Istanbul, Turkey

Standing on the deck and watching as we approached Istanbul was one of those experiences not to be missed. Domes and minarets of large mosques dominated the hilltops, and seeing them through the early morning mist was like having a mystical view of Istanbul.

Istanbul Early in the Morning

 

We berthed at the Sarayburnu Pier, which is near the waters of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus Strait, the Marmara Sea, and the Black Sea. The area was busy with ferries and ships that cross the area waters, both day and night.

Istanbul, once known as Constantinople and before that, Byzantium, is divided by the Bosphorus Strait and sits partly in Europe and partly in Asia. It has over 14 million people and is the seventh largest city in Europe. With its rapidly growing economy, it has bid for the Olympics a number of times in recent years.

We opted for a daylong tour of Istanbul that took us to some of the major sites. We discovered, however, that a full day enabled us to see only a small fraction of what Istanbul has to offer.

After leaving the pier, we traveled over the Galata Bridge, which crosses over the Golden Horn, and went to one of the oldest areas of  Istanbul’s European side. Most of the people of Istanbul live on this side of the city. It felt amazing being in a city that was founded in the 7^th century BC, and especially one whose history has been so tumultuous. 

Site of the Original Hippodrome (sports arena)

Our first stop was at the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, better known throughout the world as the Blue Mosque. Six tall minarets surround the massive mosque. It is the only mosque in the world that has six minarets. Only the mosque in Mecca has more. The minarets are used as a point from which someone calls everyone to prayer, five times a day. In the past, and maybe still in some places, a man climbs the minaret and chants the call to prayer. Now a recorded call using microphones is done automatically at the appropriate times.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque)

The cone-shaped minarets with pointed tops are different from the ones we’ve seen in other Muslim countries. Istanbul has over 3200 mosques, so domes and minarets fill the city’s skyline.

We had received guidelines in advance about how to dress to go into the mosque. Shoulders and knees were to be covered and women were to wear headscarves. If you didn’t bring a scarf with you, a man at the entrance would give you one, along with baggy skirts that he handed to women who either had their knees showing or who wore very tight pants.

I put on my own scarf, and we removed our shoes, which we carried in a bag provided by the tour company. This time I wore socks. One of the tenants of Islamic law requires that people who enter the mosque are to be clean, so mosques have a number of water faucets along an outside wall for the faithful to clean their feet. Fortunately, we didn’t have to go through that ritual. Another tenant is to help the poor, so mosques were built with large kitchens to feed the needy.

Feet Washing Stations

After entering the mosque and stepping into the thick pile of the carpets that covered the mosque, I could understand why they would have people remove their shoes. The carpets were beautiful. Also, they keep the carpets clean because the worshipers bow down and touch the carpets with their heads during prayer. The ruby red carpets, which stretched from one end to the other end of the huge building, were richly colored and woven with a blue and white floral tulip design. In recent years, the carpets have been machine made rather than handmade but still felt thick and luxurious.

The inside of the massive mosque, which was built between 1609 and 1616, was absolutely beautiful. Four large pillars held up a vast dome, four demi domes, and 12 smaller domes. The 260 stained glass windows helped to keep it bright inside.

Blue Mosque Interior

Approximately 20,000 shiny tiles with a floral design or inscriptions covered nearly every surface. Images are not permitted, so there were no mosaics or statues. The color blue appeared throughout the mosque since it is believed that blue keeps away evil. Tulips originally came from Turkey and they appeared everywhere in the design.

Tiles in Blue Mosque

The tour guide pointed out the pulpit and a prayer niche that pointed to Mecca. Men and women pray in separate areas, and we could see a screened balcony, which the Sultan’s wife was said to use.

Prayer Niche and Stained Glass Windows

Our next stop was at the Topkapi Palace, built in 1479 and home to the sultans of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years. It was close to the Blue Mosque, so we walked the short distance. Security at the palace was extremely tight, and we had to go through several checkpoints within the compound, which consisted of several buildings and four separate courtyards.

Entrance to Topkapi Palace

Throughout our voyage, everyone speculated whether our visit to Istanbul would be cancelled because of the recent terrorist bombings in other parts of Turkey. Fortunately, the cruise company deemed Istanbul safe enough for our visit, and during our tour we were so caught up with what we were seeing that we didn’t think about it.

Again, the surfaces inside the building were covered in the decorative tiles, along with marble and rich wood. The tiles consist of 15 percent clay and 85 percent quartz crystal, which make the surfaces glimmer.

At one time, over 5,000 people lived and worked in the palace, including 150 cooks and hundreds of concubines reserved for the sultan. The stories of intrigue and women struggling for position and influence for their children in the closed world of the Harem would probably take more than a thousand and one nights to tell. We were told that women originally went into the Harem to work as servants and entertainers and to escape living in poverty. It was only when the society became more decadent that the sultan started using them for himself. Fortunately, since those days, women’s role in Turkey has changed, and they were among the first women in the world to receive the right to vote.

Harem Quarters

The palace was filled with fountains inside and in the courtyards. They provided air-conditioning and security. The sound of running water covered up conversations so spies within the household couldn’t overhear the sultan and his grand vizier.

Topkapi Courtyard

The courtyards, one of which was reserved for the members of the Harem, were filled with large sycamore trees and beds of bright red tulips and red roses. Tulips were given to a Dutch diplomat as a gift, and the rest is history.

Sultan's Chambers

Several of the rooms in Topkapi are now museums displaying some of the largest diamonds in the world and jewel encrusted weaponry, including the sultan’s jeweled dagger. Since it was Saturday, the crowds at the palace made it hard to get more than just a glimpse of the items, but they were still impressive. 

Side Entrance to Museum

Following our tour of Topkapi, we walked to the nearby Four Seasons Hotel for lunch. The building had originally been a prison for high officials who lost favor. It was stunning inside and provided rooftop views of the Blue Mosque and Topkapi. We were served lunch within the hotel courtyard in a gazebo surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Four Seasons Hotel

After lunch, we walked to Santa Sophia, a building with a history of change. Built originally as the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Wisdom in 532 AD, it was turned into a mosque when the Turks captured Constantinople in 1204. All of the Christian images were either destroyed or covered with plaster. It had been the fourth largest church in the world, following the Saint Peter’s in Rome, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and the Cathedral of Milan. For a structure that had been built nearly 1500 years ago, it was in remarkable shape.

Santa Sophia

In recent years, it has become a museum with both Islamic symbols and many of the original Christian mosaics, which were uncovered.

Interior Santa Sophia

Uncovered Mosaics

Our tour took us to a Turkish rug showroom. They had beautiful rugs, but we weren’t about to make a decision about an expensive carpet or rug in 20 minutes. We walked to the nearby covered Grand Bazaar but didn’t have much time there since we needed to meet the bus. Built in the 15^th century, it is the largest bazaar of its type in the world with 4,000 shops. It is also a place where you can easily become lost.

Grand Bazaar

As we waited for the tour bus, we ended up buying a scarf from one of the street vendors. Another man thrust a carpet at me and insisted that it was a gift in appreciation for our buying a scarf from his brother. When I demurred, he insisted that I would insult him by not taking it—it was a gift. I asked him how much that gift was going to cost me. He looked offended but said that a donation of $15 would be greatly appreciated. At that point, we didn’t even have that much cash left. We haggled back and forth and eventually offered him our remaining $13, which he accepted. The rug was of questionable quality, but John said the payment was worth it just for the entertainment value. I must have schmuck tattooed on my forehead that only salespeople can see. As a carpet, it isn’t great, but the colors are pretty, so I’m going to make a sofa pillow out of it. It will remind me of Istanbul—and not to be such a schmuck.

Istanbul is an interesting city with so many things to see, and too little time. Along our route, we passed the train station where once a year the Orient Express train travels from Istanbul to Venice.

We also passed lots of sleeping dogs along the sidewalks. Dogs roam throughout the city, and restaurant owners frequently feed these strays. To paraphrase writer Pat Conroy, you can judge a community by how it treats its less fortunate—and its animals.

And, like in most cities, traffic can be a problem in Istanbul. On our way back to the ship, our bus was held up in bumper-to-bumper traffic that was heading to a soccer match. Fortunately, we were on a Cunard tour, so the ship wouldn’t sail without us.

As we sailed away from Istanbul, we could see the building in Scutari that was used as a hospital during the Crimean War and where Florence Nightingale worked. The day before, one of the speakers gave a presentation about Florence Nightingale and described the battle she faced in trying to provide better and more modern care for injured and dying soldiers.

Scutari Building Used as a Hospital by Florence Nightingale

In the late afternoon sun as we sailed away, we saw a lifebuoy and light floating in the harbor water. An oncoming ferry stopped to investigate. We hoped it was one that accidentally blew off a ship or ferry going by since we didn’t see anyone holding on to it. We won’t ever know.

Leaving Istanbul