Monday, July 6th - Tashkent to Istanbul

This is certainly a strange day to blog about.  We left our hotel in Tashkent at about 11:45 last night and spent the first three hours of the day in the airport trying to stay awake for our 3:10 a.m. flight to Istanbul.  Luckily the stores and cafes at the airport are open all night.

The flight was right on schedule and, although it was very full, it was also quite comfortable and we all managed to get a bit of sleep.  We were expecting breakfast but they fed us shortly after we left, which I guess was okay as we could then sleep for the rest of the flight.  As far as I know, the flight was very calm but then I might have slept through some turbulence.

We arrived in Istanbul around 8 a.m. our time or 6 a.m. their time, and went directly to our hotel.  Of course our room wasn't ready but we spread out in the lobby and changed into touring clothes and then had some breakfast and coffee for the coffee drinkers.  

Within a few blocks, at most a ten minute walk, we were in Sultanahmet with it's large square or park or garden - not sure how to describe it but it's a wonderful open area that is so inviting to the public with paved areas, grass areas, trees for shade, benches, fountains, etc.  It is apparently built over the site of the old Great Palace of Byzantium so there is a lot of history in the area.  And the area is flanked by two magnificent old buildings: the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.   No matter where you look you see something old and wonderful.

We went first to Hagia Sophia or Aya Sofya, which was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and consecrated as a church in 537 AD.  In 1453 it was converted to a mosque by Mehmet the Conqueror, and int 1934 it was declared a museum.   Even though portions of it are now covered and being restored, it is easy to see why it is considered one of the world's greatest buildings.The dome is 30 m in diameter and 56 m high, and it is supported by 40 massive ribs that are resting on only four huge pillars that are inside the walls and not actually seen.  There are mosaics and frescoes of Christian scenes as well as large medallions with Arabic script from the Koran.  it is an usual mix of both Christian and Islamic symbolism but it seems to work well together.  And the arch-shaped windows throughout the building let in enough light to allow the golden decorations to really shine.  As soon as you walk in the main doors, the warmth and colours and vastness of the space surround you.  It really is quite awe inspriing.

There is a long switchback ramp that climbs up the one side to get to the balcony levels where you get to look down at the hundreds of chandeliers that are suspended from the ceiling.  Under their light and with the reflections of the dome, even the marble floor seems to glow gold.  The Emperor or Empress had a perfect view of the entire from their location in the middle front of the back balcony.  Dandolo, who let the Fourth Crusade to conquer Constantinople in 1204, is buried in this upper gallery.  There is even a bit of 9th century Viking graffiti in one spot so time and history has certainly left its mark on the building.  Via a separate entrance, there are also the tombs of several Ottoman Sultans and their families.  Some of these were very ornately decorated with tiles, calligraphy and paintings while some were more plain, and it was obvious that some had been restored while some were still original and quite faded.

From there we totally changed direction and walked down to the waterfront for fish sandwich.  The walk only took about 20 minutes, maybe half an hour with our stopping to read tourist signs and take pictures.  We wondered along the shore until we came to the place where they said to try the fish sandwiches.   We each had one and agreed they were okay but maybe not worth the praise they were getting.  Perhaps if the fish had been something other than mackerel they might have been more enjoyable.  The place to eat them was very busy.  There were three or four boats tied against the dock and small tables with stools around them on the dock.  You just found a spot to sit, ordered your meal and paid for it and it came from the boat almost immediately.  They had lots of fish on the grill cooking and the lettuce and tomatoes all cut and ready to go so once an order was placed they just had to put it all together.  I don't think I'll be rushing back any time soon for another one but at least I can say I tried it.  Actually, I tried it once and then tasted it for most of the rest of the day!

After that we wandered around the local market a bit - spices, candies, treats, clothes, rugs, etc. - just about anything you might want but we didn't really want any of it.  However, it was interesting to see.  After a bit more wandering, we took the tram back up the hill and went back to our hotel for a rest before heading out again later.

We went out to lunch and since we didn't really want a lot we just went into a small restaurant.  The food was good and the price was right, but next time we'll probably go for somewhere outdoors and with service.

Before we went into this restaurant we passed another restaurant where people were lined up for almost the whole block.  They guy tried to get us to come inside and we said it looked like he was full.  He said they were waiting until sunset to come in because they were fasting - and sunset was about an hour away.  When we came out of our restaurant the other restaurant was full and they were selling a lot of take-out food.  We then walked across to the Sultanahmet and there were people everywhere. Families were occupying every bit of grass that was available and they were all having aa picnic dinner.  Apparently Istanbul has a tradition that during Ramadan, you should gather in the parks and restaurants with family and friends to break the daily fast and share iftar.  It was absolutely amazing to see so many people throughout the entire park  and in all the restaurants.  And everyone was in a great mood.  There was even a small parade of musicians that went by at one point, and on the local stage there was some kind of presentation but we really weren't sure what it was exactly.  And the local blood donor clinic was also being held on site.  Hopefully the people waited until they had eaten before donating because after fasting all day in the heat it might not be a good idea to donate blood - at least it wouldn't be a good idea for me to do so.  It was just great to see everyone out in the park and it definitely seemed like a very community minded group, all of whom came together (except for a few of us interloping tourists)  in the name of religion.  It was quite refreshing to see and a great way to end the day.