After the cistern, we headed toward the Topkapi Saray, intending to go inside. However, the sun peeked out just as we spotted a park, so we decided to stay outside and enjoy the bright skies. This park is right beside the Topkapi Palace. It's spacious, has views of the Bosphorus, and even has a playground. We enjoyed our time there, as did many other folks who seemed to want to soak up the sun as much as we did.
"Look Mommy and Daddy, the lion is biting me!"
Liam thought he was quite funny.
One of the many statues of Ataturk, the man who "westernized" Turkey
Room to run AND a playground...SCORE!
Remember my saying ruins were part of parks?
Spring CAN'T be far away, can it?
The Bosphorus, and the Asian, more modern part of Istanbul
After a bit of rest and quiet time (i.e. no nap--Liam's phasing those out), we headed back out to explore a "big tunnel" according to Liam. Very near our hotel is an old cistern, the Basilica Cistern, from the days of Emperor Justinius (anyone seen From Russia, With Love? It's a location in that Bond flick). We got to see some giant fish, intricate columns, and two heads of Medusa. A friendly Japanese tourist even snapped a family photo of us. All in all, it was a neat stop on our tour of the old city.
The ceiling
The columns
The 2 Medusas--placed sideways and upside down intentionally
We stayed in the oldest part of Istanbul, Sultanahmet. One of the things I found so impressive about the city is its seamless transition between the old and new. Ruins are part of public parks, along with playgrounds, and trams run between centuries old buildings. Clearly the city's planners are eager to keep the past a part of everyday culture without causing inconvenience to modern needs. I love that.
Liam mesmerized by the call to prayer
Fresh squeezed pomegranate juice, anyone?
Pedestrian only traffic on this narrow street
The tram line that runs right next to the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia
After visiting the Blue Mosque, we made our way across a park to the Hagia Sophia, one of the most unique religious buildings in the world. The Hagia Sophia began its life as an Eastern Orthodox church in 360, and it remained so (except for 50 years or so as a Roman Catholic church in the 1200's) until the Ottomans conquered Byzantium in the 1400's. It was converted into a mosque and stayed a mosque until it became a museum in 1935. This building has Christian and Islamic details throughout its interior and exterior and is quite amazing to see; the typical Arabic calligraphy is right next to tiled Christian mosaics of Mary and Jesus. We were all very impressed to say the least.
The Hagia Sophia--Byzantine and Ottoman architecture in one
Christian symbols out in the courtyard
Tile work
The dome
Looking WAY up at the ceiling
Islamic and Christian, one next to the other
One of the 4 seraphim
When a building is nearly 1000 years old, some upkeep is required.
Sunday morning, we woke up happy, refreshed, and eager to start our sightseeing. After a delicious breakfast (with a stunning view) at our hotel's restaurant, we headed out to the Blue Mosque, the common name for the SultanAhmed Mosque. It was a quick walk, and since it was still early morning, we did not have to wait long to get inside. We followed the posted rules and took off our shoes before entering, and I also covered my hair with my scarf.
If we thought the outside was magnificent, it was nothing compared to the inside. It is massive with red carpets covering the floor, and the tile and calligraphy adorning the walls and domed ceiling was breathtaking.
The courtyard and one of the 6 minarets
(The fact that there are 6 caused quite the controversy back in the day.
It was thought to be a tad sacrilegious to build 6 minarets
when the Haram Mosque in Mecca--the holiest site in the Islamic faith--also had 6.
Most mosques have only one. But hey, the Ottomans have opulence down to a science!)
The prayer area
(that's a man that has just finished vacuuming--he's not praying)
The middle dome--the blue tiles give the mosque it's common name
More tiled domes and arches
Fancy Arabic calligraphy--mosques don't have pictures or icons inside them (it's considered sacrilegious to put their holy folk in picture form).
The tile work and calligraphy are considered very high art forms.
Here is a video of the evening call to prayer (note--we did not record this, but loved that you can see the seagulls and hear the neighboring mosques and their calls to prayer. Notice how the muezzins seem to be taking turns. They don't sing over each other. That's not how it goes in Sarajevo!) This was pretty much our view from our hotel's rooftop terrace.
I have posted the translation before, but here it is again, just in case you'd like to know what they are saying.
ALLAH is most Great. ALLAH is most Great.
ALLAH is most Great. ALLAH is most Great.
I testify that there is no god except ALLAH.
I testify that there is no god except ALLAH.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of ALLAH.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of ALLAH.
Geoff, Liam, and I went to Istanbul for Presidents' Day weekend. We were excited for a couple of reasons: 1) it was nice to get out of smoggy Sarajevo 2) everyone we know who has visited Istanbul says it is one of their favorite places in the world.
We arrived after an hour and a half flight late Saturday afternoon. After checking into our hotel, we headed out for an early dinner and a quick look around our nearby surroundings in Sultanahmet (the oldest part of Istanbul--the leftovers from the Byzantine and Ottoman empires). Dinner was delicious, and the staff was very friendly and enamored with Liam. Later we found out that we got really lucky with our restaurant. It was ranked #32 out of over 10,000 restaurants in Istanbul on tripadvisor.com. We also got really lucky on our after dinner walk in that the sun was setting and we were outside for the sunset adhan. We do hear the call to prayer daily in Sarajevo, but I've never been surrounded by the sound quite like that. It was surreal and mesmerizing.
TONS more pictures and details to follow. Our love to all!
Today, our housekeeper, Vanja, set up a visit for Liam and his friend, Lane Saxton, to tour the main fire station in Sarajevo, courtesy of her firefighter husband. Vanja accompanied us to offer translation help while her husband let the kids explore--fire trucks, fireman gear, and the call center too! Lane and Liam had SUCH a good time, and we are so grateful to the Nuhić family for taking time out of their day to show us around.
