Istanbul aka Constantinople

After my night in the airport, I was hoping that my luck for the next flight would fare better. I found my Turkish-American friend in the airport, and she had apparently taken a bus downtown and stayed with a friend in Manhattan, so I don't know why she was so worried the day before. As the flight time drew near, I called my friend again, and things were looking pretty good, though without much room to spare, as the few remaining seats were filling up. I waited patiently (the same can't be said about my new friend), and finally my name was cleared, and I boarded the flight. Despite having to spend 31 straight hours in JFK airport (broken only by a quick donut break outside on the curb), my troubles soon faded away as I took my seat in business class. It's a strange transition from possibly not getting a seat on the plane to immediately getting one of the best ones, but I wasn't complaining. The seat was huge and comfortable, offering infinite legroom and personal tvs with a variety of movies and shows to choose from. The menu was quite extensive, with many different courses, drinks and desserts, most sounding nicer than places where I eat while home. Unfortunately, my new friend was just across the aisle from me, so I didn't get a lot of rest, as she likes to talk, but I did manage to enjoy two wonderful appetizers, steak, green beans, mashed potatoes, tiramisu and an elaborate ice cream sundae. Arriving in Istanbul after 10.5 hours, I have no sympathy for anyone who ever complains about a long flight in business class.

Not knowing more than two or three words of Turkish, I hoped things would be fairly easy in Istanbul, and getting on the first subway, things looked like they might work out pretty easily. I changed from the subway to an overground tramway and was soon marvelling at the sights around me. Entering into Old Istanbul, the architecture was a mix of classic European with Arabic touches, making a wonderful mix of sights as the train passed into the center of the old town. I got off in Sultanahmet, the center of it all, and I was immediately awed by the place. Walking to my hostel, I walked right in front of Hagia Sophia, a World Heritage site, an picturesque old church/mosque, fronted by a green courtyard and facing the Blue Mosque, which is actually a more impressive looking building than old Sophia herself. My hostel was literally three minutes down the hill from these incredible sights, and I couldn't be happier. As it turned out, I had missed the first night of the two night reservation at the hostel (while I was stuck in the airport), but they luckily still had a spot for me for the second night. I dropped off my bags and began exploring the city, since it was still only about 1 pm.

I began exploring the Blue Mosque, also known as Sultan Ahmet Camii, giving the area its name. Being Friday, the Muslim holy day, I walked up just in time to see thousands of worshipers lying prostrate on the floor in perfect lines, as one of their five daily prayers. After a few minutes, things cleared out a little, and I was able to have a look around the massive enclosed courtyard, surrounded by large stone walls on all sides, with an impressive skyline of staggered domes and two towering minarets jutting into the sky on each side. This is apparently the largest courtyard of any Ottoman style mosque, which makes sense as it's right in the heart of Istanbul. Amazingly, inside the mosque was almost more impressive than the wonderful exterior. The massive chamber inside opened up to huge domes and rotundas, decorated beautifully with intricate painted blue tiles covering the entire ceiling (giving it the Blue name). The place was built from 1606-1616, and it has been remarkably maintained with the exceptional stone and tile work.

Other than staring in awe at the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, having trouble deciding which direction to look, my main task for the day was to head into the new part of the city and pick up tickets for a big soccer match the next day. Turkey, as with many European country, has a strong soccer tradition, and I had found that the country's biggest club team, Galatasaray, had a home match the next day, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity. On my way over, I was engaged in a conversation with a nice young guy who was impressed that I actually knew anything about Turkish soccer/football, though it eventually turned out that he was one of the ubiquitous carpet sellers that invite you back to their shop for tea and then to do some selling. I explained that I absolutely wasn't going to buy anything, but not to be rude, I eventually did check out his shop, though he and I only ended up talking about soccer, as I continually refused to hear anything about any of the rugs. We finally parted ways, and I headed back to the tramway.

I took the tramway down from Sultanahmet and was treated to more spectacular views. As a crossroads of Asia and Europe, Istanbul straddles a straight that connects the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, called the Bosphorus, separating the city into an Asian side and a European side. In addition, a small inlet further separates the city, sort of dividing it into three peninsulas all converging together. Besides the aquatic setting, it is also known as the city of seven hills, with each of these small hills being the location of another stupendous mosque with beautiful domed architecture and tall minarets pointing up into the sky like rockets. Passing along the coast on the tramway, I was treated to a great view of the ancient skyline, filled with historic buildings and broken up by the incomparable silhouettes of the mosques. Just across the water (known as the Golden Horn), I got off the tramway and onto a funicular/cable car that took me underground, up the large hill to Taksim Square, one of the centers of the new city.

Taksim Square was hectic and loud, yet it still managed to maintain some of Istanbul's colorful character. I took a stroll down Istikal Caddesi, the most popular pedestrian street in the city, filled with locals and tourists alike. Shops of all kinds tempted the eyes, but I personally couldn't resist the enchanting smell of the small kebab shops popping up every few hundred yards. Basically just a slow roasted meat sandwich with a few french fries sometimes stuffed inside, it's one of Turkey's national dishes, and I know it will be a staple of my trip here. The narrow restaurant had a hidden spiral stairway, leading to three stories of seating, allowing a perfect spot to enjoy my first Turkish kebab (kebap in Turkish), watching the hustle and bustle of the street below. After my meal, I wandered back down the street, stopping to watch a few street performers. While watching one group of musicians, I was a little paranoid about my belongings, as the crowd began to gather around, and then I heard a small noise just behind me that made me decide it was time to move on. Checking my backpack, nothing was missing or slashed, but I did find a nice large chunk of bird poop, and I looked up on the powerline above to see the culprit. Fortunately, it had hit my backpack and missed my head by just about two inches.

Moving on, I began to wander a few of the side streets, winding up in an area lined with store after store of music shops selling guitars, lutes and any variation of stringed instruments. I then found my way to Galata Tower, an imposing castle-like structure that can be seen anywhere along the waterfront, as it stands much taller than the surrounding shops. Winding down the side streets, I didn't exactly know where I was, but the waterways and hills always provide a good point of reference, and I was soon taking the long walk back to Sultanahmet. Along the way, I crossed the Galata Bridge, lined with local fishermen, smiling and telling stories, even offering to let me have a try at it, though I'm not a big fan of fishing, so I politely refused. Just as dusk was falling, I found my way back to the large grassy expanse situated between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque and had a seat on the lawn, taking in the incredible surroundings of this impressive, historic city. The fountain was on, shooting water streams up, lit by alternating blue, red and green lights, perhaps taking a way just a slight bit of class of the area, though the stunning area has plenty to spare.

Back at my hostel, my small dorm room wasn't bad, but the view from the rooftop terrace was much better. Four stories high, the terrace had a nice view over Sultanahmet and a wonderful perspective of the Blue Mosque, lit with a slight gold tinge in the dark of the night. Adding to the end of a great day, local musicians played for the outdoor cafe guests below, providing an appropriate soundtrack for the panoramic views. My roommates turned out to be a talkative group of Koreans, so I didn't get all that much sleep, but even so, my bed was certainly better then the row of chairs at JFK, so I couldn't complain. Plus, I was just excited to get out and explore more of the city the next day.

(Inside the huge courtyard of the Blue Mosque - truly an amazing site.)

(Literally across the street from the Blue Mosque sits Hagia Sophia, almost a thousand years older.)

(Of course my first meal in Turkey had to be a kebab, stuffed with beef and a few french fries in a sort of pita wrap.)

(Heading down one of the most popular streets in Istanbul, Istikal Caddesi, in the area of Taksim. While watching a local band play for donations, I narrowly averted a well-aimed drop of bird poop. My backpack wasn't so lucky.)

(Massive Galata Tower can be seen from many places around Istanbul.)

(The view of the Blue Mosque just moments after stepping off of the tramway at the Sultanahmet stop on the way to my hostel.)

(The tiled walls and ceiling of the Blue Mosque are incredibly detailed and beautiful.)

(The massive ceilings are completely covered in the blue tiles, giving the mosque its popular nickname.)

(Yes, I like this place - both the mosque and Istanbul itself.)

(Looking out at the Blue Mosque with Hagia Sophia directly behind me as I took this picture. See the next shot to see the view behind me.)

(Hagia Sophia, built around 600 AD, standing proudly over a fountain and garden.)

(At dusk, the courtyard of the Blue Mosque had cleared out, and the area was much more peaceful after both the worshippers and tour groups had cleared out.)

(Ending my first night in incredible Istanbul, I couldn't help but take one more picture of Sultan Ahmet Camii/the Blue Mosque.)