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Before I departed Istabul I wanted to hunt down as many Byzantine (or probably more accurately- pre Ottoman) sites as possible. I had already walked along the outer walls (see post: Walls of Constantinople) but there were several other sites I had researched and still needed to track down. Consequently, I found myself back on the T1 tram heading out towards the walls again headed for the Chora Church. If I had… Read More
Today I visited the Topkapi Palace which is adjacent to the Hagia Sophia and perched on the top of the “first hill” of Istanbul. The palace, built by the Ottomans after the conquest of Constantinople, stands at the highest point on the hill and is where the Byzantine acropolis was located when the Greeks held the city. The architecture is classic Ottoman style, laid out in four courtyards and consisted of a… Read More
I spent the day on a long Bosphorus Cruise that went almost to the third and final bridge before the Strait opens up into the Black Sea. The cruise started at the Eminonu port located in the Fatih district where I am staying so it was easy to get to the ferry terminal. The tricky part was trying to figure out how to buy tickets. The Istanbul ferry operator, Sehir Hatlari (again,… Read More
I checked off one of my “must do” boxes today— an Istanbul food tour. I wanted to get a local insight into the food, it’s history and variety so a guided tour was the way to go. Based on a food tour I had done before in New York, I knew it was going to be a full day of eating so I skipped dinner the night before to prepare. I met… Read More
Today I went to visit the Hagia Sophia, arriving early in the morning right when they open to avoid the crowds. On my way across the square I met another friendly, but persistent, “come to my shop and have tea” guy, who apparently has a somewhat under the radar carpet business in the U.S. I ended up having quite a lengthy conversation with him and was informed that Americans are great because… Read More
Today I decided to go find and explore the walls of Constantinople, driven by the rich history and the important role they played in the defense of the city. The walls, in their current form, have been in existence since the city of Constantinople was founded by the emperor Constantine in the 4th century. Theodosius added a double wall in the 5th century which was what I was going to find. There… Read More
There is so much to talk about I am not sure where to start, so I’ll just start with…. I had to create a fictional husband today. It was simply the easiest way to steer conversations into better directions. Like other places I have traveled- here in Istanbul, especially in the areas with lots of tourists, there are vendors and hawkers constantly trying to get you to look at their merchandise or… Read More
Leaving Tashkent and Uzbekistan behind, I arrived in Istanbul and made it seamlessly to where I will be spending the next week and a half. My goal is to relax, enjoy staying in one place for an extended amount of time (do laundry!), and leisurely explore the sights of Istanbul. I am staying in the old city, near most of the significant historical attractions and will be able to wander from place… Read More
How much do you believe when you watch or read the news? How much I believe (or not) was the determining factor in my decision to go ahead and attend the conference I had been invited to speak at in Istanbul, Turkey this week. According to the news stories, whether live video or written reports, Turkey was awash in lawlessness, rioting, and generally devolving to a very dangerous place to be. I… Read More
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