It has been a moment since I last updated you about my travels so let's catch up while I'm waiting for my flight. Right now I'm at Borg El Arab International Airport, Still in my home country. I'm on my way to Turkey, to be exact Istanbul. I'll tell you my flight details first then let's catch up after that. I'll land in Istanbul at 6:15 Am and I'll stay there for a little bit longer than last time,,, oh, I didn't tell you about last time, sorry. I'll focus on one thing at a time. I'll spend about 19 hours in Istanbul then take another flight that will land me in Male.
OK, now, I have to ride my plane. Let's continue after that.
03:00 AM Borg El Arab International Airport, Alexandria,Egypt.
All set. Let me tell you what happened from Paris till now briefly. I went on an epic adventure in Europe. Did I tell you it was epic? Cause it was more that epic. I really want to tell you more details about it, but I don't want to ruin the surprise yet I'm open to any guesses. I'd have loved to give it to you right away yet due to some technical problems I couldn't continue documenting it. Don't fear my dear. Yes, it passed but not forgotten, I'm still working on it and it'll be delivered as soon as it is finished. Well, part of it, because yes, it's in parts. Enough with the anticipation, it'll happen when it happens. See you in Istanbul.
06:15 AM Istanbul Airport, Istanbul, Turkey.
I'm here, again. (Just bear with me here while I tell you about the trip that I didn't give you its' full details). Last time I only had a few hours at the airport so I walked around. I was doubting my decision not to stay for a whole day then I came to a conclusion that I want to have a full Turkish experience so I was fine. Yet to tell you the truth I wasn't very pleased with my time here last time so I'm considering this as a redemption round. I'll go into the city and explore for a while. At least that's one less city on my exploring list. (I'll explore more every time I come here, as it seems to be that I'm using the Turkish airline more than I expected.)
✓ Luggage: check.
✓ Visa: check.
✓ I need to be here by midnight-sh: check.
✓ Plan: improvised. (Yes, you can start to be scared now.)
✓ My first stop: Food.
I already tried the airport food, so this time I'm heading out for breakfast. I asked the driver to take me to one of the nearest places for breakfast. I'm not picky, I'm hungry and we are on our way now.
What to eat? There are so much options. It's starting to feel like a redemption already. all these options weren't at the airport last time. I think I'll go with 'Kaygana' and 'Boyoz' which is a Jewish Spanish Turkish thing. I had the option to have my 'Boyoz' filled or empty which I choose to be filled. I want to try something sweet so I think I'll order 'Bal kaymak' and a no brainer, coffee. last time I was here I liked it more than I thought.I'm eating now. In my typical style I'm discovering with you what I just ordered. These fancy words were fancy ways to say Omelette with vegetables and bread.
For the sweet thing, it is some kind of cream cheese with honey. Well, they are good. I'm not WOWED but good. I'm really putting so much hope on lunch. (Don't get wrong, OK. I like turkey in a way or another. I'm just not so much into it. It feels like I'm not faraway from home. I have similar food to these at home. On contrary of the other places, they have their differences.)
Now on to my first place to visit which is not so far surprisingly.
Topkapi Palace.
I'm not strictly following a plan. I just googled 'where to go if you have 1 day in Istanbul' and I'm choosing from the options. This palace is my first recommendation. Let's go inside and explore. It's a palace (obviously) where the Sultan, his harem, counselors, servants used to live. It's very interesting. Walking through the gardens which are beautiful and vast. The layout is huge, It contains 4 courtyards and a harem living quarter. There are multiple of buildings and I can't believe that one of the buildings in the first courtyard used to be a church. It is in the very beginning. Walking more into the palace that there are buildings that used to be the administrative center including the tower of justice and the External Treasury, which exhibits the imperial weapons along with the palace kitchens and confectioneries. Apparently the one's status allowed them to reach certain places in the palace. After wandering in more. I found the Gate of Felicity or the innermost courtyard, which housed the private residence of the sultan and the inner palace school.
Only the sultan, members of his family, his servants, and the occasional approved visitor could enter. (I feel like I'm in a game and going through levels). The Harem living quarter is very big with lots and lots of rooms and later in time (as written in google) the Sultan and his family moved in these building which is surrounded by very beautiful gardens and separated from the previous courtyard with lavishing gardens too. Going inside, the building interior is good the whole place is a museum. Everywhere you look, there are so many imperial jewels, book collections, rare manuscripts, illustrated volumes, and early copies of the Quran, all of which researchers can look over in the reading room. the rooms and the aisle have outstanding walls and ceiling, lavishly decorated with painted tiles, stained-glass windows, and shutters with mother-of-pearl and ivory inlay. (for mobile users, check them with me here. For laptop users, you can check here as well.) That's an adventure comes to an end.
The Blue Mosque
Moving forward, what is recommended next on my list is the Blue Mosque. I have to say, on my way here there are so many mosques, museums and other monuments. I think I saw a basilica too! Maybe I'll check it out after I'm done here.
The mosque from outside is breathtaking. They say it's the most famous one her If I have a saying in it. This is a castle not a mosque. The interior is an elegant Islamic design. The walls tiles are amazing in both floors. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design. Check it out yourself. (Or if you are on your laptop feel free to wander here.)
I think it'll be a good idea to do my prayers here before moving on to my next distinction.
My next stop is a church but not the one I saw earlier. What shall I do? Uhhhhh, do I have time for both? Oh wait, both of them are on "the recommend places to visit if you have one day in Istanbul" list. Fair enough. Let's go with the list order and start with 'basilica of Hagia Sophia.'
Basilica of Hagia Sophia
This is definitely not a church! Doesn't basilica mean church? Well, according to Wikipedia "a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions." It didn't specifically stated a church! Well, again, according to the same Wikipedia article, "this word belongs to the old roman and they used it as a public building, where courts were held. By extension the name was applied to Christian churches which adopted the same basic plan." Hence a basilica is a church, right?
Now I'm pretty confused, I totally need an answers and here it is.
The structure originally erected on the site of the 'Hagia Sophia' (also called Church of the Holy Wisdom or Church of the Divine Wisdom) which was a Christian cathedral called the 'Megale Ekklesia', which was commissioned by the first Christian Roman emperor, 'Constantine I' in the 6th century. In subsequent centuries it became a mosque, a museum, and a mosque again. It's considered one of the world’s great monuments. (Thanks google.)
I really have to admit, it's divine! It's so beautiful, so big and vast. (Yes, this is my new commonly used words, beautiful and vast.) Even though the Islamic character is dominant as of course now it's a mosque. You can still feel the christian influence and spot it in a lot of places like the ceilings and some old fainted barely there paintings on walls of some corridors. I'd like you to see for yourself. Of course I like mosques but I love churches too and I have no idea why did they totally ruined a work of art to make anther work of art! What's really astonishing is that both cultures are standing strong till this day in the same place to tell a story that would make many confused. (At least I don't think that I'm the only one who would be confused.)
Now, on to the other church?
Basilica Cistern
Just a couple of steps away is the other church, I guess. The last church was a mosque. What other fun surprises is Istanbul holding for us here. Come on, follow me in.
OK, I wouldn't have expected that in a million years. Well, ya, I should have, the name is a give away 'Cistern'. (If you don't know what this word means, you are not alone, neither did I. It means a tank for storing water. So basically it's an underground tank.) So. why the heck does it's called Basilica ?! Yet WOW, it's amazing from the inside.
It's kinda magical in a mystic and mysterical way. The columns are amazing. Not all of them have the same shape. That one is so amazing in a creepy way and wait, is that a head?! Ooooooh, look at those cute little fishys.
I definitely need a back story to this. I can't just go on just like that.
OK, here we go. (Thanks google again). The reason is that this place is called Basilica is that there was once a basilica here before building the cistern. (I'm seriously kinda pissed with their naming system.) As to what this is exactly. "This is a big underground water reservoir and has an estimated water storage capacity of 100,000 tons." Now, on to the part I'm interested in. "Majority of the columns, most of which is understood to have been compiled from the ancient structures and sculpted of various kinds of marbles." On to the head sculpture. "That's Medusa Heads." (That's explain why they looked familiar to me.) "They are used as supports under the columns and are the great work of art from the Roman period. No one knows where they were taken from. Medusa in three different positions depending on the reflection angles of the light. The legend said that they are here to protect the place." Interesting... I guess I'll take couple of photos there and head out.
My next destination is 'Suleymaniye Mosque' and just from the pictures I can't see a huge difference between it and the blue mosque so I'm skipping. In addition to that I'm starving to death now, so I'll find somewhere to eat and slow down from there.
It's about 4-5 sh. I think I'll head to "Galata Köprüsü" which is a bridge and I'll find any restaurant there. it's about 10 minutes from here by taxi anyway then I may have a sunset cruise after that.
Change of plans. There is a Dinner Cruise on the Bosphorus, which is 4 hours. that will take the rest of my day here. I wanted to visit the 'Grand Bazaar' and 'Büyük Valide Han' but I think we can postponement them to the next time I come here for a day or so. I'll tell you what I'll get for lunch later.
Dinner Cruise on the Bosphorus / 01:30 AM Istanbul Airport, Istanbul, Turkey.
Sorry I couldn't update you at the time things happening. I was eating then my phone died yet I took great pictures with my camera.
Let me tell you first about the food. For starters I really wanted to try 'Mantı' as I couldn't try it the last time I was here. (Which you can call it Turkish ravioli. It's is a hot dish served with cold yogurt and garlic. It's basically some kind of dumplings consisting of the dough and its filling, yet it looked so tempting that I had to get it.) My meat options were 'Kuyu Kebabı / Tandır' (which is slowly cook the whole male lamb) or 'Iskender Kebap' (which basically is a dish of beaten pieces of meat seasoned with suet, local herbs and spices, skewered on a spit and grilled vertically. Leaves, thinly sliced pieces of döner, are served on pieces of pide, a pita like bread. Pide pieces are dressed with butter and tomato sauce. A mouth watering experience) or 'Adana Kebap' (which as much as I can understand it's lamb meat cooked in a fancy way). Long story short I went with the 'Iskender Kebap'. For dessert I went with 'Baklava' (it is the thinness of the dough layers is crucial. The nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios, which is not something I've seen for the first time but there wasn't so much options). There was 'Fırın Sütlaç' (which is baked rice pudding but I'm not a fan at all). The drinks there wasn't fancy enough for my taste and I'm not a tea lover. Unfortunately I couldn't touch the wine. There was good selection yet I have a plane to catch.
Mean while there were 'Entertainment' in the background. The DJ was on most of the time. For the rest of the schedule. There were 'Katibim' (traditional Turkish melody musical performance), which I was't fond of but I'm totally open to all the cultures. 'Asuk Masuk' (imitation play of little people from the Taseli district of Silifke, performed by 2 male dancers). I got a little clip for you. It was funny and quite entertaining. There were 'Belly dancer' and 'Henna ceremony' too. It was a nice performance. That's how I saw it. Well, see for yourself. I can say it was entertaining as well. 'Turna folk team' was couple more performances. Last but not least was 'Turkish romany dance' which is another form of belly dancing.
What I really enjoyed above all of that was the view, as on some point I left the dining area and went on the deck to sit there. It was so nice and refreshing. The cruise was set to showcase the city’s traditional architecture and modern suspension bridge linking Europe with Asia at the Bogazici Bridge. The sun set was amazing I couldn't help but to be mesmerized, see!
Now I'm at the airport charging my phone and about to ride my 8 hours plane which takes off at 01:45 pm. You bet I'll sleep for the entire flight. See you in Male.
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