Back in Black….
or the return of War of Peace (especially as I have a laptop with me, so I can type even more).
Day 1
It’s been a while.
How does this go again?
Erm.
I guess it will take a while to get back on the blogging horse.
I’ve heard the nights are a little quiet in the Middle East so my hand luggage was really a mobile library, which nearly put my Dad’s back out when he picked it up. Maybe I should have brought more-a long wait at the airport and a three and a bit hour flight means I’m already one book down.
When I booked my £22 flight I checked the web and my arrival airport described itself as the main airport in Istanbul. Well it would, wouldn’t it. Turns out, that most of Istanbul’s attractions are on the European side, my bed included. Sabiha Gökçen’s lying on the Asian side meant I was immediately winging it and hoping that the airport to the hostel wouldn’t cost more than Luton to Istanbul (it didn’t). It turned out I picked the right bus and got to my hostel in time for an evening stroll around the neighbourhood. It’s fair to say they have the odd mosque. Or two.
This reinforced one of Istanbul’s main attractions for me; not the whole East meets West, but the crazy idea of a city that exists on two continents with a sea in the middle. You couldn’t make it up. East did also meet West-my bus passed M&S and Wagamama before my taxi freewheeled down hill so he could bump start it.
Day 2
Ah, my first call to prayer. I’m sure I would have been grateful were I a) religious and b) forgetful, but with breakfast not till 8.30, the mosque’s 6.25 call was a little unwelcome.
I decided a boat around the Bosporus would be the best way to get a feel for the city, so I walked the 30 mins down to the docks, at which point I finally looked around, noticed it was misty as you like and as I wouldn’t see anything from a boat, turned round to try the archaeological museum instead. Doh.
Given how extraordinary parts of this were, Cairo museum will have some fun stuff. Several pavilions were spread around a large sprawling courtyard of sorts. In the case of this one, I think the building beat the contents.
(And yes I have forgotten its name already). I didn’t know there were civilisations making glass 4,000 years, let alone in such challenging shapes and for clearly decorative purposes. I’m looking forward to understanding much more of this over the next few months. As you might expect from an archaeological museum, it was stuffed with statues and pots. There was even a stash of boxes with bits of broken pottery that still needed sticking together
I do have a limited level of enthusiasm for pottery, and judging by the large number of very bored looking guards, I was not alone: I’m pretty sure guards outnumbered visitors. Eventually driven from the museum by the pots, I stumbled into the sarcophagi. They provided a succession of ‘Jeese, what is that?’ moments.
If you ever visit the Istanbul archaeology museum, turn left at the entrance of the main building. All those guards didn’t prevent some rather unusual treatment for one exhibit
Then onto the Tapkapi palace, the home of the Sultans for a great many years. Inevitably this had led to an abundance of palaces and pavilions as each new ruler tried to make his mark-good thing Tony Blair didn’t come here and decide to build 10a Downing Street. There was lots of armour and jewellery amongst the palace, but palace fatigue had set in by the time I had to decide whether or not to visit the Harem. It cost as much again as my ticket the rest of the place and I was wavering, but the Lonely Planet said it was mind blowing. Figuring I had a lot of mind to blow, I bought a ticket. It was unquestionably the highlight.
Even in the Harem, I was disappointed by the lack of reference to the Sultanas-one of the great titles. Still one tour guide managed to get the joke in with the Turkish couple he was taking round-I understood he was calling the girl the guy’s Sultana even if she didn’t. Must be picking up the Turkish rather quicker than Spanish.
Finishing off the sights within walking distance of my hostel I headed to Aya Sofya, the Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and its Obelisks. Aya Sofya is very interesting-built as a Church, it was redeveloped, rather than razed and rebuilt, as a mosque when the balance of power shifted (Istanbul was conquered). Here East certainly does meet West.
Where else could you see that? (Arabic script in the stain glass window, with Mary and Jesus frescoed on the ceiling). Although it is now a museum rather than a place of worship, then was enough scaffolding to make it feel like every other cathedral you ever visit. Some of the mosaics were exactly why I understood Byzantine to mean
The Basilica Cistern is crazy. It’s entirely underground (you emerge on the other side of a large street); Roman; 70m by 140m, has 336 columns; used to be a water reserve; has been restored and now has quite a lot of fish in it.
I think it was my favourite bit of the day. Good news, as there’s of Roman stuff to come.
The Hippodrome was a bit of a oblong square really (as exciting as Rome’s Circus Maximus) upon which it was based, but the Blue Mosque was special. Photo time.
I even took my shoes off.
Everywhere I went today were maps of the Middle East, which served to continually remind me just how far I have to travel in Turkey-it looks like about half the distance, to be covered in a quarter of the time.
In one way it’s been a quiet day-I only got offered 3 carpets. Being vegetarian really came into its own however, as I managed to use it to get rid of the guy trying to sell leather jackets.
Day 3
Well, I may have slightly overdone it yesterday. With the Dolmabahce palace closed on Thursdays and a boat trip still looking a poor option, my list of things to see in Istanbul was getting a little short.
As often happens, I headed off towards a few sights, realised I wasn’t too far from another, then something else and a lengthy tramp was the result.
It was one of those days for odd moments. When I visited the Suleymaniye Mosque, I was putting my shoes down where half a dozen other pairs of shoes lay, and the guard told me to take them in with me. Wandering round barefoot is one thing, but wandering round carrying yours shoes is an excellent way to feel like a prize lemon. I also got very confused in the mosque: it was huge on the outside, but I kept wandering into dead ends (and what I believe was the women’s section) in an area no bigger than a Parish Church. Eventually I found that what would normally be the main entrance covered in scaffolding. Very sloppy building standards on religious buildings. Later, at the Galata tower, I ambled in and was instantly very confused when confronted by what looked like the reception for a 5 star hotel. Here’s the outside
As the tower now houses a restaurant and a club, they clearly feel the need for a plush approach to things. The Galata Tower was the first high thing of the trip; for once I remembered I was scared of heights before going up the tower. Stood outside with the wind blowing around me just emphasised the point. Good views of the city tho, including this one of yesterday’s route
The Galata tower is across the Golden Horn, the marvellously titled estuary that splits the European side of Istanbul. In the days before bridges getting around town must have been a lot of fun. I walked across a bridge weighed down by fishermen-in most countries these would have been gentleman amateurs, but the sheer number of rods and fish being caught suggested a more commercial enterprise. Some parts of the bridge produced noticeably larger catches than others.
I took at look at a couple of shopping areas mentioned in the LP. The Grand Bazaar was quite quiet and I went totally unmolested by the touts, while Istikal Caddesi just seemed to have a lot of chain stores alongside a few Peruvian looking clothes stalls. I guess I’ll never make a shopper.
I love it when you visit somewhere you’ve bracketed and it turns out to be a gem. I bracket places that I’m not sure about or will only go to if I get the time-they’re not the things that really jump out at me. The Istanbul Archaeology Museum was bracketed. As it turns out, for good reason unless you’re a big carpet fan.
I have my ticket for tomorrow for Canakkale, from where I shall be visiting Troy and Gallipoli. It’s been a while since I had a 6 hour bus ride-I’m braced for ear splitting, discordant local X factor entries. If it’s a flash bus, I may luck out with a bonkers movie.
In case anyone’s thinking of coming to Istanbul, here’s 3 bits. It’s a fascinating place; come when there’s more sun-that always benefits cities with lots of water; but most importantly, the tasche is still strong here, more so in the older generation, but it’s clear that in Istanbul a moustache isn’t just for ex military types and 1980s Test cricketers.
Day 1
It’s been a while.
How does this go again?
Erm.
I guess it will take a while to get back on the blogging horse.
I’ve heard the nights are a little quiet in the Middle East so my hand luggage was really a mobile library, which nearly put my Dad’s back out when he picked it up. Maybe I should have brought more-a long wait at the airport and a three and a bit hour flight means I’m already one book down.
When I booked my £22 flight I checked the web and my arrival airport described itself as the main airport in Istanbul. Well it would, wouldn’t it. Turns out, that most of Istanbul’s attractions are on the European side, my bed included. Sabiha Gökçen’s lying on the Asian side meant I was immediately winging it and hoping that the airport to the hostel wouldn’t cost more than Luton to Istanbul (it didn’t). It turned out I picked the right bus and got to my hostel in time for an evening stroll around the neighbourhood. It’s fair to say they have the odd mosque. Or two.
This reinforced one of Istanbul’s main attractions for me; not the whole East meets West, but the crazy idea of a city that exists on two continents with a sea in the middle. You couldn’t make it up. East did also meet West-my bus passed M&S and Wagamama before my taxi freewheeled down hill so he could bump start it.
Day 2
Ah, my first call to prayer. I’m sure I would have been grateful were I a) religious and b) forgetful, but with breakfast not till 8.30, the mosque’s 6.25 call was a little unwelcome.
I decided a boat around the Bosporus would be the best way to get a feel for the city, so I walked the 30 mins down to the docks, at which point I finally looked around, noticed it was misty as you like and as I wouldn’t see anything from a boat, turned round to try the archaeological museum instead. Doh.
Given how extraordinary parts of this were, Cairo museum will have some fun stuff. Several pavilions were spread around a large sprawling courtyard of sorts. In the case of this one, I think the building beat the contents.
(And yes I have forgotten its name already). I didn’t know there were civilisations making glass 4,000 years, let alone in such challenging shapes and for clearly decorative purposes. I’m looking forward to understanding much more of this over the next few months. As you might expect from an archaeological museum, it was stuffed with statues and pots. There was even a stash of boxes with bits of broken pottery that still needed sticking together
I do have a limited level of enthusiasm for pottery, and judging by the large number of very bored looking guards, I was not alone: I’m pretty sure guards outnumbered visitors. Eventually driven from the museum by the pots, I stumbled into the sarcophagi. They provided a succession of ‘Jeese, what is that?’ moments.
If you ever visit the Istanbul archaeology museum, turn left at the entrance of the main building. All those guards didn’t prevent some rather unusual treatment for one exhibit
Then onto the Tapkapi palace, the home of the Sultans for a great many years. Inevitably this had led to an abundance of palaces and pavilions as each new ruler tried to make his mark-good thing Tony Blair didn’t come here and decide to build 10a Downing Street. There was lots of armour and jewellery amongst the palace, but palace fatigue had set in by the time I had to decide whether or not to visit the Harem. It cost as much again as my ticket the rest of the place and I was wavering, but the Lonely Planet said it was mind blowing. Figuring I had a lot of mind to blow, I bought a ticket. It was unquestionably the highlight.
Even in the Harem, I was disappointed by the lack of reference to the Sultanas-one of the great titles. Still one tour guide managed to get the joke in with the Turkish couple he was taking round-I understood he was calling the girl the guy’s Sultana even if she didn’t. Must be picking up the Turkish rather quicker than Spanish.
Finishing off the sights within walking distance of my hostel I headed to Aya Sofya, the Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and its Obelisks. Aya Sofya is very interesting-built as a Church, it was redeveloped, rather than razed and rebuilt, as a mosque when the balance of power shifted (Istanbul was conquered). Here East certainly does meet West.
Where else could you see that? (Arabic script in the stain glass window, with Mary and Jesus frescoed on the ceiling). Although it is now a museum rather than a place of worship, then was enough scaffolding to make it feel like every other cathedral you ever visit. Some of the mosaics were exactly why I understood Byzantine to mean
The Basilica Cistern is crazy. It’s entirely underground (you emerge on the other side of a large street); Roman; 70m by 140m, has 336 columns; used to be a water reserve; has been restored and now has quite a lot of fish in it.
I think it was my favourite bit of the day. Good news, as there’s of Roman stuff to come.
The Hippodrome was a bit of a oblong square really (as exciting as Rome’s Circus Maximus) upon which it was based, but the Blue Mosque was special. Photo time.
I even took my shoes off.
Everywhere I went today were maps of the Middle East, which served to continually remind me just how far I have to travel in Turkey-it looks like about half the distance, to be covered in a quarter of the time.
In one way it’s been a quiet day-I only got offered 3 carpets. Being vegetarian really came into its own however, as I managed to use it to get rid of the guy trying to sell leather jackets.
Day 3
Well, I may have slightly overdone it yesterday. With the Dolmabahce palace closed on Thursdays and a boat trip still looking a poor option, my list of things to see in Istanbul was getting a little short.
As often happens, I headed off towards a few sights, realised I wasn’t too far from another, then something else and a lengthy tramp was the result.
It was one of those days for odd moments. When I visited the Suleymaniye Mosque, I was putting my shoes down where half a dozen other pairs of shoes lay, and the guard told me to take them in with me. Wandering round barefoot is one thing, but wandering round carrying yours shoes is an excellent way to feel like a prize lemon. I also got very confused in the mosque: it was huge on the outside, but I kept wandering into dead ends (and what I believe was the women’s section) in an area no bigger than a Parish Church. Eventually I found that what would normally be the main entrance covered in scaffolding. Very sloppy building standards on religious buildings. Later, at the Galata tower, I ambled in and was instantly very confused when confronted by what looked like the reception for a 5 star hotel. Here’s the outside
As the tower now houses a restaurant and a club, they clearly feel the need for a plush approach to things. The Galata Tower was the first high thing of the trip; for once I remembered I was scared of heights before going up the tower. Stood outside with the wind blowing around me just emphasised the point. Good views of the city tho, including this one of yesterday’s route
The Galata tower is across the Golden Horn, the marvellously titled estuary that splits the European side of Istanbul. In the days before bridges getting around town must have been a lot of fun. I walked across a bridge weighed down by fishermen-in most countries these would have been gentleman amateurs, but the sheer number of rods and fish being caught suggested a more commercial enterprise. Some parts of the bridge produced noticeably larger catches than others.
I took at look at a couple of shopping areas mentioned in the LP. The Grand Bazaar was quite quiet and I went totally unmolested by the touts, while Istikal Caddesi just seemed to have a lot of chain stores alongside a few Peruvian looking clothes stalls. I guess I’ll never make a shopper.
I love it when you visit somewhere you’ve bracketed and it turns out to be a gem. I bracket places that I’m not sure about or will only go to if I get the time-they’re not the things that really jump out at me. The Istanbul Archaeology Museum was bracketed. As it turns out, for good reason unless you’re a big carpet fan.
I have my ticket for tomorrow for Canakkale, from where I shall be visiting Troy and Gallipoli. It’s been a while since I had a 6 hour bus ride-I’m braced for ear splitting, discordant local X factor entries. If it’s a flash bus, I may luck out with a bonkers movie.
In case anyone’s thinking of coming to Istanbul, here’s 3 bits. It’s a fascinating place; come when there’s more sun-that always benefits cities with lots of water; but most importantly, the tasche is still strong here, more so in the older generation, but it’s clear that in Istanbul a moustache isn’t just for ex military types and 1980s Test cricketers.
posted by Poll Star at
3:27 PM
1 Comments:
Ah yes the Turkish tasche fetish...I recall one night when relaxing after a meal in a traditional cafe/restaurant, our group was treated to a personal performance by the house band,each of them wearing a blousy,turquoise shirt and a fez and collectively displaying the most fantastic array of moustaches outside of a Boony lookalike contest...genius!!
Mik
By
Anonymous, at 6:32 PM
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