Saturday September 23
Yesterday we did a private walking city tour of Istanbul with an absolutely wonderful guide named Seda. She was so cute and knowledgeable
And easy to be with. We liked her immediately.
Our first stop was to the courtyard of the Blue Mosque where we sat on steps as Seda gave us an overview of the history of Turkey and Istanbul and the Islamic religion. It sounds like a bit of a beat down but it wasn't, Seda did a really good job of keeping us engaged and it really is quite fascinating. And good lord the things this species has done over the centuries to each other is just unbelievable. And all in the name of the good lord.
Next we walked a bit, walked by yet another Mosque, getting the idea here? And took some pictures. We didn't take the time to have breakfast, sleeping was way more important so we were very hungry. Seda took us to a really cool outside cafe and when we asked her to please join us for lunch she said yes, thank you. A lot of guides won't. It was really nice to just have a nice lunch and talk to her and the food was delicious. Seda and I had meatballs with rice and salad and Rhonda had a chicken wrap with salad. They also bought us a big basket of delicious bread. We were really happy that during lunch we had one of the famous Istanbul kitties come to our table for chicken out of Rhonda's wrap.
Istanbul is known in part for its cat population and to a lesser extent it's dog population. It's actually a rather wonderful situation I think. The people of Istanbul love the dogs and cats, not all people I assume but it is a cultural thing that most people love and care for the animals. The government catches and fixes them as much as possible and citizens are expected to care for and fix the cats and dogs that live in their neighborhoods or near their businesses. Its so cool how shop keepers will say, Sescha just came into my shop three years ago and she's been here ever since. It's the same with restaurants, cats just move in and they are cared for and loved. They spend their days interacting with patrons, being petted and loved and fed and they are free from predators. Most businesses make them a nice place to sleep with plenty of food and water.
Rhonda: We went to lunch at that time because it was prayer time and we had to wait until prayers were over to enter the Mosque. I don't like the call. Seda explained the words to us ( god is good god us great. , like that) and it made it better, but the call is broadcast all over the city and it sounds like an angry hurt elephant . It is called ezan. If you want to hear it google call to prayer at the Blue Mosque. There are recordings and tell me what you think.
The Blue Mosque is very famous and it is beautiful. All of the stained glass inside are of flowers and pretty designs. No faces, they don't believe in idols . Some Sultan built it so it's fancy. You know... royalty .
So, what's it like in a Muslim Mosque in a Muslim country? There were Muslims from all over the world there. All in a different style of covering up. Our guide pointed out the different details. Let me digress... Istanbul is very accepting and free to do you as for as whether you cover up or not. We saw everything from hajbib ( full dress with barely eyes showing) to girls in mini skirts and tank tops . But, at the Mosque you must have knees, arms, head and chest covered for a woman. So, My skirt was above my knees so I had to tie a long scarf around my waist. They handed me a scarf for my head and the guide helped me adjust it to cover all the offensive skin. Then when we entered you had to remove your shoes and put them on a shelf. Ok y'all. Some people had obviously had on their shoes a long time. The whole place smelled of stinky feet. My scarf kept slipping off. The people were praying that missed the service and the rest of us were taking pictures. It was weird and while a beautiful building it is not for me. So, when we walked out and crossed over to see the next Mosque we were not disappointed when the line was sooooooo long that our guide said we should wait to do it another day. Nope!
From there we went to an underground sistern. They stored emergency water there back in the day, like 400 or 600 . They didnt want enemies cutting off their water supply. It was in a James Bond movie where he is was being chased or chasing someone or whatever. It was in a James Bond movie. There are all these columns they took from abandoned Roman buildings to hold it up. It sounds strange but gosh it's beautiful.
That's water on the floor. It looks like glass but it's not.
From there we went to have a nice lemonade and some nuts and rest. Then on to the Grand Market. Wow! 250,000 people go through it a day. It is literally the biggest mall I have ever ever seen. It's like an outside market but under a roof with streets. I don't know how one would decide amongst the 1000's of sunglass stores!
But for me, the highlight of the day was the spice market. Seda knew that I wanted to ship spices home so she took us to one that she knows and trusts . I was in heaven! Let's just say that I need to throw a huge tea party soon and have lots of bites for you to taste using the spices. And dessert will be the box of Turkish Delight candies we sent.
Chris: We've wanted to come to Istanbul for a long time so we were really excited when we started booking this trip. But we were a bit intimidated as well, Istanbul and Turkey felt out of our comfort zone. We've never been to a Muslim country before, I have Muslim friends at work but they live in Plano, not an ancient city that was once Constantinople. We were afraid we wouldn't be able to communicate or get around. I guess we thought it was still the fourteenth century here. Well, it's not and apparently everybody in the world knew that but us.
Istanbul is a vibrant bustling modern city full of great food and art and yes, lots and lots of history, and its fascinating. The waterfront area at the meeting of the Bosporus and the Marmara Sea is lively and bustling and Old Town, the heart of Istanbul is full of sidewalk cafes and shops and a bit more congested and gritty and I could stay there for days.
Istanbul has a lot to offer and people come from all over the world to experience it's rich culture and history. But we haven't left yet, tomorrow we go to the Asian side and explore a whole other side of this amazing city.
On to Coppadecia tomorrow. Love y'all.
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