MUSEUMS, TOWERS, & A TURKISH BATH
Trip Start
Oct 01, 2008
1
177
319
Trip End
Sep 02, 2009
Istanbul, Turkey
Thursday, April 9, 2009
When Constantinople was captured in 1456 the church was turned into a mosque and all the Christian relics were removed, mosaics were plastered over and the angel's faces were covered. No humans or animals are shown in a mosque. The largest muslim inscriptions, on leather, hang in the church.
Two jars are now on display, are marble jar brought from Pergamon during the reign of Sultan Murad III. Originally from the Hellenistic period, they are carved from a single block of marble.
The height of the dome is unbelievably high. They are doing reconstruction or restoration work and there is scaffolding up to the top. Spoilt some of the pictures, but then it gave us another perspective - there is a stairway to heaven!
The mira (pulpit) for Muslims is in place. There was a cat warming itself in front of one of the spot lights. She caught everyone's attention. We could go up to the 2nd floor, an amazing sight looking down on the huge main floor. On this floor are mosaic pictures that the plaster has been removed from and the they have been restored as best as they can. They are just beautiful and it is hard to believe that they are all made with little tiny squares of coloured ceramics.
On the tramway to cross the Bosporus, we stayed on one stop too long and now have to walk back and up hill to the Galata Tower. It was, originally named the Tower of Christ, it was the highpoint in the city walls of the Genoese colony called Galata. Most of the walls are long gone, but the great tower remains. Until the 1960s it was a fire lookout tower. Now the upper floors are a restaurant and a panorama balcony.
The panorama balcony, encircling the highest row of windows, is narrow, open to the weather, and not recommended for anyone suffering from acrophobia (fear of heights!). It was a nice day, but windy, I went around the top once and enjoyed the view, Len went around 2 times to savor it all in. No, we did not walk up, there is an elevator. We stopped outside at the bottom and had our lunch with some fresh bread from the corner bakery. While eating we heard some music. I had a look and said it was a band coming from the front of a restaurant. Len went for a look and said ther band was on the street and there were dancers. I went down and watched the dancers, it was a group of men and women in ethnic costumes, the band was the long flute horn, bagpipe and drum. Everyone was happy and enjoying the presentation. We realized when it was all over it was for the grand opening of an Anatolian Restaurant. Len got in on the chef's group picture, in the background.
We walked down this steep, steep hill, what a great move staying on the tram one stop to many coming here. It would have been quite the climb up this hill. Our walk up was an easier assent.
Our next stop was to the Chora (or Church of the Holy Redeemer in the Fields) Church, back on the tramway, cross the sea and way into the burbs or outside the old city of Constantinople. We then had to transfer to the underground or metro. This is off to the left side as we left the tramway, down one block on the left and then under the road and up to the metro to go down again. We got on at a station beginning with A, the starting point of the Metro, and went out 2 or 3 stations to the one with Topkapi in it's name. We left the station and headed for the other side of the street, walked way up a hill looking for the church. Beside us all the way up is the remains of an ancient wall. Oops, we find out we are on the wrong side of the main street, so back down the hill, cross the main street and back up the hill on the other side. We met a man who is now leading us. We go through an entrance of the wall ruins and out onto the main drag, up a couple of blocks, back through the ruin wall, down 3 streets and turn here on the right and a quick left turn and the church is down below (details for fellow travelers). We are coming in the back side.
It is a small stately old church with unique walls, turret, curves and grooves. It became a mosque with the Ottomon, in 1948 it became a museum. The inside is just awe striking. We have seen mosaics before, most of them being floors, and the few in Aya Sofia this morning. These are beautiful, so many and in such an incredible state.
More info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chora_Church.
The return trip back to the Blue Mosque area was easy. We stopped at McD's for a milk shak and then I went for a Turkish Bath!
This was quite the experience and one that I definitely wanted to have in Turkey. This bath has a side for men and a side for women, once inside I was in the courtyard area, then went upstairs, changed, put on the pestemal and crocks, downstairs and directed into the sweating area or "Hararet", there is a low marble platform called the "Gobek Tasi" which is heated, it is circular and huge. I lay down on the pestemal and relax, it is nice and warm and although it is hard marble, it feels comfortable, I guess because it is warm. I have my own new scrub mitt, and shortly a woman comes and wets, scrubs and then washes me with bubbly soft soap. I then go into one of the little rooms and I am rinsed and my hair is washed and rinsed. This is the end of the service provided, but I can lay on the marble, enjoy the pool and any of the side rooms. So I laid on the marble until I was quite hot, went into the pool to cool down, then rinsed off in a small room, (these rooms have warmed marble seats and floors, marble basins with silver pans to pour water on yourself), then back out onto the marble, a rinse and then left feeling quite refreshed, but tired. I sat outside in the courtyard area to cool down more, then changed and on my way.
You can also do a bath yourself using all the facilities, brining your own shampoo, soap, etc. They still provide the pestemal and crocks. For more info: http://www.tour-turkey.com/turkish-bath.htm
I walked back home, past McD's for a sundae. There is always someone who wants to talk to you or asks where you are from, they are generally salesmen and want you to come and look at their carpets. Out for diner and then packed for moving day tomorrow.
Wow! What a packed and exciting day.
