Today we ended up doing a pretty full itinerary. We began with the Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque, which is just a few blocks from our hotel. I remember coming here as a child when my family lived in Istanbul, and while still extremely impressive, it is far smaller than I remember!
Our next stop, because it was convenient, was the Basilica Cisterns, which Melanie's Dad--who traveled to Istanbul in the 1970s--recommended we see because he had missed out!
These underground cisterns date to the 6th century (which seems pretty remarkable when you are down there and walking around).
The Medusa head column bases are particularly interesting.
In terms of Istanbul's historical sites older than a hundred years, I think most of them fall into either the Byzantine Empire or Ottoman Empire category, and, sometimes, both. The Blue Mosque is one of Istanbul's oldest Ottoman sites (although it is not solely a historic site, since it is still an operating mosque), dating from the early 1600s, and the Basillica Cisterns is one of the oldest Byzantine sites.
Topkapi Palace is a historic site that pretty much represents the passing of the Byzantine Empire and the establishment of the Ottoman (at least in Constantinople/Istanbul), since its construction began immediately following the conquest by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed (known as "the Conqueror"). Now it lives on as a museum. After a break for Turkish coffee, we went here next.
This is another site I remember visiting as a child, and this one I remembered better than the Blue Mosque. I must say, however, that my interests have certainly changed since 25 years ago! For example, I was not terribly interested in looking at the sword collection this time.
Actually I think my favourite part was not any of the exhibits, but this view of the Bosphorus and Istanbul!
After the palace, we took a tram across the Golden Horn, then a funicular up to Taksim Square, where we ate lunch.
From Taksim Square a major pedestrian street called Istiklal runs southwest, and we walked along it, window shopping and generally enjoying the atmosphere (including a stop for Turkish coffee and baklava).
I think I came to this street many times as a child, but something I do not remember ever seeing is this Catholic cathedral, which is sort of tucked back a little ways off the street. In fact, it is one of at least two churches along Istiklal Caddesi.
This is one of the interesting shops we stopped in, a store that recycles various materials into bags. One prominent material they were recycling were sacks from Saskatchewan-imported pulses! Their products were very impressive.
We walked instead of funicular-ed down the hill this time, stopping at a tea house for cay.
I "read" the paper here, and was surprised to see what seems to be a laudatory poem to Erdogan!
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