses and other activity around here. Dinner at one of the nearby local eateries and we are ready to call it a very full, even somewhat crowded, day.

There is still a lot of movement and interest around Galata.

Istanbul, the Topkapi Palace

Thursday, May 21.

We realise that while we have been having fun, we really have made no plans beyond Istanbul which we have decided to leave on the 25^th. The morning is spent planning and booking. Our decision is to alter our provisional itinerary. Instead of going from Istanbul East and then South, we have decided to fly to Cappadokya. Or host Yalcin helps us to find a very cheap air fare to Nevshehir with Anadolujet – 99tl each. When I try to book it, the payment is not accepted. Yalcin obligingly does the booking with his card and I pay him in cash. The only concern is that, as with many budget airlines, there is a baggage limit of 15kg!! We have over 20kg each + a suit bag. What to do. Yalcin suggest Lois produces some tears at the check in. After Cappadokya, the thought is to hire a car and follow our originally intended route in the other direction.

Breakfast with our host Yalcin.

The traffic jam of the morning deliveries in our one way lane. The car just has to wait until the truck at the bottom end is ready to move.

Now that we can get to Nevshehir, where do we stay. Being only a few days ahead, we need to decide quickly. On the net, I find what looks like an interesting offer in Ortahisar – the Cave Hotel. It is not cheap but why not give ourselves some comforts for a few days. Regrettably, by the information on the internet, some of the lower priced accommodation does not always offer private bathrooms which we want.

All that done, we set out for the Topkapi Palace – the traditional seat of the Ottoman Empire. As Lonely Planet puts it, “Topkapi is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world’s museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful concubines and scheming eunuchs live and worked here between the 15^th and 19^th centuries” when it was the centre of the court of the Empire.

Pieces of ancient buildings almost litter the way to the Topkapi Palace.

The model showing the kitchen wing on the right.

The colonnade of the kitchen wing forms one formal side of the great courtyard.

The fine brick vaults and domes of the kitchen wing. The holes let out the smoke and heat.

As elsewhere in Istanbul this month, there are crowds. Beyond that, I don’t find the built setting as captivating as I did on my first visit a little over 50 years ago. There are sure some fine spaces but I was more impressed by the exoticism then, having left London a couple of months earlier and done little other travelling except Europe.

Everyone wants to see the BIG diamond.

One of the big attractions is the supposedly world’s biggest diamond – the Topkapi diamond. Years ago, I saw a very fine film about an attempt to steal it. It still seems to fascinate people. Testimony to that is what seem like an endless queue. We decide not to join it.

Most rooms do not have any smaller furnishings which might convey a sense of how they were lived in. 

The grounds run out to the waters edge.

Here are undoubtedly some very fine rooms. However, having been developed over a few centuries and by many different sultans, to me somehow it lacks an over sense of unity and harmony. However, this may be an unfair comment as, by its size, it is almost a small city in its own right. One wing which is referred to as the kitchen, apparently had to feed up to 5000 people.

The signage and presentation of many parts do not impress us. There is a sense of arrogance that, if you don’t understand Turkish, too bad. Despite English being the language of tourism, the English language information is scant.

The weary visitors.

On the way to the tram, we share lunch of a Metze and bread, which regrettably is stale. The freshly squeezed orange juice is not.

One of the very fine trams of Istanbul. 

We are at Galata Bridge when we discover we are on the wrong tram which is going back to where we started from. A young man with good English helps us out and directs us to a tunnel Metro which takes us from the other side of Galata Bridge to just beyond the tower. It is supposedly the world’s second oldest underground transport system and runs between two stations only. It saves us, by its original intent, the climb up the hill to Beyoglu. 

Back home – to have a rest, more blogging and retirement. 

The magic of Hagia Sophia

Wednesday, May 20.

Our host does not open his coffee shop until after 10am. As we are looking for an earlier start, it means our own scratch breakfast of yoghurt with some banana, the local bread and the Philadelphia cheese like labne.

An important landmark, far and near, at any time of the day.

Looking South to the Galata Bridge and the old capital city centre.

Even though the day is not crystal clear, we decide to start with a view from Galata Tower. The history of this structure goes back to 528 when Byzantine Emperor Anastasius Oilozus built a lighthouse here. Since then it has been rebuilt a few times but still has a powerful stature. We are among the first so there is no waiting. Fortunately, a lift has been installed for part of the way to the top. The slightly hazy atmosphere enhances the sense of distance. The view is indeed very fine.

The skyline is about 1km away. I am quite impressed with the quality of the small lens of my camera.

We are off downhill to the nearest tram stop. We top up the electronic public transport card that Yalcin gave us with 20tl by watching how other people do it. Then it is hopping on to the next tram to take us to Sultan Ahmed mosque – the Blue Mosque. Picking the right stop is rather by guesswork, following the tram route map. However, the Sultanahmet stop is clearly announced.

Lining up for Sultanahmet.

Although we think we are relatively early, the first shock is the large crowds already there, lining up to get in. It is a mixture of people from all faiths and parts of the world. Being a ‘working’ mosque, women’s heads need to be covered. Plain blue headscarves are supplied. As walking with shoes inside the mosque is also not allowed, this matter is overcome by issuing everyone with plastic bags inside which you carry your footwear.

The mosque is indeed beautiful and impressive. The only problem is that there are too many other admirers. We are constantly ushered along and not allowed into the main praying space. We take our photographs as best we can and hastily distil our impressions.

It is almost as if we are on the processing line. Once you get here, the next target is the mighty Hagia Sophia / Aya Sofya (Church of the Holy Wisdom), so named by Emperor Justinian who commissioned it. It is pretty well opposite Sultanahmet, separated by a greened large public space.

Looking back at Sultanahmet.

The pilgrims rest and recover.

And now for THE real thing.

The 'secret' to holding all the domes together is in the system of buttressing.

If only the stones could talk!

Parts of the buttresses. The domes of Sultanahmet are in the background.

H.S. is not now recognised either as a church or a mosque, even though it served both religion once. In 1453, the city fell to the Ottomans. Mehmet II converted it to a mosque and renamed it Aya Sofya. Many of the fine frescos and mosaics were covered over and minarets added. However, today it is no longer regarded as a serving mosque but a ‘museum’. What is not acknowledged is that H.S./ A.S. is in fact the mother of all great churches as well as mosques. To have constructed the huge dome almost 1500 years ago is a structural as well as architectural marvel. All of the subsequent large mosques were, one way or another, modelled on the H.S. as is pretty obvious. From the silhouette, most untrained eyes could not tell the difference between the Blue Mosque and H.S.

Sultanahmet - photographed from the Galata Tower. Not bad for my small camera, even if I did a bit of tweeking of the original.

To me, it was a return visit to an architectural shrine. My legendary architectural history teacher Miles Dunphy raved about it. I have lectured and sermonised about it as well as the great legacy of Byzantium. I visited it for the first time in 1962 and here I am again!

As for all great spaces, even video cannot convey its sense, impact and awe (in the most literal sense) of a great ‘room’. You have to be there. Here is a meagre attempt to say something about it.

There are so many places around here offering food that it is quite bewildering. As it is now well past our usual lunch time, it is largely a matter of which one offers the nicest setting. It might sound a little strange but at our selected place, we end up having a ravioli Turkish style – but ravioli it still is. Nice and filling.

Other lunchers seemed to be having a good time so we joined in.

Add yoghurt and some mint leaves and suddenly - Turkish ravioli.

After the return by tram and slow grind up the hill, we tap into our host’s local knowledge for some plans beyond Istanbul. We have not made any arrangements yet. We will work something out tonight and decide tomorrow. For the time being, our ideas favour flying to Kapadokya next and returning to Istanbul via the Aegean Coast.

We take a slow evening stroll along the stretch of the long pedestrianised street leading to Taksim Square. Along the way, we share a stuffed potato for our ‘dinner’. The potato is enormous – big enough to take 7 different fillings + butter and cheese, topped off with mayonnaise. It has been a most enjoyable and sufficient choice, all for 11.50tl. 

Our giant potato.

The potato masters.

After visiting three of the city's probably greatest monuments, it is quite humbling to think of the enormous and rich heritage which has been left to Istanbul. They are draw-cards like no other. Istanbul owes these monuments what cannot be valued. All the people who contributed to those landmarks of not only the city but to history can be justly proud of their legacy. 

And back home at Galata Square.