Day Three: The Sites and Sounds of Istanbul

Our first discovery.....the discos in Istanbul open at midnight and stay open until almost sunrise!!!  Some of our group were awake earlier than the rest and enjoyed an early coffee in Istanbul.  Many of us awoke to the sound of the Call to Prayer. After a  breakfast of  assorted meats and cheeses, eggs, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and olives, bread, yogurt, cereals and fruit we boarded the bus to the Grand Bazaar.  We stopped so some of the group could withdraw Turkish Lira from a bank machine and the rest of the group were able to observe the people of Istanbul as they hurried to work in this city of 16 million.

Suleyman started the day by teaching us  some Turkish greetings.  "Günaydın" means "Good Morning" and "Merhaba" means "Hello"  Then he took us on a short tour of the Grand Bazaar and then we split into groups and had some free time to explore the shops.  There was so much to see and everyone stuck close together for fear of getting lost in the maze of 61 covered streets and 3000 shops.  A few of the group bought some souvenirs and modelled them for the group!

These guys bought a Fez

Making a deal

 After we left the Grand Bazaar  we walked down the busy streets to the Hippodrome of Constantinople where chariot races and other sporting events took place.  We took photos of the obelisk that  was brought from Egypt and erected in the middle of the race track.

The Obelisk in the centre of the Hippodrome

Our next stop was the Blue Mosque.  The females were required to cover their hair, arms and bare legs.  Even Tyler was given a wrap to cover up since he was wearing shorts!!!  We all removed our shoes at the door and placed them in bags provided at the entrance.  Suleyman gave us a brief history of the Blue Mosque and then we had time for photos.

Waiting in line to enter the Blue Mosque

Wearing scarves to cover their hair

Some of the girls in front of the area where females are allowed to pray

Posing for a photo

Tiles that decorate the Blue Mosque

We left the Blue Mosque and stopped for a group photo with the Blue Mosque in the background.  Then we crossed the street and took another photo, this time with the Hagia Sophia  in the background.  We admired the hundreds of tulips surrounding the fountain and  in the beautiful park between the two amazing and historical buildings.

Students in front of the Blue Mosque

 Hagia Sophia in the background

After we entered the grounds of the Hagia Sophia we had a short bathroom break and time for a quick snack.  Suleyman passed out Whisper Headsets so that he could  tell us the history of the Hagia Sophia without disturbing other visitors.  All of us were amazed at the beauty of the former church built in 537, which was then converted to a mosque in 1453 and is now a museum.  The mosaics on the walls were fabulous!!

Beautiful mosaics  were covered with plaster when the Hagia Sophia was a mosque

Ornate ceilings

Beautiful marble at the entrance

Stained glass windows point the way to Mecca

A winding pathway to the upper gallery

Islamic Elements

Our bus picked us up and we had a short driving tour of Istanbul that ended at Taksim Square.  Taksim Square is the transportation hub for Istanbul and the location of the Monument of the Republic.  Suleyman pointed out Gezi Park where many of the demonstrations took place in 2013.  We walked down Istiklal Street, a very busy pedestrian shopping area and stopped for lunch.  Some of the more adventuresome  in our group tried doners and kebabs. After lunch, we continued our walk down the street. We stopped as the tram went by, filled with people taking part in the week long celebration of the birth of  the Prophet Muhammad.  Some of our group were given roses by the men in the tram.

Some of the group ate lunch at this restaurant

Suleyman, his wife and son with some of our group

Passing out roses

We walked to Galata Tower a medieval stone tower was built  in 1348.  Then we headed down the steep and narrow streets to the Galata Bridge.  The bridge spans the Golden Horn and connects the city of Istanbul.  We stopped to watch the boats and ferries on the  upper deck and checked out the fisherman along the way.  Then we went down to the lower level and saw restaurants and shops.  

Galata Tower

Steep, narrow streets

Fishermen on the Galata Bridge

The shopping corridor on the underground walkway 

Our next stop was the Spice Market.  This was a favourite with our group and many bought souvenirs such as evil eye bracelets d key chains, Turkish Delight candy, spices and tea, scarves and ceramics.  It was also very exciting to watch the locals shop for meat, fish, cheese and other food on their way home at the end of the day!!

Shopping in the Spice Market

Lots of shopping choices

Many different kinds of cheese

Dried fruits and nuts

Goat heads and other meat

Fresh fish

A large market with many varieties of meat, cheese and olives

We headed back to the hotel and enjoyed a relaxing dinner.  Many of the group caught up on emails and made contact with family and friends back home. It was a fabulous day and a great introduction to Turkey!!!