Bridging continents: Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul doesn't disappoint 

We've cruised to Istanbul twice( 2015 and 2016), staying overnight both times. Each time we boarded in Barcelona where we happened to meet  passengers returning from a cruise to the same destinations as ours, they  expressed disappointment that their ship had to skip the port for the sake of the safety of the guests. It was a time of political turmoil and fears of riots were heeded.

We were lucky. 

Asia meets Europe

Since the port is quite close to the city centre, we only have to cross the Golden Horn (an inlet of the Bosphorous), via Galatta Bridge, where it meets the Bosphorus. The bridge is a hub of activity at twilight. Anglers patiently catch fish with their rods from the top deck while spectators watch boats traversing between the inlet and the Strait. The catch is sold to the restaurants serving local cuisine at the lower deck.

Most significant is the fact that when on the Bridge you look West toward Europe. Toward the East, across the Bosphorous, is Asia. Needless to say, most of the attractions like the Topkapi Palace, just across the Inlet, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are all on Western side.

Blue Mosque prayers. 

The first time we went we were among throngs of tourists. The second time we choose to go long before the prayer schedule. Going in before prayers gives us the opportunity to appreciate the size and the silence. Some women are praying in the female section hidden behind lattices. I have to wear a peremptory scarf provided at the entrance. A few men sit in prayer along a roll of prayer rug. Drink and the grandsons kneel on the rug far behind them and sit in the silence respecting the worshippers. The blue tiles intricately adorning the interior walls and domes gives the 17th century Mosque it's name.

Abrahamic religions coexist

At the Hagia Sophia we wonder at the restoration work on the Christian murals and mosaics, interspersed with suspended green and gold velvet banners  bearing the Islamic teachings. The pillars of various types of marble remind us of Rome. After all this was Constatinople ( named for Constantine of the Roman Empire),  which then became the capital of the Byzantine empire. 

Generally,  the locals impressed us as not being fundamentalist Muslims. It was not considered unreligeous if they did not attend prayers at the Mosque. Turkey is a secular country. We didn't seem to stand out at the spice market or at the chowk, which is such a maze, it is easy to get lost in there. It's so colourful and vibrant it reflects the progressive attitude of the Turkish people.

"My Friend": touchy

While riding the bus motherly  women stroke the grandchildren's cheeks with affection. A row of school girls is thrilled to see us standing without losing our balance eliciting many giggles whilst presumably conjecturing about us in their mother tongue.

When walking down the streets men put their hands around male strangers and address them as "My friend!"

Too tall for a free ride

The next day, instead of walking, we take the local tram to the city centre. We have to purchase tokens from a machine that are to be inserted into the slots at the turnstyle. The grandchildren are under twelve and so travell free but at one of the stations  an attendant insists that their height belied their age. We simply walk to the next station and board the tram without a hitch.

Ride to nowhere tosses up a surprise

Boarding a tram we sit in it till the terminal station - a good way to see areas of a city not full of tourists, and to get a better feel of the local atmosphere. There seems to be nothing of significance there. We could just reboard the train and return, but that is not our style. So we alight and walk forward coming acoss University grounds, and yet another Mosque with ablutions set in a circle in a sunken area a couple of steps down.  Beyond is a huge public park. To my astonishment, we spy an aqueduct. Below one of the arches cars speed to and fro on a  highway. It is a Roman aqueduct that transported water to the various underground cisterns in Istanbul.

What does the aqueduct feed? A mind boggling underground cistern that reflects the history of Istanbul.  (See the blog on aqueducts and cisterns)