Ok , next after visiting a mostly Christian country when we went to Malta , now we will head to the Orient , and a place of many mosques . Istanbul : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul Please show respect to other culture and religions and woman please bring a head scarf to cover your heads and follow the directions given by the authorities . Not even in a Christion Church is it appropriate to enter with bare shoulders or bare legs , some even ask for a head cover too . So please be considerate . the place that determined how a mosque looks like originally a Greek orthodox cathedral . the Hagia Sophia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x14cab9be92011c27%3A0x236e6f6f37444fae!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.trover.com%2Fd%2FgDGN-haghia-sophia-istanbul-turkey!5shagia%20sophia%20-%20Google%20Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipM95zg5VlvGkA_iGlKsKcIGRzBm9NAjBL5akBIk&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi1x4ah_szqAhUBOs0KHQ3vAikQoiowMHoECCcQBg In 1934 this place of worship was turned into a museum to show both the Christian history , and the Islamic history . Last Friday this designation was revoked by a Turkish court , and president Recep Tayyip Erdogan decreed that the sitewill reopen as a working mosque . https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turkey-turns-hagia-sophia-museum-mosque-drawing-criticism-180975300/ Blue Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque Hagia Sophia behind Suleymaniye Mosque Suleymaniye Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%BCleymaniye_Mosque
Mosques of Istanbul 2 Bueyuek Mecidiye Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ortak%C3%B6y_Mosque this is a mosque built in baroque stile New Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mosque,_Istanbul Little Hagia Sophia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Hagia_Sophia Eyuep Sultan Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ey%C3%BCp_Sultan_Mosque Ruestem Pasha Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCstem_Pasha_Mosque Faith Moque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatih_Mosque,_Istanbul Nuruosmaniye Mosque: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuruosmaniye_Mosque Sehzade Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Eehzade_Mosque Zeyrek Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeyrek_Mosque
and some more Mosques : Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokollu_Mehmed_Pasha_Mosque,_Kad%C4%B1rga Mihrimah Sultan Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihrimah_Sultan_Mosque,_Edirnekap%C4%B1 Laleli Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laleli_Mosque Dolmabahce Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolmabah%C3%A7e_Mosque Camlica Mosque : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%87aml%C4%B1ca_Mosque The largest mosque in Turkey ok enough all ready , unless I find some really interesting other mosques . There are more than 2900 active Mosques in Istanbul https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mosques_in_Istanbul#:~:text=Istanbul%2C%20as%20the%20capital%20of,2%2C944%20active%20mosques%20in%20Istanbul.
One of the most interesting things about the Hagia Sophia is the number of earthquakes it has survived. It was built well. I do wish it had been left as a museum, but if they let folks see it most of the time I guess that's ok.
Istanbul 5 : Grand Bazaar : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Bazaar,_Istanbul The Grand Bazaar is the largest and oldest covered market in the world , with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. The Spice Bazaar : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_Bazaar second largest covered Bazaar in Istanbul that brings us to the question , what souvenirs to get in Istanbul : Ceramics : Turkish lamps : Nazas evil eye ornaments : Turkish tea : Kilm rugs or tapestry : Turkish spices and scents : Turkish silver and gold jewelry Turkish delight , the sweet treat of Istanbul : Hamman soap : Nargile pipes ,they are also called hookahs , shishas , and waterpipes Backgammon Set :
Istanbul 6 : more things to buy https://www.gpsmycity.com/articles/38-istanbul-shopping-guide-16-turkish-items-to-bring-home.html https://sofiaadventures.com/turkish-souvenirs-istanbul-shopping/ more places to go shopping Taksim Square : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taksim_Square Istiklal Caddesi : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0stiklal_Avenuehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0stiklal_Avenue Golden Horn : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Horn Bosporus : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosporus Basilica Cistern : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_Cistern Galata Tower : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galata_Tower Maiden tower : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiden%27s_Tower Guelhane Park : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BClhane_Park
I think this next one will be my favorite Miniaturk : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniat%C3%BCrk Rumelihisari : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumelihisar%C4%B1 Beylerbeyi Palace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beylerbeyi_Palace
Oh, those miniatures are really nice! I have a massive nargile pipe from Egypt, it does look quite nice as decoration.
Absolutely fabulous trip Schmet!!! I am working on finishing up Rhodes and then will work on a couple of other places in Greece and then move us to Sicily. Just let me know when you are finished with your trip. This infusion gives me flu like symptoms and they kept putting people next to me. The first guy wasn't bad, a bit loud, and he was only there for an hour, it was his first MS treatment of any kind ever, so I understand his anxiousness. Then they put some woman there and she was sneezing and had a bad cough and a runny nose, so now I am worrying about that, even though everybody had to wear masks, she kept pulling hers down and germs get on your cloths and stuff. When I finally got out of there, I dashed home and threw my clothes in the wash, set my shoes outside in the sun to bake, and wrapped my arm up and showered. Then I wiped my arm down with 90% isopropyl alcohol. Ran outside and Lysol'd the truck which will be baking anyway in the heat.
I hope you feel like at least 10 years younger once your through that raff spot. ok here we go Today we started our Day with a traditional Turkish Breakfast . Turkish breakfast in all its Mediterranean glory is the best way to start your day in Istanbul. Granted, this isn’t so much a street food as something you might get at your hotel, but we decided to include it anyway. Turkish breakfast generally consists of white bread, a variety of cheeses, and jams, For a special treat, look out for honey and clotted cream (bal kaymak). Alongside you will find olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers. The full experience includes a cup of strong, Turkish coffee. Menemen ( Turkish Scrambled Eggs ) : that sounds like more breakfast in my book . Menemen is another dish commonly eaten for breakfast and may be compared to a soupy plate of scrambled eggs. Traditionally, it consists of eggs, green bell peppers, tomatoes, and a healthy helping of olive oil. It is spiced with ground black pepper and may occasionally also contain chopped onion. To make the dish more hearty, you can also order meat with your menemen. Mihir and I particularly enjoyed Turkish sausage (sucuklu yumurta) and fried meat inside our menemen. The dish is usually served with a generous helping of fresh Turkish bread. All in all, this is a hearty breakfast that could also serve as a light lunch. For some of the best menemen in Istanbul, head to Lades Menemen just off Istiklal Avenue. A plate of the traditional menemen here costs 8 TL while the meat options range between 14 TL and 16 TL. next we went to visit the Istanbul Archaeological Museum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul_Archaeology_Museums Sultanahmet Tibnit King of Sidon I picked some items from this museum ,just to give you an idea how vast their collection is .
This visit took hours , some of you might want to return , but first we will enjoy more of the yummy street food that vendors offer everywhere . first of all we will try Turkish tea and coffee . If you ask any Turk what is quintessentially Turkish, most will answer ‘cay’. Cay is a strong black tea that is served in small glass cups. Wherever you go in Istanbul, you will see vendors selling tea or shopkeepers drinking tea by the side of the road. It’s a part of Turkish hospitality so you should expect a hot cup of tea when visiting somebody in Turkey. Even if you are not big on black tea, you should try at least one cup. Often, the tea is served with a small sugar cube on the side. Because the cups have no handles, you pick the cup up and hold it by its rim. Cay is omnipresent and you really shouldn’t have a problem finding yourself a cup. It should cost no more than 1-2 TL. If you sit down in a cafe in the Grand Bazaar you may very well be charged 9 TL for a cup, which is why these places are best avoided. 4. KAHVESI (TURKISH COFFEE) Did you know that it was actually the Ottomans who first introduced coffee in Europe? Coffee has been an integral part of Turkish culture for hundreds of years which is why you definitely can’t miss having a cup. For Turkish coffee, the coffee beans are ground very finely before bringing it to a boil in water. Sugar is added during the cooking process rather than after serving. Sometimes you may have the option to order unsweetened (sade kahve), semi-sweet (orta sekerli), or sweet coffee (tatli). Finally, the coffee is served black in a small cup with the coffee grounds remaining in the coffee. Just like Turkish tea, Turkish coffee is served basically everywhere and a cup should cost you no more than 2 TL. Simit ( Turkish Bagel ) Simit is a kind of Turkish bread, baked in the shape of a circle. Most commonly it’s encrusted with sesame seeds, although on occasion you may also come across poppy, flax, or sunflower seeds. In some ways, it’s reminiscent of a bagel. Simit is eaten plain, as a snack on-the-go, or with a cup of tea for breakfast. You can find simit vendors throughout the city, but you can also check out Simit Sarayi, a Turkish bakery chain with outlets around every corner, including one at Istanbul airport. On the street, a simit costs 1.5 TL, but in the bakeries, it may cost up to 2 TL Meze : Meze is a set of appetizer dishes that are traditionally served before a meal or alongside it. There’s a large variety of them, but some of the most common ones include pickles, hummus, and ezme. Ezme is a kind of dip made from fresh tomatoes and chilis. Another option is patlican salatasi, a dip made from grilled eggplant. At most restaurants and even street food places, you will usually be served a plate of pickles and ezme as soon as you sit down. These are free of charge and up to you to enjoy. Other meze are ordered from the menu and shouldn’t cost more than 4-7 TL. Lahmacun ( Turkish Pizza ) Lahmacun is a type of flatbread which is topped with minced meat, usually beef or lamb, as well as vegetables and herbs. It is often dubbed a ‘Turkish pizza’, although it significantly lighter and can be eaten as a snack rather than a full meal. It’s quite aromatic and really good value for money. A typical lahmacun costs around 8 TL on the street. Pride : another dish that's kind of like pizza Pide actually resembles pizza more so than the lahmacun. It is essentially a flatbread that is folded over at the edges which turns it into a kind of ‘pizza boat’. Pide is traditionally filled with Turkish peynir cheese, a cheese made from goat milk. It melts very easily and will fill your mouth with heavenly goodness. Apart from cheese, pide can come with a variety of toppings. Vegetarian options include a cheese-spinach filling, while other traditional options include spiced lamb, or sujuk (Turkish beef sausage). They are quite filling and if you are going to order a few dishes, one is enough to share with another person. Some of the best pide are to be had at Hoca Pasa Pidecisi, located within walking distance from Topkapi Palace. Here, a pide costs around 20-25 TL, depending on which filling you choose. Should this place be closed, the restaurant one over also serves decent pide for about the same price. Ciragan Palace Kempinski : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%87%C4%B1ra%C4%9Fan_Palace we could stay in this former Ottoman palace , it's now a 5 star hotel Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_and_Islamic_Arts_Museum Camlica Hill : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%87aml%C4%B1ca_Hill the hill provides great views Hagia Irene : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Irene
After a nice rest we can now go on to a charming island not far from Istanbul I will have to let pictures speak for this island is an eye candy Bueyuekada : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%BCy%C3%BCkada this houses have seen better days Greek Orthodox orphanage Greek Orthosox college - main entry Aya Yorgi Church and Monastery Buyukada once was the Jewish island of Turkey
