Pamukkale & Hierapolis

In Turkish Pamukkale means the cotton palace; the most apt definition of this place. The mineral rich water from the thermal springs has been dripping down into the valley for many centuries. In course of time, the dripping water deposited calcium carbonate forming a series of dazzlingly white, shelf like structures called travertines. These almost look like a frozen mineral waterfall. 

The three hour journey to Pamukkale required a few breaks on the way, including lunch, and the hitherto unseen large strawberries from the farms en route. This was one of the few conducted tours --- the guide, a young lady, was full of pep was very helpful. Too many people, and almost all crowding the travertines. 

The Greco-Roman town itself had been developed to take advantage of the hot water springs of the region which was considered to be healing. It boasts of a number of baths, a Roman theater that could seat 12000, a necropolis, an agora(market) and a large number of temples which gave the city the name "the holy city", Hierapolis. 

 

The town was destroyed by earthquakes but rebuilt  more elaborately to became a big center of art and trade. A series of earthquakes hit the town after 7th century following which it was abandoned. Excavation started in 20th century and are still going on. A small museum enclosing a roman bath exhibits the findings. Hierapolis is now a UNESCO protected site. 

On the other side of Hierapolis, the whole of the mountain-side is covered with travertines. The mineral water is nowadays directed to a series of travertines cascading down one side only. So you can walk down the travertines to lower levels which made them less and less crowded. The path was slippery and narrow --- Sudhir went only up to the first, I braved it to the fourth travertine. Loved it.

Pide: Turkish Pizza

 

 We thought Pizza to be an Italian dish. Turns out something very similar exists in almost all countries bordering Mediterranean Sea. Turks call it Pide. It is shaped differently but is exactly that. Having Pide in Uchisar, Cappadocia with the local turkish beer.

Topkapi Palace: The jewel of Ottoman Istanbul & the other palace :)

Here, we had our first encounter with the long queues at the entry (we had escaped on the first day for Hagia Sophia). Still not too bad, 30 minutes of wait time. 

With a few palaces within the city where I was born and brought up, most of them now converted into hotels, I was not sure if Topkapi would hold our interest much. We went there following the 'completeness theorem of tourism' --- it was a good decision ! Topkapi palace was not just a palace but a palace-complex, practically a mini-city. The layout of the palace with 4 courtyards from the time of Mehmet the Fatih, has remained mostly unchanged. The various building have been added, replaced or restored through the time till the royal family moved to the Dolmabache Palace in 1856 AD. 

 The palace compound has a series of courtyards, each more protected than the preceding one, each with a large number of small pavilions. The outermost (first) was the court of Janissaries (army) with Hagia Irene, which was part of the earlier Byzantine palace, used as the armory. The army paraded here and on special occasions, public was given access to this court.

The second court had the buildings for royal administrative functions including that for the meetings of the ministers. The Sultan eves-dropped on these meeting through a grill that opened into the Harem.  Today this building houses the clock collection of the sultans. 

The Palace kitchens are a part of this court and here food was prepared daily for all the residents of the palace. Some very fine Chinese vases, dinner services, table runners and porcelain are exhibited here at present. Looking at the influence of Chinese culture, the two countries probably had very strong trade and diplomatic relations.

The family of the Sultan lived in the Harem. Besides the living quarters, this is where the education of the children of the family was undertaken along with education of arts and religion. Special suites were reserved for the mother of Sultan and his favorite wife / concubines. It also had schools, mosques, baths along-with special pavilions and courtyards for family functions. The baths were particularly ornate with running water and gold detailing.

Sultans personal chambers, baths, pavilions and courtyard also formed a part of the Harem. These chambers had huge carpets, elaborately decorated walls, canopies and thrones. The walls were covered with blue Iznik tiles. The Harem was guarded in past by black eunuchs and no person from outside was allowed access here. 

Courtyard from the Harem had beautiful view of the Galata Tower on the other side of The Golden Horn.

The Third court had the Royal Library and Imperial Treasury which today holds exhibits of the most amazing jewels including the 67 carat white diamond. Very beautiful gems formed a part of the this treasury some of which were spoils of various wars and some gifted by their vassal.  Also on exhibit are the holy relics of Prophet Mohamed.

Detail of a gold encrusted throne literally covered with pearls, rubies and emeralds. This throne was gifted to the Sultan by Nadir Shah of Iran to Sultan Mahmud I. It is believed to be the famous peacock throne that Nadir Shah took with him after looting Delhi. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trust the Arabians to have yet another option of a chess board. The chess pieces were crystal but the board was breathtaking inlay work. Attaching a collage of some more pieces that I was intrigued with..

 

The fourth court has the courtyards and personal chambers of the emperor itself.  It has elaborately decorated marble pavilion which offer beautiful views of the Bosphorus. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the Topkapi, we went to Dolmabache Palace. Taking pictures inside the palace is forbidden. But I think it was not really a loss. Unlike Topkapi palace, Dolmabache palace could be plucked from Istanbul and put anywhere in Europe and you will find nothing amiss. Though the private marina for special guests was rather remarkable.

 

 

 

Walking about Fatih, the Old Istanbul

 Most of the tourist sites of Istanbul lie in its southern peninsular region which was the old Istanbul. After the Ottoman conquest this region was called "the Fatih". Here Fatih, the conqueror, was the title given to Sultan Mehmed. The old Fatih region with its multiple mosques, schools, wooden houses must have been a charming place. Today only a few of the wooden houses survive, most were destroyed in various fires and earthquakes. 

Whenever we decide to visit a new country, Sudhir obtains a copy of Lonely Planet guide of the country. He maintains that while all the latest information is available on the net, Lonely Planet remains the most reliable source. Lonely planet recommends a walk though the Fatih region to see some of the old world charm and that is what we intended to do on our third day in Istanbul.  

We started from Suleymaniye Mosque, where I left in the last blog, crossing the whole complex with school, hospital etc. Walked through Kayserili Ahmedpasha Sokak which has a couple of beautiful Old Timber houses. 

Had sweet boza, a fermented grain drink, at Vefa Bozacisi one of the oldest Boza shops in Vefa region. This shop has been around since 1876 must have sold a lot of boza. It was nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After crossing narrow winding streets filled with cats so cute that is was difficult to tear ourselves from them, we reached the magnificent arches which held the old Aqueducts of the Byzantine times.  This is s series of double stories arches which were used to carry water for the city during Byzantine times. 

We walked through the Fatih Monument Park with the statue of Mehmet the conqueror on a horse with his ministers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next lay the Women's Bazaar, a local shopping area. A number of quaint eateries and some very interesting spice shops. A lot of familiar spices and a lot which were not. Didn't / Couldn't buy any because I did not know how and where to use them. Regretting it a bit now, but I have the consolation of being able to buy them on Amazon 😏

 

Final stop was The Grand Bazaar with its myriad shops, brightly lit beautiful corridors, the buzz of equally loud tourists and touts. Chai shops, souvenir shops, more spice shops, and fake everything shops. This bazaar had a whole diwali vibe with all the lights, sweets and unusual curios shops. It was not an easy choice for Sudhir... which one first? The Ottoman chess-men set or Baklava or Turkish delight. Some very Kashmiri style embroidery left me puzzled initially .... but then Istanbul was on the ancient silk route and hence a unique amalgam of cultures from China to all the other cultures on the way, including Kashmir. The whole effect of the Bazaar was practically an assault on our sense.

It was Friday evening and the prayer time came to the rescue of our wallets :). We were not able to return to Grand Bazaar again during this trip. Sudhir tried, but it was Sunday that day :( else I would have the Ottoman Chess set adorning my living room. 

The Mosques of Istanbul

 

On our first day in Istanbul, though weary from the journey, we wanted to get oriented to the city and adjust our body clocks to Turkey time. Despite wanting to lie down, we  went to Sultanahmet (square) and crossing the ruins of the Roman Hippodrome, walked to the Sultanahmet Mosque (The Blue Mosque). We were there just at the right time --- in between the prayer times.

 

The inner hall was cool and given the number of tourists, very quiet. People were sitting about and taking in the beauty of the place. Huge stain glass windows gave most of the light. The dome, pillars, walls were covered with painting, carvings, calligraphy and blue colored Iznik tiles in100s of different designs of lily. The roof was a series of domes from the highest being the biggest and then cascading down to smaller one. The whole effect is so harmonious and serene that people were talking in hushed tones. 

To complete our orientation we passed by the entrance of Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) which is 5 minutes walk away. To our surprise the ticket lines to Hagia were only 10 deep when we expected 100s to be lining up for entry. This was an unexpected opportunity and we soon found ourselves in the old cathedral. 

A bit of History: Hagia Sophia was built in 537 AD by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the largest cathedral of the world for about 1000 years. With Ottomans conquest of Istanbul in ~1450 AD, it was converted to a mosque with added minarets, pulpit and mihrab. The architecture of the Blue Mosque built by Ottomans in 1610, as well as most of the other mosques of Istanbul (even in Cairo) is inspired by Hagia Sophia. In 1935 Ataturk, the father of modern secular Turkey, converted it into a museum. In 2020 the present government reconverted it into a mosque.  

Hagia Sophia was much larger than the Blue Mosque. It is about a 1000 years older and yet it seemed more lighted with light shining off the mosaics on the walls. Sudhir pointed out the mosaics, I was assuming them to be paintings... extremely fine work with gold and silver covered tiles reflecting the light just right. The effect of age was very visible with patches where some of the mosaics had been. With the mosaics of Mary and Jesus, Hagia Sophia looks more like a church than a mosque. The mosaics painted or plastered over during the Ottoman period were probably revealed and restored during it's museum phase. Restoration work still continues.

Despite being a mosque Ayasofya doubles as a museum and allows access to tourists only on the upper levels with best views of the mosaics. To see the Omphallion on the main floor, one has to crane ones neck a bit. The Omphallion is a square area marked with inlaid discs of different colored marbles from different regions of the Byzantine empire. This was where the Byzantine emperors were crowned.

With a very satisfactory introduction to the old Istanbul, we called it a day, and visited the Suleymaniye mosque the next morning. 

Being on top of a hill Suleymaniye mosque offers panoramic views of the region around. Despite the grey skies the courtyard offered lovely views of the Galata tower and the Bosphorus. The mosque is a part of a social complex of with a hospital, a graveyard, a public kitchen, public bath and a school built for Sultan Suleyman in 1550 AD. The main hall theme is red and it was the first to use Iznik tiles in red colour.

Here are some pictures of the graceful prayer hall, the lovely courtyard and a view of the Galata tower.

Taksim Square

During our trip to Turkey we visited Istanbul twice, on our way in and then out of the country. On our second visit we decided to stay in a quaint hotel in the Beyoglu region around the famous Galata Tower. Little did we realize that the hotel was on a steep incline. In order to get to the tramline (read: sea level) one needed to go down about 30 feet and Taksim square was about 40 ft uphill. The narrow lanes deter taxis or any public transport so one just has to just walk it. 

 Well, we proceeded to explore the Istiklal Caddessi (street) and the Taksim Meydan ( Square). Istiklal street is a very beautiful street lined with old buildings and cafes and shopping areas and vintage trams running down the street. It is very popular with the tourists also.

 They go window-shopping, sit in the cafes sipping chai or coffee or late in the evening flock to the number of root-top eateries.  Some of the side squares of Istiklal street were also very beautiful, one could sit and have a meal while absorbing the beauty of the place. 

Taksim Square has another huge Mosque the Taksim Camii and an imposing freedom monument in the center. Very relaxed atmosphere, you can sit around have roasted chestnuts or grab a Simit sandwich from the kiosks, and of course as many sweets and herbal teas and you name whatever.

From Taksim, we took the funicular to go down to the sea level. Having taken the flight from Izmir on the same morning, we were tired and wanted to go to the hotel to get some rest. While climbing up-to the hotel we came across a beautiful little staircase called Camondo stairs which was designed by a french architect. The wavy staircase was a popular place for wedding photographs also :).  

 

Our knees were screaming from this arduous climb and we realized that we cannot do this again (we changed our hotel the next morning). Yet, we could not have left without a close look at the iconic Galata tower where we headed for dinner. 

Galata Tower was built in the Byzantine period by emperor Justinian as a watch tower. It was destroyed during one of the crusades and the presently standing tower was built in 1204. It has served as a prison, a fire lookout and at present is a museum. On top is the lookout gallery offering full view of the neighboring regions which gets very crowded at sunset. The tower was closed for renovation but the lanes around it were bustling with cafes offering food from all over the world. A number of Instagram stars were busy taking pictures with Galata tower in the background. 

 

 

Post dinner walk was very rewarding. We came to a square with a local crowd sitting and watching a local volleyball team match on a huge screen put up right in the square. There was lots of cheering for the home team. No tourists here, just the local crowd. Reminded me of the screenings of football matches in the cafes (even in the University lecture hall) in Italy and watching a particularly interesting football match in a local pub  in France.

 

 

 

 

Kadikoy: the Asian side of Istanbul

Istanbul sits astride the Bosphorous strait. While such a large water body dividing the city is intimidating to desert dweller like us, for the Istanbul residents it is just another ferry ride from the mad touristy European side to the more sane and modern Asian side. Sudhir and I planned to spend half a day here hoping to find the waterfront promenades and the open art gallery: the street arts of Kadikoy. 

 

 

We covered only half of the most famous works despite a very helpful map for all these arts. Not an easy task since one can only see the distances on the google map and are completely unaware of the steep inclines involved. Old knees have their limits 😞. 

Having already gained some altitude we decided to follow the slope observing the everyday life of Kadikoy residents. Saturday mornings is not really the time to observe the local crowds who are more likely to be out in the evening. 

We crossed a few fruit shops ( Lunch!) and another shop  selling an unusual local specialty, the pickles --- of everything. What vibrant colours!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Eventually we reached the Kadikoy meeting point, the seat of the famous "Raging Bull" statue. The statue was created by the French but came to Turkey through Germany; Turkish support on the wrong side of WWII was somehow involved. Anyway the bull was asking to be taken by the horns and Sudhir did.

This was also close to the artists street which boasts of some boho cafes and the memorial to Ali Suawi, one of the first pan Turkists of the Ottoman Period. 

 

Loved this unusual bookshelf at a cafe --- sought permission of the guy to take a pic. His kindness showed up by removing everything around. 

 

Like almost all our trips, the last stop of this trip also was a Turkish sweet shop to enjoy one  of the many different kinds of Baklava. In the evening we enjoyed the dance show at Hodjapasha... more on that later. 

 

 

Istanbul: Basilica Cistern

 

 

It was our second-last day in Turkiye. We had seen all on our to-do list for Istanbul. Except Basilica Cistern. The queues were intimidating. But how could we not see it. Made enquiries. Having already strained his knees, Sudhir chickened out at the proposition of walking down (no lift 😖). So we bought "Skip the line" ticket tour paying 20% extra ( only for me) for the next day, May 19th, which was also our last day in Istanbul. Many logistics had to be taken care of ... check-out at the hotel, arrange taxi to airport, but we managed to reach the site at 9 am only to realize that the regular queue required only 10 minutes extra. My ticket ( hefty entrance ticket with the added premium) allowed me to save those 10 minutes 😐 and I entered immediately, armed with a selfie stick for photographs.  

To the movie buffs: the photographs might look familiar ... this cistern has featured in a number of Hollywood movies: The Inferno, From Russia with Love, The International to name a few.

When I entered Basilica Cistern, the sheer size of this place hit me. Imagine an area larger than a football field, sunk 10m underground, with a roof supported by 336 symmetrically places columns ( did all Romans have OCD?). Then imagine it being filled with 80,000 tonnes of water ... all this in 550AD for the population of the bustling metropolitan city of Istanbul.

Istanbul was strategically a very important region due to control on the Bosphorus strait that allowed access to Black Sea countries and also being on the ancient Silk Route. It was  the capital of eastern half of the Roman Empire, made rich by the tax and toll, but did not have natural water resources for its ever increasing population.  The way out was getting water from far regions using aqueducts (still well preserved in Istanbul). 

Many underground cisterns were built to  store the extra water for summer months and emergencies ( read: besieged by enemy forces). Basilica Cistern is one of the many in Istanbul that are open to tourists.

 

Basilica Cistern was built by Byzantian Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century BC. It fell into disuse during Ottoman period (post 1400 AD, they liked running water), was later rediscovered by a Dutch visitor. It has been restored recently as a fine example of Byzantian architecture (and pragmatism). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the columns are plain marble, spoliated from older Roman and Greek structures. Two particularly striking columns are propped on huge marble Medusa heads, one upside down and the other lying sideways. 

Medusa was a Greek goddess with snakes for hair and was considered a dangerous one since just seeing her could petrify people. The positioning of the heads could be to petrify Medusa herself ( she looks at her image in the water 😃). People still put Medusa heads at the entrance of their homes to protect it from evil-eye. 

The dark interiors with strategic lighting makes the place look very mysterious. Adds to the allure of the place. Happy that I could visit this beautiful place. 

And Sudhir insisted on singing a song --- Rashmiiii, tum basilica ko dekho, aur main tumhe dekhte hue dekhoon (photo mein :-)).

 

The Prince Island: Buyukada of Istanbul

 

 

 

Buyuk-Ada in Turkish means the Big Island. It is the biggest of the seven islands south of the Asian side of Istanbul. Once home to fishermen and prosperous Greeks, Jews and Armenians, these islands cannot be more touristy now. The wood-houses and the tree lined promenades giving it a unique character with a relaxed air are still maintained in spite of the large tourist flux.

No petrol vehicles allowed on the island. I expected to see a red horse drawn phaeton used in all promo pictures but didn't find it. One could smell horse shit at places, so it might still be around :). Lots of beautiful cats everywhere. I think the cats outnumber the residents of the island. Tourists are not included in this eyeballed census, they were crammed practically everywhere. I find it hard to believe that early May is not the peak tourist season!

It was wonderful to spend a few hours here...and time permitting, one would love to spend a few days here.

Ate the best cherries and nectarines ever, so juicy that we got juice all over us. Fruit lunch is good for oldies like us: keeps the energy levels up with none of the lethargy that comes after a normal meal.  Eating "on the go" gives us more time to amble. When we got tired, we took a short circular tour of the island in a mini bus to get a feel of the parts where we couldn't walk to.

Took a lot of pictures of  Beyoglu region, Old Istanbul as well as of the Dolmabache Palace from the ferry. Both the ferry ride and the island itself can be best described through these pictures. So here they follow...