Like eating an elephant, where do you start?

01.07.2015

Istanbul..Bite 1 I don't count my first day's outing, which was just to Taksim square on the Metro, and a walk down Istiklal Street ( one of the main shopping streets off Taksim) Taksim was just a big empty square with a park/gardens in the middle, and nothing really special, and shops are just shops. No, my first bite of the elephant that is Istanbul was a 3 section trip to the Sultanahmet area, where the palaces and great ancient churches and mosques that Istanbul is famous for are located. When I say 3 section trip I mean that I had to buy a ticket for the metro to Taksim, then a ticket for the funicular railway to Karabas, then a ticket for a longish ride on a modern tram to Sultanahmet. There and back cost me the princely sum of NZ$5. I had spent the morning doing laundry so I didn't leave till midday, and as I was passing one of a dozen eateries on the road to the metro I spotted a small crowd lining up outside one place. That looks promising I thought, so I joined the line, grabbed a tray, and pointed at what I thought looked good. At the till it came to $9. The warm broccoli soup was yummy, and the chicken and chips was tasty too. What I thought was a curry (because it was lumpy and green) turned out to be a vegetable dish. I don't know what it was, the green things were soft and melted in the mouth ( possibly cooked green tomatoes). Greens are good for you so I polished them off and the waitress brought me a complementary glass of tea ( I hope that it wasn't a reward for her winning a bet with the manager that I would eat the strange food). At Sultanahmet there in front of you are two of the wonders of Istanbul: The Blue Mosque, and the Hagia Sophia Museum/Mosque/ Cathedral..I decided to try the Blue Mosque first, We visitors had a twenty minute wait, until the 1pm prayer meeting had finished and so a couple of hundred of us looked around the courtyard and then joined a queue to be processed for entry to the mosque. Every female was supplied with two colourful pieces of cloth. One to wear over the head and shoulders, and a longer one to wear around the shoulders or waist to cover the body and legs. The men could not wear shorts and had to use a cloth around the waist. Then everyone's bag was scanned and finally you had to grab a plastic bag from a roll ( to put your shoes in and carry). Finally we walked through the door into a cool and peaceful space with luxurious thick carpeting lining the whole area. The visitor area was cordoned off from where the muslims gathered to prostrate themselves before Allah and say prayers, and even though the prayer time had finished one or two were still to be seen over on the far side. Then you remembered to look up, and omg it was a stunningly beautiful sight. Every where you looked were tiled patterns of all colours ( though mainly blue) It was a wonderful experience that went on and on, but after a while you had to stop looking up because your neck ached. Then after another while it all became too much (pattern overload) and it was either sink down to the carpet and close your eyes, or walk out into the real world of trees and grass and sky to get grounded and centred again. I am unfamiliar with the beliefs and practices of worshipping Allah, so the building didn't resonate with me other than with it's 500 year old beauty. But just that alone was enough to make it one of the most incredible buildings I have seen in my travels...

I choose 3 plates of food- cost $9.00