Istanbul

Istanbul 

We cycled to Istanbul through Izmir, Turkey’s third largestt city and Manisa, an industrial city. As usual there were many ups and downs. From Izmir to Istanbul we encountered very strong winds which built up during the day and by 4.30 in the afternoon it was not safe to ride as gusts could blow us into traffic. Olive groves were everywhere, for about 60 kilometres olives grew on either side of the road as far as the eye can see.  Also growing along the road were wild fig trees, just as earlier there had been apricots growing wild.  We sometimes stopped and picked them to eat when we found ripe ones. Roadside stalls selling sugar melons and water melons are everywhere and we could see them growing in the fields.  Lots of sunflowers, sadly drooping waiting to be harvested. It has been very easy to find good food, many markets and cafes along the way. The road was very busy and a local had warned us not to be on the road at Raydam, the end of Ramadan, as many people would be on the road to break the fast with family. We decided to go to Erdek, a small coastal town near Birdama where we catch a ferry across to Istanbul until the holiday season was over. A French couple we met in Selcuk recommended this place, a nice quiet camping ground right on the beach and we spent a couple of days there relaxing. We are not sorry to see the end of Ramadan as drums have been rolling at 3.00am every morning to remind the faithful that they need to get up and eat before sunrise and then a rocket is set off in the evening to tell people that is was now sundown and they can eat their evening meal.  People use the public holiday on Thursday, take Friday off and add it to the weekend to give them a four day break.

It was a short ride to Birdama to catch the ferry to Istanbul, a large vessel transporting people and cars from one side of the bay to the other. The trip took two hours.  The approach to Istanbul was impressive, from the bay The Blue Mosque and others stand out against the skyline. We had booked our hotel in advance so we could be located in the old city and were immediately overwhelmed by the amount of people in the city, if you can imagine the crowds at Moomba time, this is what Istanbul streets were like, many foreigners as well as Turkish sightseers were here to take in the sights. 

While we were here we visited the Blue Mosque, built in 1606, to see the beautiful blue tiles which adorn this large and impressive place of worship which has six minarets.

The most impressive Aya Sofia was next on our list.  This was once a church, then a mosque and is now a museum since 1935. As a church, this building was completed in 547 and reigned as the greatest church in Christendom until the city was conquered in 1453 and was converted to a mosque, the mosaics and painting plastered over and Islam features hung. This has preserved the mosaics and paintings and the building is still in a state of recovery, but the scaffolding cannot take away from the grandeur of this building with its domed ceilings and grand doorways.

 The Archeological Museum held many ornately carved crypts removed from sites around the city and are in remarkably good condition considering they are over 2000 years old.

Just when we thought we could not see anything grander we visited Topkapi Palace, carefully preserved it displays the lifestyles of the Ottoman sultans and their families with tiled walls and ceilings, the harem, and a collection of jewelry containing a 86 carat diamond.  The buildings and the grounds took us over 3 hours to walk through.

We also visited the Spice Bazaar with impressive displays of every imaginable spice and herb.  The Grand Bazaar was a bit of a disappointment, it was like a large shopping centre with small shops selling everything from carpets to jewelry.  After the Osh Bazaar in Bishkeck which is a large market with stalls of every description, unusual foods and bargaining, Istanbul’s bazaar had no atmosphere. Mike had a haircut, beard trim and cut throat razor shave while we were here, this alone was worth the visit. Heather had the experience of a Turkish Bath in a very old hamam while in Istanbul, enjoying the relaxing in all the foam

We needed to visit the Greek embassy while we were here just to confirm visa requirements for Heather. Mike has a British passport and has unlimited travel in Europe but Heather has an Australian passport and would normally be allowed to travel for 90 days in Europe, but if travelling with Mike on a British passport she can have 180 days. It has been difficult to get correct information on the net so we went to the Greek embassy as this is our first European country to visit. The consulate we saw was most helpful, he made a phone call and came back to tell us the information we had was correct but we need to see the police after we cross the border and they can give us the extension, a bit like China where the police issued visa extension.  He was very interested in our trip and of course asked our age, as everyone does.  The Greek embassy was on the Asian side of Istanbul so while we were there we went to see Taksim Square, the centre of all the recent demonstrations, which is now all quiet. Leading from Taksim Square is a street closed to traffic and is a giant shopping mall busy with pedestrian shoppers.

Crossing the bridge back to the European side of Istanbul we visited the Chora Museum, which has a similar history to Aya Sofia.  Chora is a small church with a large amount of mosaics which were boarded up or plastered over until it became a museum and an important centre of Byzantine artwork.  The mosaics adorn the walls and domed ceilings but outside is very plain, it was once part of a monastery but is the only building still standing.

 So much to see in a short space of time. On the morning we left, on the spur of the moment we decided to visit the Basilica Cistern, built in 532 I was used to store water hidden under a basilica which no longer stands. We were expecting to walk through a dark waterway but far from it.  The grandeur of the place, it could have been in the basilica, the roof is supported by 336  marble columns, two of the columns depict Medusa, one upside down the other sideways, there are fish in the water and lighting is used very effectively to show the columns to their best advantage.

Leaving Istanbul we caught the ferry back to Birdama for the last leg of our journey through Turkey.