Istanbul - Part One (of several)

Apologies for the lateness of this first blog post - of course we have been busy, but we also had problems with our blogging platform.  We still have not completely rectified the issue but wanted to get a blog post written quickly, before all of our loyal readers (ha!) became completely disenchanted and stopped checking the site. We have another post or two about Istanbul in the pipeline, but there will probably be another delay before we can post them.  Tomorrow (Monday 26 May) we leave for Gallipoli. 

We arrived in Istanbul on Thursday afternoon and everything has been absolutely peachy since then.  What a city! The last couple of days have completely shaken my expectations to the core (speaking of which, there was an earthquake this afternoon just off the coast, measuring around 6 on the Richter Scale and in case you were worried about us, hold the calls to the Embassy - we're absolutely fine).  I knew this would be an interesting place, but oh my! It's fabulous! We've been really lucky with the weather, which always helps how you feel about a place.

The guide met us at the airport and it's been go, go, go, from that moment on.  Below are some selected photos and brief captions to give an idea of what we've been up to.

Thursday night we went to the top floor of our hotel where there is a rooftop bar and enjoyed a quiet drink and snack before heading down the road to a small restaurant for a mixed meze plate and another drink or two to settle us down after our long flight.  Loved the mint tea at the end of all that.  The past couple of days have certainly demonstrated that Turkey is good at tea! 

Yesterday we visited Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Yerebatan Cistern and the Blue Mosque.  We found the cistern unexpectedly interesting and beautiful. Who'd have thought that an underground water storage facility could be so romantic? The cistern was allegedly built by 7000 slaves in the 6th century as a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople.  It's absolutely massive and is supported by 336 marble columns arranged in rows.

Blue Mosque at sunset as seen from our hotel rooftop

Hagia Sophia Mosque - once a Greek Orthodox basilica, it then became a mosque and is now a museum.

Interior Hagia Sofia Mosque

Yerebatan Cistern

After a quiet dinner on the rooftop we went for a stroll and we were cajoled into enjoying the delights of some late-night tea, rice pudding and hookah pipe smoking. The evening's frivolity was accompanied by live music and a whirling dervish show.

Whirling Dervish show - this religious order was founded in the 13th century and is marked by the famous practice of its followers to whirl in slow circles as a form of devotion.

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