Türkiye 2/1/2020 - 2/9/2020 |
|
Tuesday, 2/4/2020 - Chora Church, Süleymaniye Mosque, Hippodrome, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica CisternMorning call to prayer, heard from our open window at Shangri-La Bosphorus We got up at 6 a.m., and as we were getting dressed for breakfast, we could faintly hear the 6:50 a.m. ezan (call to prayer). We opened the window to hear it better. It was hauntingly beautiful as it echoed through the dark and not yet quite awake city. We enjoyed another wonderful buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant, and met Toplum in the lobby for 8:30. Türker was there with the van and drove us toward our first stop of the day, Chora Church. We stopped en route to observe the Theodosian Walls. These city walls date back to 412 A.D. A dry moat and three parallel walls which increase in height were built to defend the city of Constantinople from invasion during the reign of Theodosius II. The dry moat was 20 meters wide and 10 meters deep, with a 1.5 meter high crenellated wall behind it. The middle wall was around 2 meters thick at its base, reaching a height of over 8 meters. The inner wall was a maximum of 6 meters thick and 12 meters high. 20-meter-tall towers were located at irregular intervals over the course of the inner wall. These fortifications proved impervious to attack. Sea walls along the Marmara Sea prevented attack by water. Since attacking armies were not able to breach these defenses, they attempted sieges in the hopes that famine and lack of water would cause the city to fall. However, the city was very prepared. Food was grown inside the city walls, and they had a very sophisticated water system. A few miles back, we had passed the Valens Aqueduct, a Roman period arched bridge structure which dates back to the 4th century A.D. The Byzantine Empire used underground pipes to transport water 120 km to the city of Constantinople (at a 15 meter differential to support gravity feeding). When underground pipes were not possible because the water had to pass through a valley, they constructed aqueducts such as this one. Water was susceptible to contamination by enemies in aqueducts, so as water entered the walled city, they first stored in in aerated ponds. Carp lived in these ponds and acted as canaries in coal mines so to speak to alert them of contamination. They could turn off the flow of water if it was compromised. Clean water was stored in a series of over 100 cisterns, with a combined capacity of over one million cubic meters, enough water to sustain the city through years under siege. These included the immense Basilica Cistern, which we would visit this afternoon. Thanks to their strong fortifications and forethought into food and water availability, the walls of Constantinople were not breached until the advent of firearms, when the city fell to the Ottomans on May 29, 1453. We admired the Theodosian Walls. Lengths of wall were in various states of repair, from some that looked downright rustic to others which were well restored. The dry moat was now being used as vegetable gardens by Roma people. We drove through the Fatih District. This is a much more conservative neighborhood than Beşiktaş, where our hotel is located. This neighborhood is known for its wedding dress industry. Every shop window for several blocks was occupied by endless mannequins displaying gorgeous wedding gowns of all colors and styles. Traditional western white gowns ran the gamut of styles, from petticoat fluffed princess to elegant A-line to form-fitting mermaid. There were also dresses in colors other than white, some of which looked like prom dresses and others of which looked like cocktail dresses. Dresses ranged from capes to sleeves to spaghetti straps to strapless. Fabrics included satin, lace, tulle, and brocade. Some mannequins were wearing hijabs which matched the dress. It was quite interesting to note the varieties. In a secular country, any and all of these are acceptable wedding attire. Our first stop in Fatih was Chora Church. This is an Orthodox Christian church which dates back to the medieval Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire) period. Emperor Constantine himself converted to Christianity in 312 A.D., but there is debate as to whether this belied sincerity or mere political savvy. In 313 A.D., he decreed the edict of Milan, which granted tolerance of religions, allowing Christianity to exist alongside Roman religions (paganism), and Judaism. Although he identified as Christian, he did not declare an official religion of the Empire. It is thought that the social structure of Christianity was beneficial to Constantine in terms of keeping the Empire under control. The word "Chora" roughly translates to "country" or "field." The name refers to the fact that when a church was first constructed at this location in the early 4th century A.D., it was located outside of the Constantinian Walls (the city walls of the time). It is, however, within the limits of the Theodosian Walls which were built a century later. The current Chora Church ediface dates back to 1077 A.D. In the 14th century, the church was decorated with beautiful mosaics and frescoes, funded by Byzantine statesman Theodore Metochites. Around the year 1500, half a century after Constantinople fell to the Ottomans, Chora Church was transformed into a mosque. Per Islamic tradition, images of humans and animals were not allowed to be displayed, as they usurp the power of the creator, Allah. Luckily, the Ottomans did not destroy or deface the detailed art of the Byzantine church; they simply plastered over it with gypsum. This actually means that the mosaics and frescoes are better preserved today than if they had been exposed to the air for the past 500 years. After Türkiye became a Republic, the mosque was decommissioned and Chora was turned into a museum. Mosaics and frescoes were uncovered and restoration work was carried out. We couldn't tell what we were in for as we approached the church. The exterior was covered by scaffolding, and it was in a section of town crowded with residential buildings. We couldn't see its six domes, only its single minaret poking skyward through the tarps. We were the only ones here this morning, except for the museum workers and a cat and dog who greeted us near the ticket booth. We entered the church into the exonarthex, a 4 meter wide corridor which now houses the gift shop. The theme of the art which decorates the church is the juxtaposition between Christ's divinity and humanity. Jesus is depicted in the mosaics dressed in blue robes (symbolizing his humanity) with gold lining (symbolizing his divinity). The first mosaic we saw was above the doorway to the esonarthex (inner 4 meter wide corridor). It was a mosaic depiction of Christ Pantocrator (Almighty), and above him were mosaics of two of his famous miracles: turning water to wine at the wedding feast at Cana, and feeding the multitudes with several loaves and fishes. The 14th century mosaics were absolutely stunning. The component tessera (mosaic tiles) are made of glass. The exceptions are the white tessera, which are made of marble. Gold leaf is incorporated into the glass tiles, and they glitter like they were just made today as opposed to 700 years ago! Jesus' eyes are made from much smaller tessera, placed at opposing angles so that they appear to follow you as you walk around. The amount of detail in these mosaics is so fine that they rival paintings in terms of the contours and expressions of the faces. We proceeded to the esonarthex. Nearly every surface (walls, arches, domes, and ceilings) was clad in glittering mosaics. As we looked up, we saw mosaics depicting the life of the Virgin Mary, as recounted in the Apocryphal Gospels. The doorway to the narthex (main area of the church) was flanked by mosaics of St. Peter and St. Paul. Above the doorway was a mosaic showing patron Theodore Metochites presenting a model of this very church as an offering to Jesus. We entered the narthex of the church, and we immediately noticed the amazing acoustics of the space. Everything was naturally amplified by the architecture of domes and niches. Only a few mosaics remain in the narthex, but they are stunning! To the left of the altar area is a mosaic of Jesus, and to the right is a mosaic of Mary holding the golden-robed Christ child. The face of the baby Jesus does not resemble a baby's face at all, but instead belies the care-worn face of an older man. The dome was made of red brick. The walls and floors of the church are faced with marble slabs. Gray and white marble is local, from the Marmara area. Other marble (fossil-infused pink marble, dark forest green marble, and even yellow marble) is sourced from foreign locations including Egypt and France. The builders valued symmetry, so slabs were laid as mirror images of one another, creating some very interesting Rorschach-esque designs. When the church was constructed, they used several different techniques for cutting marble. They would wedge pieces of wood into the marble, and they would proceed to wet the wood. As the wood absorbed the water and expanded, it would rough cut the marble. Then they would make cordage from a combination of lamb intestines and silk thread. They would run the cordage back and forth like a saw blade, sprinkling sand on it to increase the friction. This would allow them to saw through the marble. It is fascinating to learn about the historical technology. Toplum pointed out that the mihrab (Islamic prayer niche), which was added when the Chora Church was transformed into a mosque, is offset from the center of the church. This is because the mihrab must face Mecca. The church faces East. So the mihrab had to be positioned facing slightly to the right. It was so refreshing that the conquering culture was so adaptable that they didn't feel the need destroy what came before. They appreciated the architecture, irrespective of the religion responsible for its construction, and simply enhanced it to suit their own needs. As we exited the narthex, we admired a beautiful mosaic above the doorway depicting the Dormition of the Virgin (Mary's peaceful death in her sleep before her body ascended to heaven). We passed through the esonarthex back to the exonarthex. There we browsed the items in the gift shop and admired more mosaics. These depicted Christ's nativity, the Magi asking King Herod where to find the newborn Jesus, enrollment for taxation before Governor Quirinius, etc. There were a few frescoes in the exonarthex. Their colors were vibrant and vivid. The majority of frescoes at the church are part of the parecclesion (side chapel), which is currently closed for restoration. Even though we didn't get to see that aspect, we are very grateful that the museum was still open to visitors during the restoration process! As we returned to the van, a street cat crossed our path, and we admired the colorful two-story houses which lined the hilly cobblestone road. It was so picturesque! Next we visited the extraordinary Süleymaniye Mosque. This mosque was commissioned by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent and designed by famous architect Mimar Sinan in the mid-1500's. It is still a functioning mosque today. Visitors are welcome, but must be modestly dressed. Women are required to cover their heads. I had made sure to bring a scarf for just this purpose. There was a lovely courtyard from which we had a great view of the exterior of the mosque and its four minarets. Only mosques commissioned by a Sultan were allowed to have four minarets. We removed our shoes and carried them inside, placing them on a shoe rack. The interior of the building is mostly painted a cream color. This, along with one hundred thirty eight windows, gives the interior of the mosque a light and airy feel. The central dome, which soars 150 feet above you, has beautiful golden Arabic calligraphy at its center. The qibla wall (facing Mecca) is adorned with stained glass windows. The chandeliers are made up of lightbulbs inside glass pendants hanging from a circular metal frame. Before electricity, these were olive oil lamps which needed manual lighting. Because of this, the chandelier is low enough that a person could reach it to light the lamps. As it was in between prayer time, a man was vacuuming the crimson carpeting. It would take many passes of the old-fashioned corded vacuum to clean the vast expanse of carpet, and reminded us of a man we saw mowing a huge football pitch with a lawnmower in Cairns, Australia. But I suppose it must be a meditative activity, especially in such a peaceful and beautiful setting as this (well, except for the noise of the vacuum itself). Toplum told us some facts about Islam in Türkiye. Ninety-eight percent of the population identifies as Muslim, on a continuum running between traditionally devout and secular. Other religions (Judaism, Christianity) are such a small percentage of the population that they are generally tolerated without issue. Islam does not have a central governing body, as such, and Türkiye is officially a secular state. But the government's Presidency of Religious Affairs assigns imams to mosques and generally oversees the 80,000 mosques in the country. We exited the mosque and replaced our shoes. We found ourselves on a terrace overlooking the Golden Horn, an inlet of the Bosphorus which defines the northern boundary of the Old City. Small domes on the roofs of the madrasas (Islamic schools) cascaded down the hillside toward the Golden Horn. On the opposite shore, we could see ferries docked. The Galata Tower, looking storybook incongruous among the modern skyline of the Galata neighborhood, was easily visible. We walked through an historic cemetery. The stone grave markers for women were more curvy and voluptuous, carved with elaborate floral motifs. Gravemarkers for men were more straight and narrow, with the top carved to resemble whatever piece of headwear represented the deceased's social status. We entered the octagonal domed tomb of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. It was gorgeous. The walls were adorned with priceless Iznik tiles. Iznik is a town in western Anatolia famous for its ceramic industry which lasted from the late 1400's through the late 1700's. The tiles are made of a combination of clay and quartz. They are painted with elaborate Islamic designs, and then glazed. The glaze is opaque after it is applied, until a second kiln firing when it becomes transparent and shiny. The tiles in the tomb were absolutely stunning. These resplendent tiles depicted Arabic calligraphy as well as floral and geometric motifs in hues of blue, white, and turquoise. The upper portions of the wall were faced with alternating green and pink marble slabs. Each of the eight walls is topped with an arched niche encasing three stained glass windows. There were several bodies entombed here, but Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent's was in the center, and it was surrounded by a low wooden fence which was inlaid with elaborate patterns of abalone and tortoise shell. After we had fully explored the Süleymaniye Mosque complex, Türker drove us to Sultanahmet, the area of the Old City of Istanbul where some of the most famous tourist sites are located. He dropped us off right next to Sultanahmet Meydanı (Sultan Ahmet Square). This area was the site of a Roman circus called the Hipppodrome, built in 203 A.D. by the Emperor Septimius Severus, and further expanded in 324 A.D. when Emperor Constantine moved the seat of government from Rome to Byzantium. The Hippodrome seated around 30,000 spectators in stadium seating 40 feet high. In the Roman tradition of "panem et circenses" (bread and circuses), the masses were entertained here by chariot races, parades, and public executions. Though the U-shaped racetrack itself is lost to history, echoes of it remain. The spina was a center barrier 2 meters wide and 3 meters high which divided the racecourse in half. This focal point running through the center of the Hippodrome was decorated with monuments and statues. Three of these are still present today. The 10th century Walled Obelisk (Column of Constantine Porphyrogenetus) now appears as a stone obelisk, but was once adorned with bronze plates which were taken during the sacking of the city in the 4th Crusade. Other monuments were imported from across the great expanse of the Roman Empire. One of these is the bronze Tripod of Plataea, now known as the Serpent Column, which was taken from Delphi in Greece. It had been created to celebrate the victory of the Greeks during the Persian Wars in the 5th century B.C. The bronze is said to have been sourced by melting down the shields and armor of the defeated Persians. Though the top of the column originally featured a golden bowl supported by three seprent heads, only the patina green bronze coil of the base survives today. You might think you are in Egypt as you look to the third surviving monument: the obelisk of Tutmose III from Karnak, Egypt. This obelisk dates back to 1450 B.C. It was transported from Egypt by boat under orders from Constantine, but they found it difficult to transport it on land and erect it in Constantinople. It was not erected until the reign of Theodosius I in the 4th century A.D. The obelisk was cut down to 2/3 of its initial size, though it is unknown whether this was the result of an accident during transport or deliberately done to make it easier to move. It was re-christened the Obelisk of Theodosius, and was placed onto a marble pedestal carved with a frieze depicting Theodosius I crowning a triumphant charioteer with a laurel wreath. It was so surreal to be in the center of a Roman Hippodrome, looking at ancient monuments from Constantinople, Greece, and Egypt, the oldest of which dates back 3500 years! The ground level of Sultan Ahmet Square today is significantly higher than it was during the heyday of the Hippodrome. The square is paved in cobblestones, but there are gaps in the cobblestones where the spina monuments stand so that their plinths, a good ten to fifteen feet below current street level, are visible. Flanking the Hippodrome on its northwest side is the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art. Constructed in 1524, the building was originally the palace of Pargali Ibrahim Pasha, the second Grand Vizier to Süleyman the Magnificent. During restoration of the palace in 2012, they found some remnants of the Hippodrome under the building. They have cleaned up the remains and they can be viewed by museum visitors. It is amazing what lies waiting to be rediscovered just below the surface of the modern city, given that ground level has risen during the intervening centuries. Toplum led us into the museum, and we viewed these subterranean structures. These are the ruins of terraced seating on the west side of the racetrack, including ancient water pipes and the entrances to several tunnels. It was fascinating. Toplum asked if we would like to take a quick tour of the rest of the museum while here. How could we say no? We love Islamic art (the prohibition on human and animal forms forces real creativity in terms of design). We were devouring every scrap of historical and cultural information we could get our hands on. We accepted Toplum's offer, and he led us through the highlights of the museum. We are normally the type of people who are very thorough in our investigation of museums. On tours like this, we need to temper our procilivity to linger over artifacts. Our general approach is that I wander around photographing exhibits and explanatory placards for later perusal, while listening to the guide's explanation of the most salient information. We let Toplum set the pace, so that we would be sure to stay on schedule for the other sites on our afternoon itinerary. We could trace the cultural and religious norms of the society over time by observing details within the art. In the 13th century, there was not yet a prohibition on human and animal forms in art. We saw a stone carving from the 13th century Anatolian city of Konya depicting warriors in armor. We inspected gorgeous timber framed mosque doors adorned with copper sheeting from the Great Mosque at Cizre, also dating back to the 13th century. The door's copper sheeting was decorated with elaborate geometric patterns and Arabic calligraphy praising Allah. The bronze door knockers clearly depict lions' heads and dragons. As the Ottoman Empire progressed, the interpretation of Islam became increasingly strict. Representations of animals become much more stylized; dragons and pigeons are barely recognizable. Tulip and carnation motifs become more popular. The tulip is seen as a sacred motif because the Persian word for tulip contains the same letters as Allah. There were many historic double knotted wool carpets on display. These rugs were colored using natural dyes. Color variations were caused by differences in the wool and dye. Though these variations were once scorned as imperfect, they are now treasured for their authenticity. Dark dyes damage the wool more, so lighter colored carpet sections have survived the centuries in better condition. The carpets were displayed in clever ways. While some were hung on the walls vertically, others were displayed horizontally and reflected in mirrors. We were in awe of a 13th Century carpet from Alaeddin Mosque in Konya. It is believed that this carpet would have been observed in the mosque by none other than Marco Polo himself, when he traveled through Türkiye in 1272. He made mention of the carpets of the mosque, as well as describing that Konya was the epicenter of carpet production at the time. He called Turkish carpets "the best and most beautiful carpets in the world." We saw relics embroidered with gold and silver filigree, and a lectern and calligraphy station inlaid with ebony and ivory. A colorful qiblanuma from 1738 was used to determine the time to pray and the direction of Mecca. There were beautiful calligraphy exhibits: illuminated manuscripts as well as stylized depictions of the sultans' names, known as tughra. We saw the tughra of Süleyman the Magnificent, elaborately drawn in blue ink and gold leaf. Jewelry was made out of gold, ivory, and gemstones. We could admire some beautiful Iznik tiles up close. Some unexpected relics included the Prophet Mohammed's beard fibers and his footprint embedded in a rock. We could have spent all day in this amazing museum, but Toplum was able to show us the highlights within the course of an hour. I had snapped many photos which I would review later and research further. All of this sightseeing was making us hungry. Toplum asked what we would like to do for lunch. We all agreed that something local, tasty, and quick would be best. As we walked to the restaurant, the ezan (call to prayer) commenced. As we walked through the Hippodrome, the call originally emanated from the Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque. It was loud and entrancing. Within seconds, the Hagia Sophia muezzin began his call to prayer. Hagia Sophia was further away, so it was quieter. Then a third mosque (Firuz Aga Mosque) joined in. It was a hauntingly beautiful sound, and quite loud when you are right in the thick of it! Afternoon call to prayer, heard from the Hippodrome As we got closer to the Hagia Sophia, Toplum led us to a restaurant called Sultanahmet Köftecisi, which has been in business for 100 years! As we entered the storefront, cooks were grilling meat over charcoal flames. The popular restaurant was quite busy, but we found a table in a relatively quiet corner. We ordered the house specialty: grilled beef "meatballs" made with onion, salt, and breadcrumbs. The meatballs weren't round, but instead were rectangular. They were served with a pickled chili pepper and some spicy sauce. Craig and I each got an order of fries. I had a Fanta and Craig had an Ayran yogurt drink. The food was delicious! After lunch we visited two more mosques: the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque) and Hagia Sophia. They sit opposite one another adjacent to the Hippodrome. Although the Blue Mosque was not originally on our itinerary, Toplum said that we could easily fit it in if we were interested. Part of the reason it wasn't initially scheduled seemed to be that it was currently under major restoration. But it is so iconic that we just couldn't be this close to it and not go inside! This mosque was built in just 7 years between 1609 and 1616. It was designed by Mehmet Aga, an architect who was a student of Mimar Sinan (designer of Süleymaniye Mosque). It has 6 minarets, supposedly because of a misunderstanding between the architect and the Sultan Ahmet I. The Sultan had wanted gold minarets, but the words for "gold" and "six" are quite similar...so he ended up with six non-gold minarets. One of the minarets is being completely rebuilt and was surrounded by scaffolding. We removed our shoes and entered the mosque. The scope of the restoration detracted from the overall grandeur of the space. What is normally an expansive prayer space under soaring domes was now a grid of posts holding up a low false ceiling which obscured the domes from view. Nonetheless, we were able to admire and enjoy the amazing decorative elements on the walls and ceilings of the smaller domes. The mosque gets its "blue" moniker from the hues of the Iznik tiles which adorn the walls. There are many different designs on the tiles, from organic forms such as flowers and plants to pure geometric shapes incorporating Arabic calligraphy. Every surface is decorated, either by tiles or slabs of colorful marble. The ceilings of the domes are painted with Islamic motifs. All of the windows are stained glass. Since the real allure of the Blue Mosque is its details, we feel that the visit was valuable. We had seen the grandeur of a spacious mosque at Süleymaniye Mosque this morning. Next we went to Hagia Sophia. This location has been the site of worship since 360 A.D., when Constantine established a church here. After its destruction, Theodosius II built a church here in 415 A.D. This church was also ultimately destroyed. The current Hagia Sophia was built as a Christian church in 537 A.D. under Emperor Justinian. Its architecture, including its huge dome, were really state of the art for its time, and were only surpassed in scale during the Renaissance, a thousand years later. The church was converted to a mosque after Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in the 15th century. Its architectural style would become the pattern for Ottoman mosques. Like Chora Church, they did not destroy the Christian mosaics and instead covered them. The building was converted into a museum during the Turkish Republic, and the mosaics have been restored. It is now an interesting juxtaposition of Christian and Muslim elements (for example, a mosaic of the Virgin Mary sits between the calligraphy names of Allah and Mohammed). As we approached the building, we saw remains of architectural elements which were part of Theodosius II's 5th century church scattered on the grass. The carvings on the stone blocks included lamb motifs and crosses. We entered Hagia Sophia and were immediately dazzled by the shiny golden tessera of ceiling mosaics. Walls were faced with colorful granite slabs. An enormous door was solely for the use of the Emperor, with smaller doors for other men. Even in Christian times, women were separated from men during religious rituals. Women would watch Mass from an upper gallery. Ramps to access the galleries existed in the four corners of the church. Communion would be administered to women at the base of the ramps. We walked up one of these winding ramped passageways to reach the women's gallery. These corridors stood in stark contrast to the opulence of the rest of the building. The floor was stone and the walls were brick. It was claustrophobic and purely functional. It felt like you were in a passageway in an ancient castle. The gallery is a good place to start your tour, as you are presented with a view of the entire narthex of the building while also being closer to the elaborate decoration of the ceiling of the main dome. Hagia Sophia is also under restoration. The metaphorical elephant in the room was a large block of scaffolding in the left half of the narthex, stretching straight up to the base of the enormous dome. The dome is a whopping 105 feet in diameter, and is decorated with gold leaf and beautiful Arabic calligraphy. One very interesting historical element is "Viking graffiti" carved into the marble railings of the gallery. The Romans employed Vikings as mercenaries and bodyguards. These Vikings sat in the gallery during Mass to protect the Emperor and Empress. They apparently got bored and carved runic graffiti into the marble during the 9th century! Exquisite mosaics decorated the walls of the gallery, while the walls of the narthex below were decorated with slabs of marble in different colors and patterns. After walking the length of the gallery and taking in the view of the church from all angles, we descended the ramps back down to the main level. As we saw in Chora Church, the mihrab (prayer niche) and minbar (pulpit) are slightly offset, because the church was oriented to the East, but the Islamic elements need to face Mecca. The lighting made the gilding of the mihrab and minbar glow ethereally. One section of the floor is inlaid with marble circles. This is the Omphalion (navel of the earth), the spot on which Eastern Roman Emperors were crowned. We exited the Hagia Sophia via the Emperor's Tunnel, which dates back to the 2nd century B.C. In the tunnel is a mosaic which depicts Constantine and Justinian giving the city of Constantinople and the Hagia Sophia to the Virgin Mary and Jesus. This was a form of propaganda meant to inspire future Emperors to be as generous to the Church. The tunnel terminates at an imposing bronze door from the Temple of Tarsus (2nd century B.C.), placed here by Emperor Theophilos in the 9th century A.D. An annex of the Hagia Sophia was used as a baptistery. There was a huge basin made from a single piece of marble (3.26 meters wide by 2.52 meters high), with three steps on each end via which one could submerge oneself. The Ottomans did not destroy the basin when they co-opted the baptistery building as a Sultan's tomb in 1639. Instead, they moved it outside to its present location in a courtyard. The courtyard also contains a sarcophagus and earthen jugs used in the production of myrrh. Both Hagia Sophia and our next stop, the Basilica Cistern, figure prominently in the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love. In the Hagia Sophia, Sean Connery's Bond has a clandestine meeting with a beautiful employee of the Soviet Embassy. [At the time of our trip, we had not yet seen the movie, but Toplum made sure to point out the relevant locations. We watched the film soon after returning home.] Our final stop for the day in the Old City was the Yerebatan Sarnici or Basilica Cistern. As we learned this morning, pipes and aqueducts brought water into Constantinople from 120 km away. Water was stored in several hundred subterranean cisterns beneath the walled city, setting them up to be able to withstand seiges over the centuries. We descended a staircase and found ourselves in a subterranean palace covering 105,000 square feet. It could store a staggering 21 million gallons of water! There is still around a meter of water in the bottom of the cistern, so they have installed elevated walkways along the perimeter for tourists. The lighting was dim and the place looked quite mysterious. It was so surreal to be inside such an ancient feat of engineering! 336 28-foot tall columns support arched and domed brick ceilings. The columns are spaced at 5 meter intervals in a grid of 12 rows of 28 columns. The capitals of the columns are mismatched, and the building material here were victims of spoliation, or re-use of building materials from prior structures. Nowhere is this more evident than in the foundations of two columns toward the rear of the basilica. These are large marble blocks carved with the head of Medusa. One head lays on its side, the other is upside down. Since they would have been underwater at the time, Christian Emperor Justinian (who built the cistern in 532 A.D.) wouldn't have minded their pagan iconography. Toplum said that when he was a child, the cistern was still full of water. It also had several feet of mud at the bottom that wouldn't be dredged out until the mid-1980's. He visited the cistern with his parents. It was completely dark inside, and you had to rent a small row boat to explore the depths. The water level reached near the tops of the columns, so it must have been strangely claustrophobic despite the huge size of the cistern. His father would row the boat while his mother shone a flashlight into the darkness. What an adventure it must have seemed for a young boy! In From Russia with Love, Connery's Bond punts through the deep water of the Basilica Cistern to a spot from which he can spy (via periscope!) on the Soviet Embassy (even though the embassy was not, in actuality, located adjacent to the cistern). After emerging from the cistern, we walked through the Hippodrome once more (this time stopping to admire the German Fountain, a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1898). Toplum was always discreetly in touch with driver Türker, making all of the logistics seamless. As we rendezvoused with him where he had dropped us off, I noticed a couple of street cats curled up asleep in a display of fur hats for sale. It was adorable, so of course I had to stop to take a photo. The proprietor of the shop smiled and said "nap time" in English. We got back to the hotel at 5 p.m. after a fun day of sightseeing. After taking a short rest, we headed out to our neighborhood in Beşiktaş to get a drink and some light supper. We wanted to sit somewhere comfortable where we could people watch. A couple of bars looked interesting, and two of them even had live music. But they were directly opposite one another and seemed to be dueling by volume. It was far too loud to sit and have any semblance of a conversation. As we wandered, an elderly woman approached us, trying to sell us a travel sized pack of tissues. She glared at us when we said no thank you, and we would later joke that we hope that she didn't put a curse on us. We eventually decided on No. 5 Cafe and Pub. We sat at a sidewalk table, close enough to a heater to be comfortable, but not enough so to overheat. Craig had an Efes Malt beer (which he found that he prefers to their pilsener), and I had a refreshing vanilla milkshake. We ordered the No. 5 Beer Platter: French fries, onion rings, chicken tenders, mozzarella, panned goat cheese, sausage pieces, roll pastry, and paçanga pastry. It really hit the spot, and we enjoyed the cafe ambiance. A few vendors walked through the area, stopping at tables, trying to sell roses, etc. The staff would shoo them away. But then came the tissue lady. She approached two tables before ours. They each quickly transferred coins into her hand. One table paid her and then tried to refuse the tissues. She was not having it; you take the tissues. This isn't a charity. We had no idea what was going on, nor did we know her language to even know how much she wanted. We made an apologetic gesture as she walked by, and she decided not to hassle us further. However the table of Turks behind us wasn't so lucky. But they laughed the whole thing off and she eventually left. We watched as a dog wandered into the cosmetics store across the street, and the employees approached him and gave him a big hug. We had seen several dogs on this sidestreet while eating, but no cats. I mentioned to Craig that there didn't seem to be many kedis [sic], and he responded, "You mean like that one?" He gestured to a cat which had appeared out of nowhere and was now crossing the street, as if I had summoned it. At around 8:30, we walked back to the hotel. This was the second time we had noticed that there is a dog who lays at the very start of the crosswalk in front of our hotel. He lays there as people congregate, and when the walk signal appears, he escorts the crowd of dozens of people across the street. Animals really are a trip here in Istanbul. After posting photos to Facebook and Instagram, we went to bed by 11 p.m., ready for another day of adventure tomorrow. Chora Church Hagia Sophia No. 5 Cafe and Pub |
 Sunrise over the Bosphorus  City walls  Chora Church  Chora Church  Süleymaniye Mosque  Graveyard at Süleymaniye Mosque  Tomb of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent  Hippodrome with Serpent Column from Delphi and obelisk of Tutmose III from Karnak, Egypt  Ruins of the Hippodrome stadium seating  Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art  Craig and Steph in front of the Blue Mosque  Iznik tiles and stained glass in the Blue Mosque  Hagia Sophia  Hagia Sophia  Hagia Sophia  Hagia Sophia  Basilica Cistern  Medusa heads at the Basilica Cistern  Cats or fur hats? #kedi  Having a drink and appetizers at No. 5 Cafe and Pub See all photos from February 4 |
 Chora Church  Süleymaniye Mosque  Madrasas (Islamic schools) cascade down the hillside toward the Golden Horn from Süleymaniye Mosque |
|
|
 |
|
 |
