Turkey, Part 2: Touring The Historic, European side of Istanbul--Mosques, Ferries, Humungous Holiday Crowds!

The next day, a Saturday, was an official holiday: one which celebrated the end of Ramadan, known as "Eid-ul-Fitr, Ramazan Bayrami or Seker Bayrami" in Turkish. The translation is, "The festival of the breaking of the fast". It makes sense! And, understandably, the throngs of Turkish people celebrating were a happy lot, indeed... but so MANY of them crowded into the streets! Several times, we were literally unable to move more than inches at a time, so crowded were the streets, especially around the ferry docks. Contributing to the heavy volume of human traffic was the fact that ALL modes of transportation--ferries, buses, trollies--were free on this day! Finally, it was a chilly but gorgeous day, and it truly seemed as if the entire population of Istanbul (15 million strong!) were out in the streets this day. Really quite crazy, and very stressful at times. 

Still, Ece, Nagihan and I made the best of it, and managed to see a few famous and historical sites, as highlighted below (all on the European side of Istanbul): 



The very famous "Blue Mosque", so named for the thousands of blue, patterned tiles that fill its interior walls. Truly awe-inspiring! 

View of the mosque from the water, as our ferry approaced the European side of Istanbul. 




A fountain of sorts outside of the mosque


Roman Obelisk, constructed 390 A.D.




Another, close to it, constructed in the 10th century A.D, known as the "Column of Constantine". 


Entering the Blue Mosque

Here is what Wikipedia had to say about the Blue Mosque (by far the most impressive site we visited on this day): 

"The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, also known by its official name, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii), is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. A functioning mosque, it also attracts large numbers of tourist visitors. It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains Ahmed's tomb, a madrasah and a hospice. Hand-painted blue tiles adorn the mosque’s interior walls, and at night the mosque is bathed in blue as lights frame the mosque’s five main domes, six minarets and eight secondary domes.[2] It sits next to the Hagia Sophia, the principal mosque of Istanbul until the Blue Mosque's construction and another popular tourist site. The Blue Mosque was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1985 under the name of "Historic Areas of Istanbul".

Magnificent, ornate ceilings...over 100 feet in height! 

Definitely one of the most popular tourist attractions, and for good reason... 

I read that the tallest done was 140 feet high! Wow!!! 


The men bowing down in "ruku" as they perform their midday prayers to Allah. 


I knew of this practice, but it was my first time witnessing it in person. Very cool!!


The reverence of these Muslim men was quite palpable... the chanting of the priest as they prayed, quite beautiful. 

Large throngs of people everywhere... inside of the mosques, and outside... filling the streets, plazas, sidewalks, etc... 

Another side of the magnificent structure


The huge crowd waiting to enter the mosque as we were exiting! 


Moving on from the mosque...discovering another ancient building with impressive entryway! Not quite sure what it was the entrance of...but still in the historical part of the city. 

Different mosque; many similarities of structure


One of two famous palaces. We did NOT go in-- the line was too long--but plan to come back on a weekday. 



Another fountain... 

...along with the explanation... 



After seeing one bit of the old city, we made our way back to the seaside and ferries...but by then it was late afternoon, and the crowds had grown exponentially. It was very, very challenging getting back to the boat and making it on! 


Contributing to the huge crowds was this crazy attraction: A huge battleship brought to the European shore by the president of Turkey.

The docked ferry; a large throng of Turks and tourists waiting to board. 


The European shoreline, as seen from the ferry 


Onboard the ferry...large and well-maintained. It was empty on our way over in the morning, but fully packed when we returned to Katikoy in the afternoon! 


A view of the historic railway station, Asian side of Istanbul 



Blue skies, puffy clouds...chilly but lovely, clean air... a definite, welcome change after the heat and pollution of the Indian cities! 

These ferries were really amazing-- huge, smooth sailing, clean... 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bucharest, Part 2: Herastrau Park And A Walking Tour of Old Neighborhoods/Mansions

Image
I totally take back what I said in the previous blog about Bucharest being "ugly".    While it is true that many of the streets ARE nondescript at best, and truly ugly at worst, it is ALSO true that there are some quite beautiful parts as well... of which this blog is about!  I went on a second walking tour--this time, through the affluent old neighborhoods--the "old money" neighborhoods, one might say--and there were many beautiful old mansions to admire there. There were prettier, quieter streets, as one would expect, with large trees and much more greenery in general. It is also true-- per our lovely guide, Paul-- that many mansions are abandoned and have fallen into disrepair, simply because the descendents of the wealthy owners could not afford the upkeep. Tragic, indeed! Many are also now possessed by insitutions or corporations... and some, by various consulates and embassies.  It was a scenic and enjoyable evening's walk...especially because the sky was ...
Read more

A Final Fall Hike: Bullards Bar

Image
Here is a description of the location of my last long hike:  "New Bullards Bar Reservoir  is a large reservoir  in northeastern Yuba county, CA.,   at an elevation of 2,000 feet in the Tahoe National Forest.  It is a popular destination  for outdoor recreation. It is 16 miles in length and has 60+ miles of shoreline.    Bullards Bar is a mountain biking destination, with about 19 miles of hiking and biking trails, primarily on the east side of the lake."  The hike was a good--albeit chilly-- romp with a group of friends at this man-made reservoir. It is the strangest "lake", with steep, grooved sides made of golden-colored earth that has been carved away, leaving the most interesting-looking pattern (but wholly unnatural!) Again, as we all hiked along, we soaked in the lovely sights and smells, getting a good work-out in at the same time. It was a fine time and great finale before I must reluctantly head back to the urban ...
Read more

OCTOBER 2023: ONE YEAR OF ROAMIN' THE WORLD FINALLY COMPLETED! (My return to the U.S.--Sacramento, CA. and the Ananda Village)

Image
My arrival back in the U.S. completed an entire year of my travels abroad, and as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz proclaimed so astutely, "There is no place like home!"  As much as I love to travel, I ALSO love returning home to California. Seeing the wonderful faces of my dear friends Terri and Prem--when they arrived to pick me up at the Sacramento airport--I immediately felt happiness and relief. I have spent SO very much time alone in my travels... though I met many wonderful people everywhere, it just isn't the same as dear old friends!  And... what else can you say about the good ol' U.S. of A.?!  Compared to many other parts of the world, infrastructure is excellent and there is an efficiency of functioning that Americans expect and take for granted, until they venture out and traipse around the world, as I have done.  Most of Europe is pretty clean, true... but the U.S.-- at least in the nicer parts and places--is hyper -hygenic!  There is also a general op...
Read more