Güle Güle, Turkey

Tonight finds us at an Otopark in Ipsala, on Turkey's border with Greece. The Aegean is a mile or two away, and the winds are buffeting us just as at Sultanahmet. But it is dry and pleasant, short-sleeve temperatures.

This is our 68th and final day in Turkey. We came here with a little apprehension and also high expectation. We have never met anyone who visited Turkey and did not absolutely love it. We can now join that group. Been there, loved that. It is one of the most varied and interesting places we have been, historically, culturally, geographically; exotic, but comfortably exotic; friendly and welcoming too. I am sure I will post some more about Turkey, and Vicki's "practical highlights" on Turkey will appear on our website soon.  We have some more of the world still to see, but we'd love to return to Turkey.

My "Crescent and Star" salad tribute, cucumbers and

tomatoes and yogurt with spearmint; onions and olives

added later; preceded by a final glass of wonderful Efes;
and, of course, followed by some final baklava from
Sultanahmet

Last Days in Istanbul

Thus were our last few days in Istanbul, favorite places, the Spice Market, a dinner at Develi, more shopping, another visit to the archaeological museum, more walking around, just appreciating the great city.

Develi restaurant in Samatya

At the archaeological museum--where we revisited Troy,

Hittites, Lycians, Lydeans, Phrygians, and other old

friends--we finally got to see the remnant of the iron chain

the Byzantines had stretched across the Golden Horn to

keep enemies out (it had been on loan in October)

A last look at the Blue Mosque

And the incredible Hagia Sophia

Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent

One of the loose ends--it was still closed for renovations in October--was to see Istanbul's greatest mosque, that of Suleiman the Magnificent, the 16th century sultan who saw the empire reach its zenith in most every way. It was designed by Sinan the Architect, buried nearby, one of the 131 mosques he designed in his 97 years. Most interestingly, this mosque was the center of a huge social services center, soup kitchen for the poor, housing for travelers, baths, hospital, school, library, etc. I wonder if they had free wifi. Anyhow, I liked this mosque, far more than the blue one: there was a simplicity of design and decor here that added to the sense of height and massiveness.

Hemmed-in as it is, both by its own campus

and courtyard and then city buildings all

around, it is difficult to get a picture with
even most of the mosque in it



Interior

Great dome, 52m up there

Beautiful Islamic glass

More interior

One of the four minarets

Larger exterior view

Sultanahmet Again

After Gallipoli, we turned back east and drove to within 50 miles or so of Istanbul, stopping at a beach-side lay-by. We had decided to spend our last few days in Turkey back in Istanbul, a city we enjoyed so much when we arrived here, to attend to a last few loose ends in sight-seeing, shopping, and eating. We drove into the big city about 9AM and were settled at our old campground on Kennedy Caddesi in Sultanahmet by 10. We spent the rest of the day at the Grand Bazaar, again, and in the neighborhoods surrounding it. We buy very little, but find these Turkish bazaars endlessly interesting.

There were only a few RVs at the "campground," a few Germans, a few French; 
as you can see in the background, the wind and sea were really kicking up at 
this point



Really kicking up

We thought about seeing the latest Harry Poppins movie, but, 
alas, it was dubbed in Turkish

In the bookstalls adjacent to the Grand Bazaar, a cat surveys 
the literary crowd; what do cats think about?

Beyazit Square and the entrance to Istanbul University

In the Square, what we dubbed the "old mens' market"

For example



Next afternoon, one of many BBQs going on along the sea-wall and in the park 
near us; Turks will grill just about anything, anytime



This one got out of hand: the old rail station, across the Golden Horn; it was a 
gift of the Kaiser to the Sultan way back when...

Istanbul Outtakes

From a side street in Sultanahmet, the Sea of Marmara, a sea

of  ships; the traffic through the Bosphorus, of every size,

was incredible

Bust with glasses, something new for me...

T-shirts at the Grand Bazaar

Turkish disability ramps always show the degree of incline

Raspberry/chocolate orgy: first a layer of raspberry and

cream, then chocolate mousse, then gingerbread, all in an

edible chocolate cup; at a patisserie on the main drag in

Sultanahmet; Turks definitely have sweet teeth

Mannquins, on the docks by fashionable

houses on the Bosphorus

On the seawall in Sultanahmet, some enterprising soul

has set up a BB gun target range; 15 shots, 5 YTL

The Bosphorus was jellyfish city: this one (you can't see

the tentacles) was at least three feet long and swimming

briskly against the current

Shippenglow

A last view of our most unusual "campground" in Istanbul

And a last view, from the Bosphorus Bridge, of the old city,

Hagia Sofia, flanked by the Blue Mosque and Topkapi

Palace

I really enjoyed Istanbul--such a comfortable combination of the familiar and the exotic--ever interesting and challenging. And then there was the food. I could have stayed another week, just wandering the markets, but Vicki kept reminding me there was much more of Turkey to see.

Cats of Istanbul

Cats are as prevalent in Istanbul as dogs are in Romania; but not so threatening nor disgusting...

How many cats, world-wide, enjoy the comfort of Turkish

ruggery?

At Anadolu Kavagi, the owner of one of the restaurants fed

this kitty sardines or somesuch as a restauteurial attention-

getter; lucky kitty

How feral cats survive: people feed them; here someone has

dumped a load of ribs, which the cats are gratefully (?!)

cleaning

Kitler (Google it)

Obligatory black cat: I believe that black cats must be some

sort of genetic default

There is also some sort of feline cultural archetype about
boxes and other containers

Feline oration

Dogs are so stupid...

Grizzled veteran

Rustem Pasa

If the Blue Mosque is Istanbul's Notre Dame, then Rustem Pasa is its St. Chappelle. So the guide books say. I wonder whether the writers have been to Paris. Anyhow, we found Rustem Pasa and enjoyed a look inside.

Porch; this small mosque is so hemmed in (OK, it's

a city of 15-17 million, been around for a while), it's difficult

to find, much less photograph

Time, date, temperaure, next prayer, and quote from the

Koran, on the porch at Rustem Pasa; next prayer time

extremely important for infidel tourists

Rustem Pasa interior

Carpet covering the floor of this small mosque, clearly

delineating individual worshippers' spaces

c

Pulpit, the highest part never preached from,

in deference to the Prophet

But the main attraction of Rustem Pasa is its tiles

Ditto

Ditto, again

And the dome