Istanbul, Turkey (day 4)

Day 4 - January 10, 2023

Started out as a cloudy windy day, but it ended up being a beautiful warm day. Had a bit of a late start to the day and ended up just missing the start of the 10am guided tour of Hagia Sophia. I might go back one of the remaining days here if I have some time for a tour. Ended up walking through anyways. 

Hagia Sophia is a very impressive building! There is so much history and detailed craftsmanship that went into it. There have been three different places of worship on the site. The current one was built as a Christian cathedral by emperor Justinian I. When the Ottomans conquered Constantinople they turned the building into a mosque, plastering over the original Christian mosaics and artwork. What is left today is a mixture of Christian and Islamic art. The marble steps leading into the mosque are very well worn. Shoes must be taken off before entering the main area of the building, which is covered in soft green carpet. Inside are huge pillars and massive domes overhead. 

Next to the mosque is the Basilica Cistern. This is an underground structure which was also built by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I. The cistern served as a fresh water source for the city. Water was brought in via an aqueduct and canal systems which started in three different locations, spanning a total distance of 592km in length. Water was then distributed to state institutions, baths, and fountains.

Walking through the entrance, you are met with a rush of warm, humid air. Water still drips from above, and the marble columns show signs of years of water erosion. Lights have been added which change from teal to orange to a more natural light color every few minutes, creating a nice environment. More recently artwork has been added throughout, probably to make the site more interesting for visitors.

Two of the pillars have carvings of Medusa at the bottom. One is placed sideways and one upside down. It is thought that they may have been placed this way to negate the power of Medusa from turning people to stone.

Back outside in the fresh city air, I stopped for some Turkish sweets, baklava and Turkish delight. Baklava is a type of pastry usually filled with chopped nuts and honey or syrup. Turkish delight can be bought as little rolls or squares. Mainly made out of sugar and starch and they are often filled with fruit or chopped nuts. Super healthy :)

Wandered through the streets some more to burn off them calories :D

Unfortunately the Blue Mosque is closed for the next few months due to renovations, so no entry is allowed. Found some better views of the outside along the eastern side of the building though. 

Last visit for the day was a quick stop at the Mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed I. A small building where a number of Sultans and their family members were buried.

Dinner today was a some traditional Turkish şiş kebap (shish kebab). Typically they cook the meat on separate skewers from the vegetables. It is difficult to tell how authentic the food is in the area that I am staying, being a tourist area. With the difficulty of communication and the fact that 99% of the people who talk to you in broken English, not that I can speak any more Turkish than they English, are trying to sell you something, it is hard to find someone to ask or trust. Earlier in the day I was watching some workers digging out some old ruins and was approached by a man, probably in his late twenties or early thirties, we had a good conversation and he explained to me what the workers were doing. The whole time we chatted (he did most of the talking, surprise surprise) I was thinking to myself, ok, when is he going to try sell me something. Sure enough after talking for five minutes, he tried to get me to come to his rug shop :) Definitely friendly people, just trying to make a living in a city of some 16.5 million people. All that said, dinner was wonderful and the staff was very friendly at Turgut Kebab Restaurant as well.