A day without end! Tuesday started with a 3:30 AM wake-up in Istanbul for a 7:30 AM flight to Munich. After our Munich to DC flight was canceled for a mysterious maintenance malady, we were rebooked to Norfolk through Newark, which is where I started tapping out these paragraphs with very bleary eyes. But hey, it’s good to be back in the land of free public toilets!
Istanbul was the capstone of the trip. In 2 ½ days we covered as much of the city as we could humanly fit in, walking about 15 miles in total. It is a city teeming with humanity – about 16,000,000 people – twice that of NYC. It bridges west and east both literally with parts in Europe and parts in Asia, and figuratively where civilizations meet and have for millennia. Its ancient history and modernity exist comfortably side by side. The place absolutely buzzes with energy.
Evidence of its Roman, Byzantine, and Muslim history is everywhere, but given our limited time we had to choose the main sites. The amazing Basilica Cistern, a huge underground reservoir built by the Romans in the 6th Century, is supported by recycled columns taken from structures throughout the area. The enormous Hagia Sophia (which means holy knowledge) started its life as a Byzantine church and was converted to a mosque when the Ottomans drove out the Christians in 1453. Much of its Christian roots are still there to be enjoyed on the upper floor while faithful Muslims pray below. Nearby, and much newer, stands the famous Blue Mosque built by Sultan Ahmet in the 17th century. Finally, the sprawling Topkapi Palace was the highlight of our tours. By walking through the maze of rooms and grounds, we got an appreciation for life in the royal court of the sultans.
No visit to Istanbul would be complete without inching your way through the old Spice Market and Grand Bazaar, where merchants have been hawking their goods for centuries. They politely but persistently invite shoppers into their stores, and haggling is an expected part of the experience.
The walls that protected the city from invasion for nearly a thousand years still stand in many places. Also clearly visible are the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus Strait and the Golden Horn, some of the busiest and most important waterways in the world, both then and now. All shipping between the Mediterranean and Black Seas must transit these vessel-choked waters.
A word to would-be visitors to Istanbul. Get a good guide. It was well worth the cost of a private guide for a full day. She laid out a plan to maximize our visits and provided us with information we never would have gotten on our own. Ours was named Eylem; +90 532 582 04 11. You can find her on WhatsApp.
Well, that wraps up my blog for now. Stay tuned for more as we continue our wanderings through this beautiful world of ours.