Istanbul
Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Wed 27 Mar 2013 16:42
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A three night visit to Istanbul was thoroughly
enjoyable despite arriving in the cold and rain---a culture shock for us before
the culture of Istanbul.
 We stayed in a lovely small hotel in Sultanahmet,
the centre of the old city. As in any city there are the ''must dos'' so off we
went to the Grand Bazaar entering through the East gate
 and into the main complex
 Helen was soon busy looking at the intricate detail
of some very old pashminas
 built in 1461 there are 4, 000 shopkeepers who pay
their rent in gold
 the interior of the building with the domed
ceilings look in good order but the view from above, as shown to us by a
stallholder, tells a different story with broken and missing tiles
 The Suleymaniye mosque built in 1557 was the next
stop
   and then to the spice bazaar with spices, Turkish
delight and honey amongst other foodstuffs
   We walked across the Ataturk Bridge that crosses
the Golden Horn, the waterway dividing the old city from
the new.
  and then the tram back to the hotel
 The next day we visited the Blue
Mosque
 the interior was magnificent with some beautifully
coloured tiles----the tilers from all around spent seven years making them at
the behest of the Sultan
 Photography was difficult especially for
some!
 a short walk to the grandest church in Christendom,
the Aya Sofya. Completed in AD 537 it remained a Christian church until 1453
when it became a mosque and the walls were whitewashed. It is now a museum with
some restoration work taking place.
   this is an example of where the whitewash has been
removed to reveal the image and the minute tiles
  The Tokapi Palace, the home of the Sultans of the
Ottoman Empire, was a short distance away. Built in 1453 and occupied by the
Sultans until the 19 Century.
 It was laid out over four courtyards and included
the Treasury (for which there were long queues) and the harem.
 There were some lovely views over the river and
city
 We feel that we have scratched the surface and that
a return visit is required!
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