The Legacy of the Ottomans
Three days in Istanbul is enough to say that this is my favorite city hands down. Maybe because it stands in stark contrast to everything else we've seen. The architecture, the cuisine, and the general atmosphere are all fantastic. The weather has actually been kind to us here, keeping between 70 and 80 degrees. Our hostel is literally a block away from the Hagia Sofia which makes getting to many of our destinations quite easy. This also means that the call to worship issuing out of its minarets is right outside the window at four in the morning. The third night we finally slept through it! The calls to worship throughout the day are very cool though, especially when you aren't directly next to one. That way you really pick up on different mosques going off all over the city. I uploaded a video in PHOTOS where you can hear the competing calls of the Blue Mosque and a smaller one down the street. There are tons of stray cats and dogs around our area. This morning I watched three tiny kittens wrestling in a potted plant.
When we first arrived we had to take a bus from the Asia side into the main city. Essentially the Asia side is all urban housing and office buildings. Not much to see. The European side is split into two by the Golden Horn, and small river branching off the Bosphorus. The north side is the hip college side, with quality restaurants and thoroughfares, while the south side is the heart of the old city. This is where all the history is and has buildings dating back to the city's origins as Byzantium. We arrived at the town square that is sandwiched between the Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque. All the mosques tend to be lit from underneath at night, which makes for a very cool striking scene.
In the last three days we have visited many mosques and museums, including Topkapi Palace, the heart of the Ottoman Empire. One of my favorite bits we've learned is that the Aya Sofia, despite being possibly the most iconic building in Istanbul, and clearly built in the Ottoman style, was first built as a cathedral, not mosque. However it has been a mosque as well throughout its history. This makes the inside a fascinating combination of Christian and Muslim elements.
The wharf is a great place to walk. There are tons of street vendors trying to peddle their goods. We passed up the corn on the cob and roasted chestnuts and found what became my favorite thing I've eaten here (as well as the cheapest), basically a Turkish burrito. From the docks we also took a ferry trip almost to the top of the Bosphorus, which gave us an excellent look at different buildings all throughout the city which we never would have seen otherwise.
Today we walked through the Spice Bazaar as well as the Grand Bazaar. The funniest thing here, as well as everywhere else in the city for that matter, is the different ways people try to sell you on their goods. Some are really aggressive and follow you. Some try and be funny. Many act as if they've known you for years. But the best is the translation error that has become the norm for the majority of store owners, "yes please." That's it. They stand on the street and point to their restaurant or store and just tell you "yes please."
With the exception of pushy vendors, I have been incredibly impressed with the average hospitality of the locals. I had a bus driver that tried very hard to convey through a translator where I needed to go, and when I was lost on the north side with a dead phone at 1 in the morning (my living hell) I had a group of kids offer to let me go with them to where I could get a cab.
Tomorow is our last day before we head home. This month and a half has gone by so incredibly fast!