…not Constantinople 5 May

Up at 4 to be at airport at 5 for plane at 6.  Two hour flight in a twin prop ATR72 was a bit cramped but OK service.  The airport at Istanbul is quite massive, but after parting with 15€ for a 90 day visa and a visit to ATM to get Turkish lira I loaded into a taxi for the ride of my life!  I think the guy must have worked the night shift, because he kept dozing off at 80-100kph.  We drifted lanes, and rode most of the way into the city straddling the lane lines.  I didn’t really get to appreciate the scenery much, though I did note the beautiful flower beds all the way in along the kerbing.  At least he was an honest taxi man, for he had turned his meter on (which seems rare these days).


The hotel is a small affair, an old building recently remodelled and very modern inside.  Just a couple of streets away from the Sultanahmet and key sites of the old city.  The manager has definitely seen that movie “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”, for he has the same effusive style and for his guests at a discount wishes to arrange all their touring to their best advantage!!!  After a light lunch of a very spicy chicken salad, I set out for the Topkapi Palace.  This huge complex was the residence of the Ottoman Sultans from mid-1400s to mid-1800s.  It is now a national museum.  Reminded me quiet a bit of the Forbidden City in Beijing, with its hierarchy of courtyards and buildings, some of which only the Sultan and his entourage used.  The Treasury is quiet spectacular;  there is an 85 carat diamond on display amongst a multitude of booty and gifts the Sultans accumulated over the years.  The Harem, which was the living quarters, was an interesting place to learn about life at court -  from eunuchs to concubines to wives to the very powerful Sultan’s Mother (again so similar to Beijing).  Took 3 hours using audio guide to see over the place. As usual, tickets here and there to get in: 25 or 15 lira a pop.  Wonderful views of the Bosphorus from the terraces.

Across the park is the Hagia Sophia, a church since 360, turned into a mosque in 1453 until secularised and made a museum in 1935.  This is the third church on the site, dating from 450s.  It is quiet inspiring in its size and structure.  Many of the beautiful mosaics were painted over or otherwise vandalised during the iconoclastic period.  The Muslims made some modifications but mostly respected the workmanship of the old church.  Being Saturday it was noisy and too crowded;  but I managed to do the audio-guide tour and see the important aspects of the building.

By now approaching 6pm and my feet and legs were killing me.  Managed to find the hotel with a couple of false starts and grabbed an hour on the bed.  Then went up the nearby street of restaurants to enjoy a really nice meal.  Met a US engineer there who is heading back to Dubai tomorrow for work; so was good to have some congenial company for a couple of hours.  Nearly midnight now, so bed calls.  I’ll try to avoid having my friendly manager organise me too much tomorrow as I feel need for a bit of a rest.

The day’s pics are here.