Istanbul, Turkey - 13-19 April 2006

Istanbul is fascinating, with her beautiful architecture, rich history, and warm-hearted people. Old Roman ruins, Byzantine churches and cisterns, Ottoman mosques, opulent palaces, exotic bazaars, and steamy hamams await discovery in this unique European-Asian city that straddles two continents, Asia and Europe, divided by the Bosphorus Strait.

Ninety-nine percent of the locals are Muslims, and many were graciously welcoming - occasionally a bit too welcoming. Skilled in the art of persuasion, touts and salesmen greeted us with cheerful Korean and Japanese phrases, along with wildly off-the-mark guesses about our origins. Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Papua New Guinea? Really?! Still, I had to admire their geographic range.

Most of our meals leaned heavily toward meat - kebabs, grilled lamb, and more kebabs. Vegetables were scarce and limited in variety.

No visit to Istanbul feels complete without indulging in a traditional Turkish bath at a hamam. My friend, Faeimm, and I went full monty and stepped into the ancient, steam-filled dome of the Çemberlitaş Hamamı, where a handful of no-nonsense local women were ready to scrub us clean. In the center of the room sat a massive, round, heated stone - where bathers could sit or lie down after their wash. 

Lying on the edge of the stone, awkward and slightly ticklish, I submitted to a vigorous full-body exfoliation by a burly attendant wielding a wet crepe-kese (coarse mitt) with silent authority. No chit-chat - just scrubbing. When she finished one side, she'd deliver a firm slap on the butt or on my thigh, her nonverbal cue to turn or sit up. Strangely enough, I understood her perfectly.

What followed was a thorough rinse, an invigorating 15-minute massage, a second lathering of soap, another rinse, and a quick hair wash finished with a brief head-and-shoulders massage by the tap. It was, without a doubt, one of the most interesting and unforgettable experiences of the trip.

Hagia Sophia, 6th-C. A.D. -  

Formerly a church, then a mosque and now a museum; the minarets were added by the Ottoman Turks

(Click here for wiki info)

Great Palace Mosaic Museum
(Click here for wiki info)

The Basilica Cistern 532 A.D. (Yerebatan Sarnici i.s. 532)
(Click here for wiki info)


Below top: Marble pedestal (left) of the Obelisk of Theodosius, 4th-C A.D. (middle column) & Column of Constantine Porphyrogenetus, 10th-C A.D. (right)


Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque or Sultanahmet Camii)
(Click here for wiki info)



Topkapi Palace
(Click here for wiki info)



Below top: Grand Bazaar - 
one of the largest and oldest markets in the world
(Click here for wiki info)


The Galata Tower
(Click here for wiki info)


Dolmabahce Palace
(Click here for wiki info)


Istiklal Avenue (Istiklal Caddesi) and Taksim Square in Beyoglu district
(Click here for wiki info)


Spice Bazaar (Misir Carsisi)
(Click here for wiki info)


Bosphorus Cruise - 
 the Bosphorus Strait separates Europe and Asia and connects the Sea of Marmara to the south and the Black Sea to the north


Kadikoy -
 located on the Asian side of Istanbul
(Click here for wiki info)


Miscellaneous Istanbul -
Bottom: Waiting for the Whirling Dervish (Sufi whirling) performance to start
(Photography was not allowed)
(Click here for wiki info about Sufi whirling)


Our meals @ Istanbul

Next post: New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Previous post: Blue Angels in San Francisco, California, USA