Day 3: Istanbul (part1)

Pleen and I awoke with the calling for prayer unable, either through hunger or excitement, to fall back asleep. Our tour of Istanbul was not to start until 9, with breakfast starting at 7, so we had several hours to leisurely get ready for the day.

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Breakfast was amazing! I started at a table of sweets and filled my plate with shortbread, mini croissants, savory cheese filled pastries, chocolate cake, nut filled tarts and more! What little room was left I topped with a variety of cheeses, washing it down with coffee, cherry juice, and, as recommended by Pleen, "Cappucino with chocolate" from one of those wee machines. So yummy!

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A short bus ride brought us to the Blue Mosque. We had to take out shoes off, carrying them with us in the provided plastic bags. So beautiful, every wall decorated with tiles, the dominant colours of the intricate designs being of course blue.

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We had actually walked to the mosque from across what was once the hippodrome, of which only several obelisks remain. Men here sold scarves, funny hats, guidebooks, cameras of the disposable sort and accesories, spinning top-toys, and music pipes, walking amongst all the tour groups. In all of Istanbul, there are people selling anything everywhere, and any nook into which a store or stall can be tucked, crammed, or stuck, you'll find three or four.

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From the Blue Mosque we went to Topkapi Palace, where once the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire lived. Pleen and I toured the Harem, which isn't as one would imagine. Life in the palace sounds so exotic and amazing and I'd love to learn more. The views of the rest of Istanbul was incredible! We also saw some interesting religious artifacts including Moses' cane and Muhammed's hat and footprint.

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For lunch we were free to find our own place to eat, the guide recommending some meatball places and buffet type establishments. Pleen and I chose the latter, wherein one grabs a tray, points to several items, and pays before sitting to eat. I had a salad of lettuce, cabbage, carrots dressed with balsamic vinegar and lemon juice, and grilled eggplant topped with chicken and mashed potatoes, which was amazing. A bottle of water and some baklava rounded out my meal.

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From here Pleen and I went to the Basilica Cistern. So! Cool! It's an underground cistern, the roof held up by massive pillars, the water home to coy, some of which were huge! We saw the two mysterious haeds of Medusa and the pillar the grants wishes? Halfway through all the lights, every last one, turned off and the huge cavern near roared with the collective gasp of the possibly hundred people trapped within. It didn't last long though, so I was able to uncling myself from Pleen and continue through, though many of the "mood" lights were much slower to turn back on. Despite getting dripped on by water (eww...) this has so far been one of the most amazing sights!

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Afterwards we went to Aya Sophia. We were lucky to be here at this time as Turkey, or perhaps just Istanbul, is one of the cultural capitals of europe for 2010, and so the scaffolding the normally limits the views of the incredible dome has been almost ebtirely removed witht he rest pushed aside to provide an unobstructed view of the wonderful dome. Aya Sophia is a great example of what started out as a byzantine cathedral and has since been turned into a mosque and then partially restored. The different ways that the art has been modified to follow the edicts of Islam is very neat to see. This place is also a good example of the evolution of byzantine art, just like I have seen in art history books! One of the pillars within Aya Sophia is the place where a miracle of some sort took place; there is a hole in it and the legend is that when you put your thumb in it and rotate your hand a full 360degrees and make a wish it will come true. The worn is worn deep and smooth and weirdly shaped, the area of the pillar around it worn colourless where countless hands have swept across it. Pleen and I were so busy having our pictures taken while performing this ritual by each other that we both completely forgot to make a wish! I knew what I wanted to wish for though...