July+1+-+Day+3

=Istanbul July 1, 2009 =  08:00 AM Departure for full day Istanbul tour. We will see the following on foot: the Hippodrome (including the Obelisk from Egypt, Serpentine Column from Delphi and Fountain of Wilhelm II); the Blue Mosque, the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, Topkapi Palace.

PM: Lunch at the Konyali Restaurant at Topkapi Palace. After lunch at Konyali Restaurant, which is located inside the palace overlooking the Bosphorus, we enter the intricate maze of the Harem and rooms decorated with superb Iznik tiles.

Then we will visit the Istanbul Archeological Museum is housed in three buildings just inside the first court of Topkapi Palace and includes the Museum of the Ancient Orient, Archaeology Museum, and Enameled Kiosk Museum. The museum has an excellent collection of Greek and Roman artifacts, including finds from Ephesus and Troy.

Later we will visit the 17th century Spice Bazaar,

Dinner at Asitane Restaurant in Edirnekapi. A private performance of Turkish Classical Music called “Fasil” will accompany the tastes of authentic Turkish cuisine. 

Commentary:   Wow! What an absolutely amazing day. We Spend the entire morning and afternoon on foot and see some stunning architectural and historical masterpieces in the old city.

The highlight for me is definitely the The Sultan Ahmet Mosque (nicknamed the Blue Mosque after the thousands of hand-painted blue tiles that adorn the interior). After looking at the Blue Mosque from our hotel for the past three days and hearing the call to prayer five times a day, we finally enter this stunning place. Orhan gives us the background of the building and the Sultan who built it. In typical fashion, Orhan gives a humorous anecdote to accompany the official history. It seems that Sultan Ahmet wanted to outdo the nearby Hagia Sophia, built 1,000 years earlier by Byzantine Emperor Justinian. Perhaps he was over-zealous: he had the royal architect design a building that included six minarets, the same number as the Grand Mosque in Mecca. When the religious leaders in Mecca informed Ahmet that this was blasphemous he dispatched the architect to build a seventh at the Grand Mosque and atone for his sin. Orhan said simply: “It didn’t work – he died less than a year later.” The inside space is absolutely massive with a huge worship area, soaring domes, beautiful colors, and original-style hanging lanterns. Despite all the tourists it is an awe-inspiring experience and my pictures fail to capture all its grandeur.

[|Today's Photos]