Turkey: Istanbul and Cappadocia

Blue Mosque in Istanbul

When my good friend Sue, a fellow Fulbrighter and Seattlelite, asked if I wanted to meet her for spring break in Turkey I jumped at the chance. Turkey has been on my top ten list for a long time. Now I know why.

The city of Istanbul is brimming with history and tradition. It is 99% Muslim, so seeing women completely dressed in full burkas was no surprise. Many women of the Islamic faith simply wear a hijab headscarf. According to the Quran, the dress code is to protect women from lustful gazes. The men were dressed conservatively, but most definitely more contemporary. And the Turkish men are quite handsome!

The minarets (towers) around the mosques throughout the city are used to announce via loudspeaker the "call to prayer", which happens five times/day. So out of our cozy hotel room in the wee hours of the morning we were awoken by a reverberating system of loudspeakers from every mosque in Istanbul.

Inside the Hague Sophia, now a museum

Man selling twisted bread

The cistern, an ancient underground water system.

 One of my favorite sights was the cistern. Giant marble pillars and archways were created for an  underground water system.It was originally built in 530AD but then rediscovered in 1545 and used to water the gardens of Topkapi Palace. Today it is a tourist attraction, lit up with lights to give it an eery mystical feel. There are even fish swimming in some of the pools.

Medusa's head at the bottom of one pillar in the cistern

Istanbul is a lively and colorful city. The Grand Bazaar is a sight to behold. If you find something that you want to buy, buy it, or else you will never find the booth again. The Bazaar is huge!

Amazing Turkish pottery

Glass lanterns are a Turkish specialty

Turkish Delight

Just how many varieties did I try in one week?

My favorite on the left: Pomegranate Pistacio

And then there was the bread...

Much of Istanbul is based on the carpet industry. As we walked the streets each day, young men would approach us and try to befriend us in very polite helpful ways. The conversation ALWAYS ended by them asking us if they could take us to their "uncle, brother, father, or best friend", a carpet dealer. We managed to steer clear of the "guides", but found ourselves in a lovely carpet shop (of course). Both Sue and I bought small carpets for quite reasonable prices. It is a wonderful experience to have the dealer show rug after rug, sip tea together, eat some Turkish Delight, negotiate and bargain. Expect a couple of hours at least!

Next...off to Cappadocia...