Istanbul, February 10th

Sunday was the only day with absolutely nothing scheduled though I had signed up for a performance of the "Whirling Dervishes" (yes, a real thing) that evening. 

I didn't have a real specific touring plan, and hadn't realized we would hit some of the obvious choices in our group tour Saturday.  While I wanted to keep moving and see as much as I could I knew it would be more fun with the right group and so I joined forces with my Farm Credit colleague Jenny from our Riverhead office and a few of other classmates who had similar plans. 

We started with Topkopi Palace, home of the sultans from 1453 to 1839, just around the corner from our hotel.  The term palace doesn't really conjure the right image.  It's impressive, but not for huge columns or soaring facades.  It has an expansive sprawling feel like a campus, with amazing views of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.  It also has a jaw-dropping collection of treasure and ancient bling -- golden chalices, huge gemstones, diamond encrusted everything, (you get the idea), along with historical artifacts from both Islam and Christianity. 

I could have spent some more time there, but we had an ambitous agenda. 

With Jenny and Evan in front of the gate to the second court

Bagdhad kiosk at Topkapi

container ship traversing the Boshphorus as seen from Topkapi

Our next stop was the Blue Mosque, still a working mosque, which dates from the 1600s.  I've remarked to a number of people that Topkapi, Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque are lined up like the monuments on the mall in Washington, very easy to see them all at once. 

Blue mosque -- if you turned around you would be looking at Aya Sofya

Interior of the Blue Mosque

After some shopping at an off the beaten path of shops near the blue mosque (I could have spent less time there, but I did get an evil eye and a scarf for Jen), we stopped for lunch (a balik ekmek -- fish sandwich) at one of the many restaurants beneath the Galata Bridge which traverses the Golden Horn where we were accosted by restauranteurs competing for our business, which wasn't quite what we wanted.  After lunch on to the Galata Tower, with its views of the expansive city which in some cases stretches to the horizon. 

Restaurants under the Galata Bridge

Topkapi, Aya Sofya and Blue Mosque in the distance from Galata tower -- Galata Bridge lower right

Then we took public transport (where I got to try out my Turkish as I attempted in vain to find a kiosk to buy a daily pass -- kiosk was closed), to the more modern Dolmabahce Palace, built in the mid -1800s when the sultans perceived the world thought their power and influence had waned because Topkapi Palace was too modest.  They blew the doors off on this palace which had massive ballrooms and staircases with chandeliers that looked like full scale models of the earth that you might see suspended in a planetarium.  Unfortunately no photos inside though as was a common refrain in the week, my phone battery ran out as we were leaving the palace.   

Evan, Greg, Brian Hall, Jenny and Scott on the light rail

With Scott Keyes at Dolmabahce

We got adventurous after that, and took ferries from near Dolmabahce to the Asian side of the Bosphorus where our ferry dodged other ferries and a huge tanker en route (think of an airport without an air traffic controller) and then grabbed another back to the European side so I could get back for the Whirling Dervishes.  A religious dance, it was impressive that they literally spun in circles for 45 minutes, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to others.  I have to say, however, I managed to get one of my favorite meals, a chicken doner (marinated chicken on a long narrow roll) and a cherry juice all for 4TL.  I called it early that night as I was the facilitator for our stops the next day, our last in Istanbul and Turkey.