The Basilica Cistern and the Egyptian Spice Bazaar

Our second to last destination was the Basilica Cistern. It was a very unusual but very interesting tourist attraction. The vast space under the roads of Istanbul was naturally air-conditioned and water sometimes dripped from the stone ceiling and ran down the giant pillars holding up the roof. There are more than 336 columns supporting the roof and they are each almost 26 feet high! However, we could only walk through some of it, because the rest was blocked up in the 19th century. Tarik took us around the underwater cavern and I realized how beautiful it would look if a person were to have an event there. And there are events, such as concerts, because of the natural acoustics. Do you think an event would be nice here?

The Basilica Cistern: where Turkish citizens used to collect water, but no longer

We emerged from the underground, squinting and gathering our bearings, before heading down to the Bosphorus area to visit the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. Tarik told us that the bazaar was built in the early 17th century with money from Egypt (where it gets its name). It came to specialize in spices from the orient because Istanbul is on the trade route called the Spice Road, between Asia and Europe. When we entered, we were immediately swept along with the thick crowd. There were so many people looking, selling, bartering, and buying spices, nuts, sweets, seeds and more. Tarik took us to one of his favourite stalls, Hazer Baba, so we could buy Turkish Delight. The little shop's owners were so sweet: they kept offering us samples of every flavour of TD, as well as dried fruits and chocolates. The pomegranate Turkish Delight was so delicious that I had to buy a box. There was a boy about my age working in the shop as well. While my aunt was choosing her flavours, the boy asked me where I was from and tried to talk to me, though he didn't know much English (and I know not a single word in Turkish). He brought me a warm apple tea and gave me a seat next to him so I could watch him work as he weighed nuts and saffron for other customers. He was so hospitable, just as everyone else here in Istanbul. We left the store, after I said goodbye to the boy, with a big package of Turkish Delight and Apple Tea bags. I wish I had caught his name.

One (calm!) hallway of the L-shaped Spice Bazaar

Spices for sale

Tarik's friend's shop where we bought Turkish Delight and Apple Tea!

The Spice Bazaar ended our tour with Tarik. I thoroughly enjoyed acting as a tourist, which is surprising. Normally I hate it when I have to be so obvious as a foreigner, but everybody in Istanbul, such as that boy who bought me an apple tea, is so friendly and helpful. Random old men on the streets or drinking tea and playing backgammon with their friends will look over and say hello to us. It's so cute. And it makes Istanbul a really great city, in my opinion!

Hippodrome and Blue Mosque

So we walked to the Hippodrome where I was expecting some huge entertainment complex. In the old city of Constantinople, it was a gigantic stadium where there were running tracks around the "spine" for horses, etc. Instead, little remains. There are two Egyptian obelisks in the center though. One was under construction, but the other had Egyptian hieroglyphs down the side, saying something about the god, Amun-Ra. Cool fact: the emperor who built the Hippodrome in the 3rd century was Septimus Severus (it's a cool fact because I really enjoy his name.).

Egyptian Obelisk

Now we were onto the Blue Mosque! And oh my goodness, I cannot even describe how gorgeous it was. It was such an amazing structure. It is one of the most famous mosques in the world! Here are some quick, interesting facts so I don't bore you will all the details ;)

• The domes of the Blue Mosque are made of lead so birds won't land on them or poo on them. Birds' feet can't grip lead.
• Sultan Ahmet I ordered it to be built. It took 7 years. He died a year after it was completed.
• There are six minarets, which prompted hostility from people, because the mosque at Mecca had six. It was considered a sacrilegious architectural attempt to rival the mosque in Mecca. So another minaret was added to the Mecca mosque (which is the most holy of all mosques).
• Ahmet ordered that the mosque have "altin" minarets, meaning "gold" but the architect thought he said "alti" which means "six". So really, Ahmet I wasn't trying to rival Mecca's mosque!

Standing in the courtyard of the Blue Mosque

Close-up of the Blue Mosque domes

The interior of the mosque was stunning as well. The colours don't show up as well in my pictures, but it is evident why the Blue Mosque has that name: the Iznik tiles are mainly a brilliant blue. There were over 20 million hand crafted and painted just for this mosque! Before we entered, we had to remove our shoes and cover our heads with our scarves, but then we were welcome to go in and pray and take a look around before heading off to our next destination.

Interior of the Blue Mosque

You can tell how intricately detailed everything is. And how blue!

This is about 3pm, so there were still two hours left of the tour, two more sites to visit, plus our evening. However, I just got in from a lovely dinner with friends here in Istanbul and it is past midnight. I need to be up at 7:15 tomorrow for a tour of the Bosphorus, so I will continue to tell you about my adventures today when I get back tomorrow. Be prepared for more pictures! "İyi uykular"  or "good night" in Turkish!

The Haghia Sophia

Luckily, we didn't have to wait in any of the ridiculously long ques to get into the Haghia Sophia because our tour guide had it covered. "The church of holy wisdom" was absolutely beautiful from the outside and the inside. It is one of the world's greatest architectural achievements (according to Tarik!). It was a church first, then the Muslims took over Istanbul and added minarets and domes to make it a mosque. Then Mustafa Kemal, Ataturk or the Father of Turkey who turned Turkey from rule under the Ottoman Empire to a Republic in 1923, had to decide whether to change it back to a church in order to gain acceptance from the Christian West or leave it as a mosque. In the end, he decided to make it a museum...and so it stands today as a museum.

Standing outside the Haghia Sophia

The minute we stepped into the naturally air conditioned building, I was awed by the immense size of the main chamber. And the decorations! The tesserae (gold mosaic glass) and other ceramic fragments created the most beautiful friezes on the ceilings and domes. Did you know the main dome is 56 meters tall? That's like...184 feet or something! Here are some quick, interesting facts for you:

• The largest dome is 184 feet high
• There was an earthquake that caused the dome to crumble and collapse in 1344 so an architect was called in to fix it. However, he was from the Asian side of Turkey, where sea sand used in building dries at a faster rate than Marmara (Western Turkish sea) sand dries. He miscalculated and the dome is now smaller in diameter than the original was. 
• Churches are traditionally in a cross or rectangular shape. The Haghia Sophia was created in a square. In order to "fix" this dilemma, five demi-domes were carved into the ceiling and 64 Romanesque pillars were added to the interior to make it seem like the building was a rectangle. It worked!

I was awestruck by the size of Haghia Sophia

The decorations were all so beautiful

          

We spent two hours exploring the cavernous interior of the church/mosque/museum and then hit the streets for lunch. Tarik took us to a very typical "cafeteria" called The Pudding Shop. I had the best lamb meat ever! So yeah, the food was really great, as usual. I think that this is my new favourite type of food. Adios Italian! 

Over lunch, Tarik told us more about himself and the government in Turkey. I was especially interested in that, due to my Senior Research Paper. There are elections coming up in two weeks and he supports the party that wants to stop the government giving social aid through coal or food packages to poor families. Instead, he supports the party that wants to give money so they can choose coal one month when they need it, or food another month. He really advocated the protection of people's honor. Standing in line to receive a package of coal is degrading to a person's honor, but wiring money directly to a poor person's bank account where nobody else will know they have received government aid, protects it. We talked about how the government is trying to become more religious again, something I didn't know. It is very recent because in my paper, I ended at the time period when the Republic of Turkey was trying to secularize completely. Tarik's aunt, Turkan Saylan, was a very famous woman who was like the Mother Theresa for modern Turkey. She advocated for education for girls as well as putting a stop to forced religion in schools. Her resistance to the government grew louder and stronger and so she was declared a terrorist and her house raided. And she was a 74 year old woman battling cancer at the time! However, her message was clear and she was and still is backed by a number of followers. Here is a link with more information about her and info about a TV show about her life: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=8216turkan8217-biopic-of-a-great-woman-hits-the-screens-2011-05-20

When we finished lunch and had our Turkish tea (I opted out...), we were on the cobbled streets again...

Starting off the Morning with an Archaeology Museum

I am utterly exhausted. Like, I cannot feel my feet. I have been walking all over Istanbul today with my aunt and our friendly and very knowledgeable personal tour guide, Tarik. Let me tell you about the first part of our tour. We started our day at 9am with a trip to the Archaeology Museum. The first thing my aunt noticed about the building was that there were Romanesque columns supporting the structure (you can tell she is an interior designer). She asked Tarik about it and why the architect, Osman Hamdi Bey, had not created original columns. Tarik said that those columns were taken from Rome and are the influence from the West. In contrast, the bricks used to build the museum are very large, like those used to build the Great Wall of China. That is an Eastern Turkey influence. This building blends together the two cultures and portrays exactly what I discussed in my Senior Research Paper! It's amazing how many obvious examples of the blending of East and West there are here in Istanbul.

Archaeology Museum

Inside the museum, there were so many statues, but even more sarcophaguses! However, the museum was a little bit bleak and had a very 1970s feel to it. It is obvious they don't have too much money to keep updating it. But that is another example from my paper! Western traditions and ideals may have influenced Turkey in many ways, but Turkey is still behind the West. The example I used in my paper is that Turks will dress in Western clothing, but it is very outdated. I have seen a number of 1990s clothing, but there are a ton of tourists in the city as well, so it could just be them with...interesting clothing choices. The Archaeology Museum is struggling to become Westernized, although it is a very outdated attempt. At least they're trying! And all the pieces are incredible!

Oceanius, the god of water before Poseidon took his power after the battle of the Titans.

Sarcophagus

Across the little courtyard from the Archaeology Museum was another museum with Turkish relics. However, this museum had the traditional Turkish tiling along the front of it. The blue color was absolutely gorgeous. It really helped that the sun was shining on it, reflecting flecks of light onto the cobblestones.

Blue tile museum

After our jaunt in the museum, Tarik led the way to the Hagia Sofia or San Sofia. As we walked, he told us a little bit about himself. We were especially curious about his English: it was so good! He said he had never done any English immersion courses nor had he ever traveled to the UK or US. His English is the equivalent of a Turkish high schooler's English...which is incredible! Tarik practiced on tourists to get better and better, although with Australians, Americans, South Africans, Brits, and Canadians talking to him, he has now adopted slang from each of them and forgets his proper grammar, so he says. I was very impressed at how well he spoke though! It's kind of sad how almost everybody around the world works hard to learn and speak English so they can communicate with us, while we do nothing. We just expect them to understand and answer us in some way. I wish I was as good at Spanish as Tarik is at English. We've both only had high school levels!

Istanbul at Last!

I've finally arrived! After months of anticipation, I'm here at last. My first glimpse of the city was through a taxi window. I've noticed that drivers look out for one another, as well as looking out for pedestrians. There are hardly any street lines: everyone just merges without indicator signals and traffic just seems more fluid here. In addition, the roads in the heart of Istanbul are insanely narrow, cobbled, and jampacked with people, parked cars, trolleys, and vendors. It's amazing how cab drivers navigate that!

Cars and pedestrians share the road equally. It's a bit terrifying because you just have to walk out in front of a car for it to stop or else you will never be able to cross the street!

Once we had settled down into our absolutely gorgeous hotel, my aunt and I wandered around to find a place to eat a late lunch. Istanbul is two hours ahead of London, so we had missed the lunch hour rush. We ended up eating spicy lamb and beef kebabs with an olive platter at an authentic Turkish kebab house called Khorasani. It was down a lovely little side street and it was calm and the food absolutely delicious. I was having a wonderful time in the amazing weather, trying different Turkish cheese, olives, pita, and kebabs. I can definitely get used to this food!

I don't think the bread basket is big enough...

After lunch, we set off to explore the Grand Bazaar. It took us a while to navigate the map: it was very tricky because there are no straight roads! They curve and bend and zigzag and are all cobbled, narrow, and hilly. In addition, there are vendors calling out to you, asking, "Hello, How can I help you spend your money?" in thick Turkish accents. It took us a while, but we eventually made it to the Grand Bazaar. It was quite a site to see! Take a look at these pictures!

The bustle inside the Grand Bazaar

Entrance to the Grand Bazaar

One of my favourite things to look at were the Turkish lamps. They are actually the background of my blog, but I finally got to see them up close! They were so pretty when they were illuminated in dark areas, and the colors were gorgeous. I'm trying to think how I could bring one back and put it in my dorm room next year!

Turkish Lamps

     

Alright, so that's all for today. I'm utterly exhausted and still need to go eat dinner (it's already 9pm here but that doesn't matter!). I think we'll check out the snazzy restaurant in the lobby of our hotel. It overlooks the cobbled street and we can eat outdoors since the weather is nice. I'll update tomorrow with a ton of pictures from my all-day walking tour of the city! "Hoşça kalın" (or goodbye, in Turkish!) :)

As Per Tradition

I am fortunate enough to have visited London so many times in the past that I know exactly where everything is and how to get there. Today, I put my knowledge to the test as I made my way to High Street Kensington on my own. A quick walk up Gloucester Road and I had made it by the Gardens.

London weather is so bipolar. As I entered Kensington Gardens, the lining of thin grey clouds that had blanketed the sky all morning had been blown away by a pleasant wind. The sky was blue and temperature superb. There was a soccer (or football!) match going on just inside the Gardens. How I wished I could join in! Instead, my gladiator shoes and I began cheering for the team wearing black.

People joined in as the game progressed. It started out with just a few boys!

A crowd began to gather, watching the match. The woman next to me asked for details...but I knew as little as she did! The weather decided to tease us again. Though all the grey clouds had disappeared, it began to sprinkle for a few minutes. It's the oddest thing when the sun is shining brightly and the sky is blue and clear above...then you feel hundreds of tiny raindrops tickling your skin.

I wandered around Kensington Gardens after watching the match for a bit. Everything is so green and pretty! It's lovely to have this much open green space in the middle of London. And despite it being Sunday morning, there were a fair number of people enjoying a day in the park, whether it be biking, walking, tanning, rollerblading, or just laying about on the grass.

"Kensington Palace is open."

Attempting at being artsy. Even though I'm just listening to music.

Pigeons

Rollerblading in the park

I had some errands to run on High Street Ken. I've figured out exactly how to evade all the tourist traps in that area, just like the locals do. In order to look part of the typical London crowd, walk quickly and listen to your iPod. That way, other people won't bother you by trying to sell "Will and Kate mugs for £1  ." I've found that this technique is quite efficient. Needless to say, I was able to listen to my music while running about the High Street, getting all my errands done.

High Street Kensington and Church Street (and St. Mary's Church)

I love the High Street, but the little road just off of it, Church Street, is one of my favourites. It's just so quaint and picturesque.

How lovely is Church Street?

After my morning on my own, I met my aunt for lunch and we decided to take the tube to Westminster Station. After visiting London an innumerable amount of times, I had definitely seen Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey many times before. However, as per tradition, I just had to go again. And especially on such a beautiful day! In addition, since the Royal Wedding had just happened, and President Obama was flying into the UK later this week, all the scaffolding and rubbish had been taken down and cleared away. So, it was the perfect day to go take a look at my favourite sites.

The minute you step out of Westminster Station, the intricate architecture at the base of Big Ben greets you and draws your eye high up to the clock face. I can never get over how magnificent the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben are (especially without scaffolding!). Seeing them is just something I will always have to do when I'm in London (until I actually move here, of course).

Big Ben at 4:45pm

View through the gates at Big Ben

Trying effects

Oliver Cromwell

Parliament in Sepia

Gothic Architecture

Big Ben and Parliament in Black and White

Right across the road from Big Ben is Westminster Abbey. Being a huge history freak, specializing in British monarchy, I absolutely love going into the Abbey and looking around at the Kings and Queens there. Elizabeth I's chamber is a definite must-see for me. I've been in too many times to count, so today I skipped out and just viewed the beautiful building from the outside. As I walked around the side, tourists had flocked to that entrance. I passed a group of Americans and one guy said loudly, "Oh my god I just saw this place on TV two weeks ago when Kate walked into the church, it's surreal actually being here." I just found that hilarious.

Front of Westminster Abbey 

Hey guys, not trying to be an awkward tourist or anything...

I've noticed that as I keep coming back to London, it seems to get smaller and smaller. At least to me. As in, I know which way to walk or which bus to catch to get from Westminster to Trafalgar Square to Covent Garden to Knightsbridge to Oxford Street and back home to Kensington. Khala and I made the trek from Westminster Abbey up to Whitehall, past Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives, and onto Trafalgar Square. Being a Sunday evening, it wasn't as jam-packed as usual, which was pleasant. I saw that there was a new addition to the Square! A giant countdown clock for the 2012 Olympics has been set up. Only 432 days until I will be back here to watch them!

Countdown to the 2012 London Olympics!

Other than that, T-Square looked the same, with Horatio Nelson's statue staring down at the  demonstrators and tourists.

Horatio Nelson overlooking Trafalgar Square

National Portrait Gallery from Trafalgar Square

Demonstration against...everything basically. Cuts, war, government, drinking...

This felt like getting reacquainted with London, all this typical sightseeing I do with my family every time we come. I honestly feel as though I have two homes: here in London and then back in America...

Okay, so hopefully you aren't all bored with what I've been getting up to in London before I actually get to Istanbul. You want to read about THAT, because THAT is what this blog is technically about: Istanbul, Turkey! Well, I better be off and pack then. I leave tomorrow at 4:45am, so the next post will definitely be about a new city for me! One night left, so excited!! Cheers :)

Brick Lane and Canary Wharf

Everyone knows the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Well, I definitely believe it. In the late afternoon, I visited Brick Lane and Canary Wharf--two places in London I had never before been to. There were so many fantastic things to see: everything from small bohemian cafes to vintage pop-up markets. How about I let you glimpse some of what I saw today?

Making our way from Regent Street

Brick Lane

"You love curry?" In order to entice customers to dine at their restaurant, men would stand outside and try to usher us in. It didn't really work...

Brick Lane has a prevalent Bangladeshi community

Bicycle and Lampost

New best friends? They clearly know how to mix and match clothes for their own unique look.

Vintage clothing!

Shopping vintage. Why not buy things nobody has? Totally original!

Like my sunnies?

Friday night crowd - the early hours

Outdoor couch. The perfect place to chill with your friends.

People watching in an authentic bohemian coffee shop in Brick Lane

Rehydrating

Comfort

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The outskirts of Brick Lane and onto Spitalfield Market

Canary Wharf. This is the business district of London. All the Friday night gatherings are slowly starting to pick up!

London truly is an eclectic mix of things. All the idiosyncrasies of the city, as well as the complete opposites, complement it and give it a unique vibe. For example, Canary Wharf looks very similar to downtown Houston, Texas: tall buildings, very modern, open spaces. If it wasn't for the lovely weather, British accents, and black cabs, I definitely could have been standing in Houston. There are so many different feels to the city. The affluent, pristine part of Kensington versus the grubby, worn down but worn-in Brick Lane. The bustle of Piccadilly Circus compared to the quiet side streets of Spitalfield after hours. London has it all, and I fall more in love with the city every time I'm here.