Our flight from Tel Aviv to Istanbul departs at 2:25PM, but exercising an abundance of caution, we arrive early and have three hours to kill before departure. We arrive on time in Istanbul around 5:30PM and then make our way, via taxi, to our hotel, the TomTom Suites, which is a great hotel in a lovely neighborhood just north of old town Istanbul.
Background
Istanbul occupies a unique place on the planet, with the Bosphorus Strait cutting the city in half connecting the Black Sea to the east with the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean Sea and, eventually, the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Istanbul is a city surrounded by water and it sits at the connection point of two continents – Europe to the west and Asia to the east.
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| The Hagia Sophia |
Not surprisingly, given its strategic location between east and west and sitting on the Silk Road, Istanbul has a long and rich history. While archaeologists have discovered evidence of human existence going back to the 6th millennium BC, the city was properly founded by Greek settlers in 660 BC who named the city Byzantium. For the next thousand years, Byzantium was occupied by the Greeks, then the Persians and, finally, the Romans. Shortly after Constantine the Great became head of the Roman Empire, he moved its capital to Byzantium and the city was renamed Constantinople in 330 AD. Constantine had also converted to Christianity and named the Roman Catholic Church as the Empire’s official state religion.
Constantinople thrived for the next several centuries and, at times, it was the wealthiest and largest city in the world. By the early 11th century, Constantinople began to decline in population and importance. In 1453, Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople after an eight-week siege in which the last of the Roman Emperors, Constantine XI was killed, thus also marking the official end of the Roman Empire and the start of the Ottoman Empire with its capital seat in Constantinople.
The Ottomans quickly transformed the city from its Christian roots to Islam and the city became one of the most important in the Muslim world. The Ottomans flourished for almost 500 years until their defeat during World War I by the allied forces. For a period of a few years, the city was under British rule until a secular government was elected, established the new capital of Turkey in Ankara and changed the name of Constantinople to Istanbul in 1926.
With a population today of approximately 15 million, Istanbul is the 5th largest city in the world. It has a diverse industrial economy and is also a popular tourist destination ranking 5th in the world in the number of visitors annually. Its strategic location as the entrance and exit to the oil rich Black Sea, also makes Istanbul one of the largest ports in the world with traffic on the Bosphorus three times that of the Suez Canal.
Friday, November 29, 2019
We meet our guide, Göktuğ, recommended by our hotel, at 9 AM in the lobby. Once again, he is knowledgeable, personable, speaks perfect English and is exactly what we were hoping for. As we only have two full days to explore this magnificent city, we really wanted to have a pro show us around. I had been to Istanbul once before on a work trip which provided only limited sightseeing opportunities and, for Liz, this was her first visit ever.
The Hippodrome
We take the tram south over the river into the old city where our first stop is the ancient hippodrome. The hippodrome, which is located adjacent to the area that includes both the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, was originally built in 203 AD which was later enlarged substantially to a capacity of 100,000 spectators when Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to the city.
The hippodrome was the center of city life and entertainment during this period frequently hosting horse and chariot races. As the Roman Empire began to crumble, eventually giving way to the Ottomans in 1453, the hippodrome fell into disuse and all of its beautiful statues and monuments were either looted or destroyed. The four gilded copper horses that now adorn St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice were originally proudly part of the hippodrome. With that said, one of the only remaining monuments at the hippodrome is an obelisk that Theodosius the Great pillaged from Karnak Temple in Luxor in 390 AD. What goes around, comes around.
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| The Obelisk at the Hippodrome pilfered from Karnak Temple in Luxor |
The Hagia Sophia
Our next stop is the incredible Hagia Sophia. Originally built as a Greek Orthodox Church in 537 AD, the Hagia Sophia was the world’s largest building and remained the world’s largest church for nearly a thousand years when the Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. It served as a Christian church for over 900 years until the Ottomans conquered Constantinople and converted the church to a mosque.
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| The Hagia Sophia |
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| The dome inside the Hagia Sophia |
In 1937, eleven years after the Ottomans were defeated and the city name was changed to Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum which it remains to this day. Following his election as Turkey’s new president, Erdogan has vowed to convert Hagia Sophia back into a mosque, however, since the building is a UNESCO Heritage Site, this conversion would require the approval from the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Stay tuned, as this is not resolved yet.
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| Christian imagery in the Hagia Sophia |
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| Islamic and Christian imagery inside the Hagia Sophia |
Topkapi Palace Museum
From the Hagia Sophia, we next walk a short distance to the Topkapi Palace Museum. Following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the original Grand Palace laid in ruins and, so, Sultan Mehmed II ordered the construction of the Topkapi as the new palace for the Ottoman reign. Topkapi is an immense structure covering over 150 acres divided into four large courtyards and the harem. The harem, consisting of some 400 rooms, was home to the sultan’s mother, the concubines and wives of the sultan, his children and servants. Other structures include the Imperial Treasury, the mosque of Agas, the audience chamber, palace kitchen, and much more.
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| Gates to Topkapi Palace |
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| The mosque at Topkapi Palace |
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| The Harem exterior at Topkapi Palace |
Theodosius Cistern
We next walk to the Theodosius Cistern built in the 5th century by Roman Emperor Theodosius II to store water and redistribute to the now destroyed Great Palace of Constantinople. This is a beautiful underground structure that was reopened to the public in 2018 and frequently hosts musical performances and art exhibits.
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| The Theodosius Cistern - Göktuğ and Liz in foreground |
Grand Bazaar, Carpets and the Spice Market
Göktuğ then took us to the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world with over 60 covered streets and over 4,000 shops attracting up to 400,000 visitors daily. It is the #1 most-visited tourist attraction in the world with over 90 million visitors per year. First construction of the Grand Bazaar occurred shortly after the Ottoman occupation of Istanbul. Since then there have been many additions and renovations with the most significant following a major earthquake in 1894. We only scratched the surface of this magnificent bazaar and managed to find some wonderful gifts to bring home to family.
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| The Grand Bazaar |
Before heading over to the Spice Market, we first stop at Vezirhan Carpet & Kilim, a store that sells handmade Turkish carpets. Vezirhan is located in an old trade center building from the 1600s and is one of several carpet cooperatives in Istanbul. We were met there by the owner who gave us a thorough tour of their facility beginning with how carpets are made, the various types and the dyes used. It was very informative. As a cooperative, Vezirhan works with hundreds of carpet makers, mostly women, who actually do their work at Vezirhan’s carpet farm about 350 miles south of Istanbul. After learning the process, the show begins which is comprised of two men rolling out one carpet after another with a steady stream of dialogue from the owner. By the time this show ends, there are over 40 carpets laid out before us. It is impressive and the carpets are beautiful. Thankfully, Liz and I are not in the market for a carpet, but if we were, then this would be a great place to go.
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| Anyone want a carpet? |
From Vezirhan, we next walk to the Spice Bazaar also called the Misir Çarșisi. Built in 1660 to capitalize on the growing spice trade between east and west, the Spice Market is actually part of the New Mosque and proceeds from the market have been used to fund construction and maintenance of the mosque ever since. This is a beautiful place to stroll and take in the sights and aromas of these varied spices, although shops now carry many more items beyond simply spices.
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| An assortment of dried flowers at the Spice Market |
The Galata Bridge
From the Spice Market, we then walk across the Galata Bridge that crosses the Golden Horn waterway and connects the original city in the south to its newer expansion in the north. This area of Istanbul is still on the west or European side of the Bosphorus and is where our hotel is located.
The Galata Bridge has a long and rich history. The first bridge was actually designed by Leonardo da Vinci in 1502, however, its ambitious design was not approved by the Sultan. Michelangelo was then asked to submit a design, but he passed on the project. It wasn’t until 1845, over 300 years later, that the actual first bridge was built. It was followed by a second, third and fourth bridge until a fifth bridge, and the one that we walked across, was built in 1994.
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| Fishermen on the Galata Bridge |
It is a lovely walk with beautiful views of the old city, the newer city to the north and its eastern half that sits in Asia. The bridge is lined with fishermen and the Golden Horn is teeming with boats and ferries, coming and going.
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| The view from the Galata Bridge looking north in the direction of our hotel |
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Göktuğ picks us up at 9AM for our second and final day of touring Istanbul.
Again, we take the tram near our hotel, over the Galata Bridge, into the center of the Old City. Our first destination is the Blue Mosque.
The Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque, officially known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, was built in 1609 by Sultan Ahmed I and constructed on the site where the original Grand Palace from the days of the Roman Empire once stood. It sits adjacent to the hippodrome and across from the Hagia Sophia. Hand painted blue tiles adorn the mosque’s interior walls and at night the mosque is bathed in blue light that highlight the mosque’s five domes, six minarets and eight secondary domes. Today, the Blue Mosque still operates as a mosque with regular services, although visitors are permitted to enter and tour during specific hours of the day.
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| The Blue Mosque |
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| The interior of the Blue Mosque |
Sülimaniye Mosque
From the Blue Mosque, we then walk to the Sülimaniye Mosque, also within the old city. Commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent, construction began in 1550 and was completed in 1557. Many believe that the Ottoman Empire reached its apex during the 46-year reign of Suleiman. Apparently, the mosque was built as a testament to Suleiman’s magnificence. He compared this mosque to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem as well to the Hagia Sophia, although the Sülimaniye Mosque is not as large or grand as either of these extraordinary buildings. Nevertheless, Suleiman and his wife are both buried at this mosque.
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| The Sülimaniye Mosque |
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| The interior of the Sülimaniye Mosque |
The Asian Side of Istanbul
After the mosque, we walk down to the Golden Horn near the Galata Bridge and catch a ferry over to the eastern, or Asian, side of Istanbul. It is a beautiful day and the 30-minute ferry ride provides excellent views of both the western and the eastern parts of the city. Upon arrival, we walk the narrow streets lined with shops and restaurants and, eventually, find a table at one of Göktuğ’s favorite places (he lives on this side of the city) for a delicious and authentic meal of Turkish cuisine.
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| A view of the Old City form the ferry - the Blue Mosque to the left and Hagia Sophia on the right |
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| The narrow streets on the Asian side of Istanbul with a canopy of umbrellas |
We then head back to the ferry and from the terminal on the western side of the city, we, again, board the tram to take us over the Galata Bridge to the north side of the city. It is a crowded tram, as they all are, and when we arrive at our stop, as I am departing the tram, I feel something moving in my back pocket. Immediately, I reach for my wallet, turn quickly around and shout “Stop” just as the attempted thief disappears into the crowd of fellow travelers and is gone. Thankfully, he didn’t succeed in getting my wallet. I was unsettled by this experience, but also grateful that: a) he failed and I still had my wallet, and b) after seven months of traveling in crowded places, this was the first such experience. Göktuğ was actually more upset than I was and took it as a personal affront that a visitor to his city had been the target of an attempted pickpocket.
İstiklal Avenue
Following this attempted robbery, we catch the Tünel, a funicular, that takes us from the water’s edge up a steep hill to the famous İstiklal Avenue. İstiklal is one of the most famous streets in all of Istanbul with as many as 3 million visitors per day on a weekend during peak times. It is a pedestrian only street lined with shops and restaurants. The avenue, surrounded by late Ottoman era buildings, runs nearly a mile from the funicular exit to Taskim Square, considered the heart of modern Istanbul. After walking the length of İstiklal and back again, we say good-bye to our guide, Göktuğ, who takes public transportation back to his home, while Liz and I walk the steeply descending streets back to our hotel.
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| İstiklal Avenue - a crowded, pedestrian-only street |
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| Taskim Square |
That evening, we treat ourselves to a prix-fixe, vegetarian meal at the rooftop restaurant in our hotel. The food was fabulous as was our entire trip to Istanbul. This is a beautiful city well worth a visit.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Heading Home
Today is the day we head back home – 217 days after our arrival in Paris marking the first day of our epic journey. We are heading home three weeks earlier than our original end date largely due to the Schengen visa problems that have been discussed in earlier posts. Our original plans were to spend these last three weeks between Morocco, Madrid and then back to Paris, but we got caught in Prague without a long-stay visa, paid the fine and concluded it wouldn’t be prudent to poke that bear again. So, we are coming home early and both of us are thrilled.
Our flight leaves Istanbul at 12:50PM for Frankfurt where we change planes for our final flight back to San Francisco. Our hotel arranges a taxi to the airport, we check our bags, pass through security and sit down for a coffee. It was then that I discover that I don’t have my phone on me and it is nowhere to be found. Apparently, I had left it the taxi. Liz smartly calls the hotel who puts her through to the taxi company and she explains the problem of the missing phone. They reply that the driver is about ten minutes away and will return to the airport.
I return to security and explain that the taxi will be arriving soon and ask permission to exit through security to meet the driver outside the airport. The security police, who speak very little English, explains that I cannot pass the wrong way through security. With the help of others, including Google Translate (if you travel internationally, this app is amazing!), we reach an agreement whereby one of the policemen will go out to meet the taxi driver. After about 15 minutes, he returns with a smile on his face and my phone in his hand. I have lost a lot of things on this trip, most of which I subsequently found or were returned to me, and to have ended our months-long adventure by losing my phone would have been a disappointing end to this fabulous trip. Fortunately, that problem was averted.
Our flights were on time and we eventually arrive back in San Francisco around 8:30PM where we catch an Uber to my son, Jason, and his wife, Lauren’s house in the city. After a brief catching up, we load everything into our car, which Jason had arranged to be parked at his house, and make the trip up to Petaluma where we will spend the next two nights at my daughter, Kristin, and her husband Joseph’s neighbor’s house.
You may recall that the original motivation for this trip was due to a major remodeling project that my son, Jordan, and his wife, Ashley, were doing on their house. As planned, this was to begin in January or February and be completed by Christmas. Like any good construction project, it didn’t actually get started until June 2019 and wouldn’t be completed until June 2020. While their house was under construction, we offered ours as a place to live for them and their three children. Now that we were home and they still had six months of construction before they could move back in, they had found a new rental closer to their neighborhood which they had relocated to a week before we returned. Our move back into our house was scheduled for December 7th and went without a hitch. Within a day of the move, everything is back in its place and we are happily back home.
There is nothing quit like Home, Sweet Home.
Musings…
Loved Istanbul. Fantastic weather, beautiful city on the water, and lots to see and do. The mosques are exquisite and one is more breathtaking than another. The city is brimming with diversity and smiling faces. Food, as with many of our stops, is so delicious. But the shopping is world class - if it’s not in Istanbul it doesn’t exist. Spices, foods, jewelry, artifacts, scarves, leather, clothing, literally you name it - the rugs/carpets are so wonderfully handcrafted (only wished I had more floor space!). Loved the city and definitely want to come back and spend more time touring through other parts of Turkey in the future.
HOME! Felt like Dorothy when we arrived back in San Francisco. So appreciative of our wonderful little house, friends and family. The trip was amazing, once in a lifetime, but like Malcolm said, nothing like home, sweet home.
