My British friends and I stayed in a seaside hotel in the city's European quarter, which sounds very grand and was still nice, despite the fact that the hotel was getting run down, the beach was covered in rubbish and broken glass, and there was no hot water. But it was just an easy walk down the pier out into the Sea of Marmara to see this everyday:
Or, I could look out my hotel window every morning and see this (or be awakened by the 6.15 am call to prayer!):
Of course, it wasn't all scenic sites. There were plenty of reminders that we were staying in a country that's less developed than many of its Western neighbors, like this road outside the hotel:
and also the sewage treatment plant across the street from our hotel, which not only smelled but featured the strange and amusing sight of these tractors lined up by size order:
My tourism highlight was probably visiting the Hagia Sophia, one of the world's first churches that then served for 500 years as a mosque before being turned into a museum. Not only is the history fascinating (the original building was erected by Emperor Constantine after he made Christianity the state religion in 312 AD), but the third and current Hagia Sophia, dating to the 6th century, is a stunning example of Byzantium architecture. I found it particularly fascinating to note how Arabic and European design dovetailed in its construction, noticing themes similar to Arabic palaces I visited in Spain, as well as themes that turn up in Western Europe's great cathedrals.
It was difficult, of course, to take good photos inside the building, but here is a shot from the second floor that demonstrates some of the architecture and fresco work. More follow, and I also recommend visiting the Web site linked to above for a better look at the building.
Many original mosaics from the Hagia Sophia's early years are being restored, such as this one that my friends are posing in front of:
I particularly loved the way different types of stone were used throughout the building as artwork. The stone was so lovely in itself it didn't need any other adornment.
Then there was the way the setting sun illuminated the Hagia Sophia as we explored outside and headed towards the Blue Mosque.
Because of prayers for the festival of Eid, we weren't allowed to enter the Blue Mosque, but walking around the courtyard and glancing inside was most intriguing.
We also did some shopping, of course. Shopkeepers along the Grand Bazaar seemed to expect us to barter, which I didn't really want to do (I always feel like I'm either getting ripped off or ripping off the seller) but a few of my girlfriends and I did buy some beautiful pashminas for Christmas presents, then wrapped them around our shoulders. The night was cold!
We strolled up and down the Old Istanbul streets that night, which were alive with shoppers, shopkeepers and noise. We passed many cafes that were had big windows swung open to the evening with live music inside, and many vendors tried to stop us, in hopes of getting another sale, I'm sure. It was a wonderfully energetic and vivid town.
One feature of Istanbul that I found rather inexplicably funny was that they call their ATMs "Bankamatiks." I don't know exactly why it cracks me up, but it does. Here's one:
It was an amazing journey. My appetite for seeing the Muslim and Arab world has only been whetted by this trip to Turkey, which straddles the East and the West.
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