Turkey, Part 7: Ayasofya Mosque; Sulemaniye Mosque; The Grand Bazaar

 Wednesday, April 26th: Rain was predicted all day, but thankfully, it only sprinkled off and on in the afternoon. The morning and midday were sunny and glorious! Thus it was that I spent another happy day of solo touring. I meandered more this time, and limited my destinations to the three mentioned above. Thus, my pace was more relaxed... I took in the street scenes (with throngs of people everywhere!), enjoyed a leisurely picnic lunch next to a mosque, bought Turkish Delight and a couple pretty cushion covers at the Grand Bazaar. I chatted for a long while with a older Turkish man--who spoke excellent English as a product of living in the U.S. for many years--and we commiserated with each other about our mutual dislike of Trump (and disbelief that the criminal buffoon could ACTUALLY be running for president again in 2024!) 

I really love taking the ferry back and forth across the Strait... I will miss these pleasant excursions, as well as how polite people are. I have been relishing the LACK of attention (except by merchants, but even they have not been overly aggressive. Often, they are even pleasant in their manners!) I still cannot get over how clean and well-maintained everything is... almost complete lack of trash in the streets or near the water. The traffic is mild enough and there is virtually NO honking... in short, everything about Turkey is SUCH a welcome relief after India!!! The only factors I struggle with are the higher prices and the fact that so many Turkish people are smokers... but at LEAST no smoke from burning trash!! Every place in this world does, of course, have its trade-offs. 

I am infinitely grateful to the lovely Turkish family who has put me up for my weeklong stay... being so very kind and generous with me... offering me a wonderful and comfortable room (displacing my precious student, Ece, who kept reassuring me that she didn't mind a bit!!), great food (I have been eating delicious, homemade meals, including the classics of hummus and bulgar wheat salad), and lots of good advice about where to go and what to do. Truly, I am very, very blessed!!

I can confidently say that the city of Istanbul now ranks among my favorite cities of the world..I surely will return one day!!!

In any event, my tour started with the very famous Ayasofya mosque (aka Hagia Sophia)--free entry, thank God!--and here is the explanation: 

 "Officially, the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque is a major cultural and historical site. The mosque was originally built as an Eastern Orthodox church and was used as such from the year 360 until the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. It then served as a mosque until 1935, when it became a museum. In 2020, the site once again became a mosque".  

I confess that I borrowed this professional photo off of the internet, because there was no feasible way for me to get a satisfactory photo of the entire Ayasofya mosque from any available vantage point. You cannot grasp the majesty of this amazing mosque otherwise! 

This one IS mine! This fountain stands midway between the Sofya Mosque and the Blue Mosque (visited last Saturday). At about 1 p.m., the midday prayers started, echoing between the two mosques over loud speakers. It was really quite wonderful to hear!
! 

After the mosque, I made my way on over to the Grand Bazaar, where the vast array of goods for sale was dazzling and rather overwhelming! As were the hawkers and and hordes of people, so I did not stay long. I did get some great photos, though, and bought two lovely cushion covers of classic Turkish scenes: one of the Sulemaniye Mosque, and the other of Whirling Dervishes (whom I have sadly missed seeing this time around...hopefully on another trip!) 

Here is the description, which is quite remarkable: 

"The Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı, meaning ‘Covered Market’; also Büyük Çarşı, meaning ‘Grand Market’) is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 m²,  attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.  In 2014, it was listed No.1 among the world's most-visited tourist attractions, with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazaar is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world."

The principal entry way to the market's interior

This was mid-week, a Wednesday... I imagine that, on a weekend, it would be much, much worse! 

An incredibly colorful display in a tea shop-- all varieties of powders, flower mixes, herbs and potions! Also Turkish coffee, of course! 

The market abounded with sweet shops, of course... Turkish Delights and other delectable treats! 

Third and final visit: The Sulemaniye Mosque. After seeing this one, I came to the conclusion that I have had my fill of mosques for awhile! As with churches, they all begin to look very much the same... 

Here is the description: 

"The Süleymaniye Mosque (Turkish: Süleymaniye Camii) is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul. The mosque was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent and designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan. An inscription specifies the foundation date as 1550 and the inauguration date as 1557. Behind the wall of the mosque is an enclosure containing the separate octagonal mausoleums of Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Hurrem Sultan. For 462 years, the Süleymaniye Mosque was the largest mosque in the city, until it was surpassed by the Çamlıca Mosque in 2019. The Süleymaniye Mosque is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul, and from its location on the Third Hill, it commands an extensive view of the city around the Golden Horn."

Mausoleum of sultans and wives. The "lesser" tombs of the wives were significantly smaller and on either sides of the sultans, aptly reflecting the attitudes toward women as second class citizens. Sure glad I didn't live back in those days!!!