July 19th
Trip Start
Jul 09, 2008
1
12
13
Trip End
Jul 21, 2008
Istanbul,
Turkey
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
One English crystal chandelier, the heaviest in the world, weighs in over 4.5 tons. It is in the Ceremonial Hall which can accommodate 2500 people. The palace has 66 bathrooms and overlooks the Bosphorus Sea.
The Sultan who eventually lived in the palace (it had been ordered built by his older brother who died of TB at the age of 37) was a wrestler who weighed 330 pounds.
Two years ago this palace was the site of a meeting of the Heads of State from NATO. Bush had made a speech in the gardens area.
We then went to a very unusual place. Miniaturk.It is a garden area with many of Turkey's most outstanding structures and places in miniature. All of its major ruins, mosques, monasteries, as well as some more modern buildings and natural attractions, are built with an exacting detail in miniature. It looked like a huge mini-golf course on Islamic Acid.
The lunch we had was great fun. It was Turkish pizza. I ordered a ground beef pizza (they didn't have veggie). First they bring you wonderful Pita bread with butter, goat cheese and a terrific red tomato, red pepper sauce. Then they bring you a Turkish salad- tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage (not mixed). Finally they bring the pizza. Not one- but two 10 inch pizza. The dough, while fully cooked, is thin and not crispy. The cheese, sauce and coverings are very tasty but I can't eat more than one. Of course, afterwords it was time for tea.
Energized by the meal, we were ready for 6 hours of shopping at the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar.
The Grand Bazaar was started in the 15th Century shortly after the Ottomans conquered what was then Constantinople (Istanbul). It had several gates to enter. We went through one of the more popular ones- Beyazit.
Gold, silver, rugs, copper, pottery, textiles, souvenirs and much more are all available for negotiated sales at the Bazaar. I quickly learned that the initial mark up is extremely high. At one shop I walked away twice and the shopkeeper followed me.
One person came down to 10 Lyra for a tea set after negotiations, then asked me where I was from. When I told him America he withdraw the offer, physically pushing me away. We shopped for nearly 4 hours as we made our way through thousands of booths.
Then on to the Spice Bazaar. The smells were wonderful. Nuts, spices and other goods. It was built in the 17th Century next to the "New" Mosque. The market had been started by a sultan's wife. I got Indian and Turkish saffron, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, winter tea, hot pepper and other spices as well, along with some pistachios for less than $25.00!
It was dinner at a local sea food restaurant next to the Bosphorus. I had grilled sea bass with the usual side dishes and breads that accompany a Turkish meal. We walked along the Sea afterwords with the moon edging over the horizon. Fireworks were exploding in the distance and lots of men and boys with giant fishing rods and reels seated on rugs on the stones eating picnics and enjoying the breeze.
