The Most Beautiful Building in the World

I would like to nominate this one for the short list.  

Sultan Ahmet Mosque - aka the Blue Mosque. In Istanbul.

The first time I saw this building on the inside it quite literally took my breath away. Tears actually came to my eyes, what's that about. What amazing architecture, imagination, creativity and craftmanship. The walls are covered in Insik tiles, the windows are made of beautiful stained glass and the ceiling is way way up there, with multiple domes, again covered in tiles, some with writing, presumably from the Koran. I thought, how can human beings (all of them) who are such shits to each other and to the planet, at the same time be capable of a soaring imagination and the dreaming up and making reality of such beauty.

I went back to the Blue Mosque several times. During the day the place is full of tour groups, and others although since it is a working mosque and not a museum, they close it to spectators during prayer times. In the courtyard, which is as big as the mosque itself, there are rows of water taps. I've never been to a mosque before. I watched men in suits sit on the stone bench in front of the taps, remove their shoes and socks, and wash their faces, hands and feet. Then  once they get up to the door of the mosque, off come the shoes again.

One morning I got up early and went across the park to the mosque at 7:00 in the morning. I was determined to see the place without the (other) tourists.  It was, yes, again, Beyond Expectations. I had the Blue Mosque to myself!

Aside from a couple of girls who came in for 5 minutes, I was alone. I lay on the carpet propped up on one of the pillars as large as a Douglas Fir, taking pictures of the amazing scene above me, or trying not to take pictures but just to etch it on memory.

The thing is, none of my pictures, for sure, but is also true of professional photos in books postcards or on the web, NONE of them are able to capture the color and pattern of those tiles covered walls, archways. and doorways. It is more than can be snatched to visual memory.

I lay there for at least 30 minutes. At one point I had company. The vacuum cleaner guy. Just me and him,

At 7:56 the first tour group entered the building and I was gone.

Outside the Blue Mosque is the Hippodrome. You have to use your imagination to see what it used to be as little of it is left to view. This used to be a gigantic stadium in Byzantine Constantinople, holding up to 100,000 people.

For 1300 years, this was the scene of all the main public events in the city, including of course, the chariot racing. In 532 AD a brawl broke out between supporters of rival chariots (what's new - nothing), resulting in a huge riot and the death of 50,000 people.

Today, the road around the central park square marks where the chariot track would have been. Here it is at 7:00 a.m. the morning I went to the Blue Mosque.

Here it is an hour later and all through the day.

Close by the Blue Mosque is the Basilica Cistern. Built around 500 AD, it stored and supplied water to the Palace during Ottoman times. It was lost to memory for a very long time but was rediscovered and now you can visit it. A scene in From Russia With Love was filmed here, where Bond, James Bond, rowed through its 336 columns.

Once upon a time this vast 2 acre cistern was filled with water, 21 million gallons of it and what really gets me are the carvings of Medusa on two of the column pediments. Who would create such fantastic art to be totally covered from human view, not meant for human eyes, at the bottom of a cistern? I guess art was not just for human consumption but also to entrance the water snakes. I like the way they think.

The Center of the Universe

Found it.

In the middle of the old town of Istanbul across from Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, not far from the side entrance of Topkapi Palace, spitting distance to the stone descents to the ancient cisterns, across from the Hippodrome, where once upon a time there was a stadium that held crowds of 100,000, cheering whatever it is that was going on. In the middle of where all the action was.

This old stone rests now in a little plaza, a small park with nice trees that shade from the over noon sun. There's only a piece left now - a piece of what once was an archway. Protected and recognized.

The very heart of the Byzantine Empire. The Center from which all else is measured.

The Center of the Universe. Well, could be...

The 'Hood

In Istanbul we stayed in one of the many little hotels in the old part of town, down an alleyway very close to  the Big Daddy monument buildings - Hagia Sofia (pronounced Eye-a Sofia) and Sultanahmet Mosque (aka Blue Mosque) and all the other pieces of eye candy in that neighborhood. The roof terrace of this 5 story building is also the breakfast room and here is the view over morning coffee...

If you don't like this view, just turn your head:

Or if these views are getting too Ho Hum, how about watching the ships entering the Bosphorus...

In the alleyway we had lots of neighbors. The cat family at one end, the bird in nest with babies on the wall opposite the hotel entryway and this Momma Cat who gave birth one night to three babies. When she was in labor she apparently tried to enter the hotel next door.  They wouldn't let her, but instead created a box nest for her just outside...

There are so many cats in Istanbul and most look very well fed. The locals in this neighborhood anyway, seem to take care of them. In parks you can see handfuls of dry cat food all over the place that someone has brought to feed them. Down the lane from us there is a butcher and if you get up early enough you will see a dozen or so cats waiting patiently. For breakfast...

This little guy, later in the day, is sitting on the sidewalk looking intently into the butcher shop. Did he miss breakfast?

Across the street from our hotel is another mosque. Note the loudspeakers up on the tower. Five times a day the call for prayers rings out and the caller of that mosque and another in the neighborhood riff off each other. It is really quite charming until it's not. The early prayer call is at 4:40 a.m. and that speaker seems to be aimed right into our bedroom window!

The nearby street we nicknamed "Bar Street" (and frequented for obvious reasons). A little living room cafe set up on the sidewalk...

Evening in the 'hood. The weather was perfect and the restaurants and cafes take over the sidewalks. Dinner al fresco...

Way fun.

Exceeding Expectations

Well there is something of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, everywhere you go. So let me get that out of the way.

People arrived with me at the Istanbul airport from all over the world, and many also like me had travelled for 12 hours or more. Hundreds and hundreds of weary, spaced out travellers, faced an immigration line manned by 4 lone immigration officers.

Fatigued and irritated we waiting for hours and hours to get through. I am told  that this is a common occurrence. SO, Republic of Turkey. NO EU MEMBERSHIP FOR YOU! Forget it. Unless you put a few more clerks on the immigration line. Simple no? And then we'll see.

But, enough of this. Once I did get through, I was barely halfway to town, when I breathed a huge sigh and settled in. Look at this. All is forgiven.

Before I even reached the hotel, I knew that this town was for me. No doubt about it. The sun is shining and the sea beside us is blue and sparkling. The road in to town from the airport hugs the Sea of Marmara and all the way along the waterfront they have left it as  parkland. Miles and miles and miles of waterfront parks. I'm thinking, OK, I like a town that puts parks all along the waterfront. People, families, sunshine, water, green, blue, vistas. This suits me. And then, if that's not enough, you turn your head to look the other way, on the other side of the road away from the Sea, and there's clear evidence of ancient - really ancient - city walls. Oh boy. Here it comes...

Istanbul is FABULOUS. Whatever I thought it might be, it was more. Much more. It is now on my top 5 list of cities and I can barely remember what the other 4 are.

Let me count the ways.

Food. Some say that the cuisine is up there with the top 3. (Doesn't everybody, including me, like lists?). I will say, though, that the tastes and flavors were amazing. Different, unexpected, fresh, light. And very good wine.

Location location location. There's a very good reason why this once was the center of the universe.

Waterfront. Istanbul tucks around the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus. The people who live on the hills alongside celebrate and enjoy their daily sight of the water. Great views - wonderful sights of ships heading up to the Black Sea. Wonderful boat cruises on local ferries, across to the Asian side or a day trip up the Bosphorus.

Getting around. Easy. Walking, walking walking. Cobblestones. Alleys. Trams. Ferries.

Old stuff. Fantastic ruins that invite exploration of the history of the place and the world at that time. Tell me more.

Architecture - awesome. Mosques, palaces, old churches, walls, cisterns, towers, aqueducts, cobblestones, parks, bazaars...

Art - amazing tile, fabric, painting, carpet, brass, ceramic, wood...

Museums - great museums.

Friendly local people, enthusiastic salesmen...Amazing people sights. Travelers from everywhere. Every type of dress you can imagine.







Food. Did I mention the food?


Blue tile calligraphy by Guvenc Given.

Constantinople

Constantinople
Is a very big word
If you can't spell it
You're a very big fool
Spell it

I'm off to Istanbul - back end May.

Riddle courtesy of my Dad, when I was a little girl. Won't get fooled again.