Our guide, Ozan met us again and we headed to board Tram #1 to Sultanahmet Square. Here, there are many sights in Old Town that surround what is now a paved-over race track once called the Hippodrome:
There are also two obelisks, one of which was a gift from Egypt from the Temple of Karnak in Luxor:
The second obelisk which Ozan called a jenga tower is called the Walled Obelisk and is situated next to the Serpentine Column - the snake head is apparently in the local archaeological museum but the jaw is in Britain:
We then went to the Blue Mosque which sits beside the square. Although secular, the majority of the Turkey is Muslim. However, Orzan was clear he was non-practicing and they were many Turks who eschew the rules according to him.
The technical name of the Blue Mosque is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Sultanahmet Camii - an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque iconic for blue tiles and domes:
It was Mama Kim’s and Justin’s first time in a mosque and we took off our shoes and wore scarves covering our heads:
The outer courtyard:
We then headed to the nearby Topkapi Palace Museum guarded by janissaries:
Ozan noticed the line for the Imperial Treasury was shorter than usual and we headed inside to see the many displays. One of the most famous is the Spoonmaker's Diamond which is 86 carats and considered the fourth largest diamond in the world:
Also famous is the Topkapı Dagger, an emerald-studded curved dagger. As the color green symbolizes Prophet Mohammed and the concept of paradise, there were emeralds everywhere on display:
We saw amazing jewels and I enjoyed this chess set:
And other displays and thrones:
We then enjoyed the gardens and various pavilions along with many schoolchildren - one told my mom she was beautiful!:
Tiles from around the world were represented:
While exiting, we learned about the kitchen which was staffed by 600 people and there was an extremely large Chinese porcelain exhibition:
The views of Istanbul - European and Asian sides and up the Bosporus were lovely from the palace terraces on this beautiful day. We could even see dolphins bobbing their heads:
After the palace, we enjoyed hot chocolate and Turkish coffee at a nearby café in order to replenish our strength and refresh our legs before heading into the Hagia Sophia.
A bucket list destination for me, the Hagia Sophia was a church, now a museum and mosque, and means Divine Wisdom. It’s the model for Eastern Orthodox architecture and inspired many mosques around the world:
We learned about the graffiti from Vikings and crusaders and the crosses and Christian imagery that were taken down or stolen or covered by curtains or plaster. Ozan warned us that it was not in its full glory due to the ongoing renovation:
Marble from Greece, Persia, and Sicily were used to rebuild this third rendition of the Hagia Sophia - this last version only took 5 years with over 10,000 slaves working around the clock:
The plaster is actually weighing down the dome so much that some columns were slanted and therefore they are trying to remove the plaster. On display were the discovered imagery including angels, Mary, Jesus and others:
The call to prayer was starting toward the end of our visit. There were many religious layers to this visit as Ozan even pointed out Greek mythology symbols such as Poseidon’s trident over a doorway. Also, when it converted from a church to a mosque, they just moved the door so the building no longer faced Jerusalem, but towards Mecca which was very clever! Our visit to Istanbul can now be considered complete per Ozan!
We then crossed the street and queued in the fast track line due to Ozan’s guide permit to the Basilica Cistern. It’s the largest of several hundred that lie beneath the city and could supply 8 to 10 months of water. The leaders were paranoid about wars and potential lack of water supply and used aqueducts and rainwater to refill and store in the cisterns. Now they are filled with a low level of water and platforms were installed, so visitors like us can walk around. It still works as we were dripped on several times:
Modern art was placed around the cistern as part of the recent renovation:
All the columns are actually different and represented the various eras:
Here’s the famous wishing column or column of tears:
For lunch, we ate at the nearby Pudding Shop Lale Restaurant where President Clinton visited twice. We enjoyed lamb, eggplant, İskender kebap which consists of sliced meat topped with hot tomato sauce over pieces of pita and generously slathered with melted special sheep's milk butter and yogurt. We also had Turkish baklava for dessert:
The last stop was the famous Grand Bazaar which is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on 7 acres. It’s famous for its gold market and runners serving tea on large trays:
Here’s a caravan courtyard where they housed camels and merchants lived on the second floor - today, they are now converted into additional shops:
Afterwards, we said our goodbyes and Ozan left us at a café, so we could rest and people-watch while waiting for our Hamam reservation. This was the street where we sat that was full of Turkish pride:
I had booked Cağaloğlu Hamamı, a popular hamam operating since 1741 and visited by many celebrities. I wanted a traditional experience as Turks are known for their bath culture and wanted to treat myself too - so I booked the Sultan Mahmud the First Service which included steam, scrub, foam bath, foot rub, collagen mask, massage, Turkish delight and treats, and of course tea. It was divine and it was like I had new feet after all the walking. A photo of the entrance:
Then we returned to the hotel feeling clean, light, and new. Indeed our second day was full as we learned more about the city. And as the They Might be Giants cover of a kitschy song said, “It’s Istanbul, Not Constantinople!”
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