Monday, May 2, 2011
Istanbul, Turkey
Woke up this morning bright and early after an excellent rest, which Jan and I needed.
Breakfast at the hotel then downtown via the hotel's shuttle to the Sultanahmet area of the old city of Istanbul. This area is very rich in history and incredible architecture, comprising the Topkapi palace to the north, then the Ayasofia Cathedral/Mosque/museum, the Bascilica Cistern, and finally the Blue Mosque to the south. We started with the Blue Mosque as we had read about it and the lineup was short at only about 100 meters long. The line moved quickly and soon we were passing through a very low portal to an area where we removed our shoes and put them into the plastic bags provided to carry them with us.
We passed into the mosque itself and the sense of airiness and space was very strong. This was our first mosque since the world cruise, and I forgot the sensation of space with all that we had seen since. Churches, Cathedrals, Bascilicas all seem to be built in a rectagular form or in the form of a cross. In any case, the areas tend to be much longer than their width resulting in an impression of narrowness, with an elaborate and ornate altar of gold at one end, and then row on row of pews where the people sit. A very profound separation or hierarchy between clergy and laity, in terms of position on the floor, height above the floor, and in attire. Mosques, in our small experience, don't seem to be that way. First, the clergy (Imam, perhaps, pardon my ignorance of the terminology) don't seem to be dressed much differently from the flock. Second, the area is square with great space from the floor to the dome to create the sense of space. Third, there are no chairs to speak of in the area of worship. Everyone is on the carpet, hence the notion of removing shoes before entering so the floor is as clean as possible. Though I know very little about it, I instinctively like Islam and what it stands for. Many mosques are in Istanbul, and many have the sayings of 'the prophet' on them in the form of plaques and banners, and the messages are good ones. Much like Christianity, and I suppose Confucianism, and for certain Budhism, all of the fundamental teachings of the great religions speak of doing good deeds, loving your neighbor,etc. Again and again, it is the power structure of religion that corrupts the fundamental teachings. The lesson is peace but the message from the religious leaders is, way too often, hatred for those who are different from us in beliefs. Or even like us in beliefs, but if you don't believe as the religious leaders teach, then you are hated too. Sunni vs Shiite, Catholic vs. Protestant, Presbyterian vs Church of England, etc. Frankly it makes me sick.
After the Blue Mosque we felt natures call, and went out back where we had seen the signs for the WC facilities. After stopping at the gate to pay one Euro for the two of us, Jan and I went our separate ways down the stairs. In the facilities, we each found the 'hole in the floor' with the foot pads on either side. I shan't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that I understand now why the Arab countries originally adopted the dress code that they have, tending to long flowing robes that can be raised up out of harms way while doing WC business. Garments that are lowered but not removed from the legs have a much greater chance of getting in the way while squatting. Enough said.
We took a break then and had lunch at a charming sidewalk cafe, and were delighted to find that there were several resident cats, friendly little fellows. To Jan's concern I fed them some of my chicken, and sure enough she was right, they wouldn't leave. I didn't really mind, I liked them, but they did get a bit grabby at the food I offered them and bit my fingernail.
From the lunch we made our way to the Cistern. We got lucky there again, the lineup was only about 10 feet long, and we got in, paying our ten turkish lire each to do so. (About C$9 in total, 2.12 Turkish lire per Euro) We walked in to a small portal, you can't see anything above ground that hints at the subterranean structure, and then started down the stairs. The cistern is huge, a giant water reservoir as the name suggests. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water that was once used by the city and served as water storage in times of seige of Istanbul. I'm not sure of its present use, but probably not as a potable water source judging by the very large number of carp that swim around in the cistern, and big ones too, some of them a couple of feet long and about six inches wide. Also, it had rained overnight though the sun was shining outside since the morning, water still dripped down from the roof into the cistern. The effect underground, with the pillars and the lights and the brickwork of the ceiling and supports and archways, was just brilliant. Finally, too soon really, we were out the back into the gift shop where we bought our Turkey mug to celebrate the occasion.
After the cistern we wandered a bit and then went down a hill by the tramline and wandered into the grounds of the Topkapi Palace. Due to my lack of focus, we found ourselves out of available time to visit the palace and its many attractions. The Harem for example is said to require several hours alone to see properly, and the treasury with its jewels and treasures is worth an afternoon alone. And there is much more. We only had a half hour, so we went for a coffee and a visit to the gift shop, then headed back south again toward the Blue Mosque and the bazzar and our shuttle pickup at 5:50. Saw many sights, took a lot of photos, enjoyed the day immensely. Jan proclaimed that she loves Istanbul and feels very at home here, unlike Romania. And she bought some neat artwork, a lovely page from the Koran that is pretty but otherwise meaningless to us, and some very nice ceramic bowls with dancing sultans on them. We did this buying right across the street from the rug merchants, must have been a bit provoking to them.
Home to the Ibis by shuttle, a bit of a relax in the room, then down for dinner followed by an early evening.
