ISTANBUL, TURKEY
From 330 until 1453 it was called Byzantium.
From1453 until 1930 it was called Constantinople.
Since 1930 it’s been called Istanbul.
Where east meets west. My folks were bewitched by this amazing city and it didn’t take long for the place to work its spells on me. You want history? Atmosphere? Tasty food? This is a Mecca.
Of all the cities I’ve visited, it’s probably my favorite.
That’s why it gets own page.
The Mosques
Mosques & prayer are a central part of life for many Turks. These temples of worship are unbelievable constructions of stone & engineering. Mimar Sinan was the architect of many of these soaring stone cathedrals built in the 1500's and beyond. My walking tour of Istanbul brought me to the Blue Mosque, as well as the Süleymaniye, Sehzade and Sultan Bayezid II and the Yeni 'New' Mosques.
Also shown is the tomb of Mimar Sinan.
The Hagia Sophia
It's difficult to put into words what it feels like to step into what is arguably the most magnificent man-made structure on earth. Calling it simply 'a structure' diminishes it; the Hagia Sophia is monumental, timeless, otherworldly. Built in 537 as the patriarchal cathedral of the imperial capital of Constantinople, it was the largest Christian church of the eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire) and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
You feel so temporary and insignificant in a creation like this; something that existed centuries before you were born and - provided mankind doesn't implode on itself, or mother nature wreaks havoc - will continue to stand for millennia after you're gone. Yet, so grand was this exquisite ancient temple that it somehow made me feel even better than I already do about this fortunate existence called life. And how incredible it is that I can exist and experience a place like this.
For me, the 'Hag' even surpassed Rome's Pantheon. Looking at these pictures always makes me want to go back to see it again, just to let it just overawe me as it did when I first walked in and felt it hit me like a punch in the gut. Those moments in life get fewer and farther between as we age. That kind of buzz is somewhere out there for you. Go somewhere and feel that.
Basilica Cistern
So dark and atmospheric, it's the kind of place you'd like to hear a piece of live classical music being played and the acoustics of the stone and water make it sound angelic.
Istanbul by the Foot
It's one of those cities you could wander eternally. And always find new stuff to blow your mind. Some sights here are the Theodosius Obelisk, Serpent Column, fountains in Sultanahmet, Gülhane Park, Valens Aqueduct, shots of my hostel, dinner & nargile with friends, pubs, tulips, tombs, belly dancing, travel, life.
Galata Bridge & Tower
The Galata Bridge makes reference to a series of bridges that has linked Istanbul's areas of Eminönü and Beyoğlu since the early 19th century. The current bridge (shown in these pics) is the fifth Galata Bridge and was built in 1994. From here, men fished day and night as upper & lower walkways teemed with traffic & people. I probably crossed it close to a dozen times while I was there.
Galata Tower was built in 1348 as a watchtower; part of the Walls of Galata. Centuries later it saw use as fire tower. Construction-wise, its walls are 12 feet thick and its modern elevator brought me up to the observation deck where you need to grind against other people to pass them. Still, amazing views over the city & towards the Bosporus.
Topkapi Palace
Now a museum, the palace once served as the residence and administrative headquarters of the men who lived better than kings; the Sultans.
Built in the mid 1400's, its mosaics of tulip'd ceramics and golden gilt line everything from doorway thresholds to ceilings. Opulence is everywhere. When the Sultans moved into new palaces along the Bosporus, Topkapi was primarily used as the imperial treasury, library and mint.
Had a peek inside the Sultan's Harem, the Imperial Divan, and the courtyard of the Black Eunuchs. They don't make anything like this anymore.
The Bosporus Strait
The Bosporus is a major shipping corridor between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean by way of the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean.
Renowned for being one of the world’s most difficult waterways to navigate, its width is only half a mile wide at the narrowest point. Along with an extremely fast current flowing north to south, the strait poses a substantial hurdle to oil tankers and other large vessels. I felt that strong current in the form of powerful winds rifling down from the north. But enjoyed a much smoother sail as the cruise boat made its way back south beneath the massive bridges.
See if you can spot the Dutch superyacht in these pics.
Istanbul is the place to be.
The Grand Bazaar
"Silence swimming in a pool of dreams, beneath it's depth forgotten streams, above the city of the evening star, behind its walls The Grand Bazaar..."
- The Tea Party
A place perhaps straight out of the Arabian Nights; where magic lamps and holy grails secretly change hands in shadowy, bustling corridors. Istanbul's Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. Its core area was built around 1455 after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople to help stimulate trade and commerce in the city.
The place heaved with people, but that's part of the allure. Treasures & riches of every shade of colour captured the eyes as you walked. I honed my haggling skills on a game shopkeeper and walked away with a wooden handled & sheathed dagger for my dad without getting (too) swindled.
