In the morning we were given letters from Captain Kent, reiterating his message of the night before and Jeff and I went off with 38 other hearty souls to visit Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque with over three hours left for us to wander the 4000 shops in the Grand Bazaar...no guide needed or wanted for that part. And we probably managed to see about half of them...at least it felt like it.
First a word about the port...so unusual to be at the actual link of Asia and Europe. One side of the ship looks at one continent and the other side another place entirely.
Now we got lucky again with a wonderful guide who looked like Jim Valvano and with a similar personality...chatty, funny, and opinionated. While we were in the main pedestrian only boulevard leading to the Blue Mosque, a number of motorcycles zoomed by. Finally he stopped a couple of them and yelled at them in Turkish of course. I don't know exactly what he said but it wasn't too nice and I think he got his point across. They were interrupting his train of thought as well as disrupting guests in his country...I think that's the gist of what he said.
So, we got in line to receive a look over by the fashion police of Islam...then some of us got blue scarves to better cover our hair and elbows, others got whole robes to cover shoulders, elbows, arms, and knees. Then, we were told to take our shoes off and put them in plastic bags which were provided. We did not have to do the ritual washing of almost everything, but we were granted access to the mosque. What followed was an in depth discussion of Islam as well as a thorough explanation of the mosque's history and how it is used today when the call to prayer is sounded. Very interesting stuff...nothing scary or intimidating at all.
But it was a very warm day and having to wrap your head and cover your arms in an unknown rough fabric encouraged the perspiration to run down...well, pretty much everywhere. The Mosque has about 20,000 delicate blue Iznik tiles in 33 shades of blue, more than 216 stained glass windows and more than 50 different tulip designs.. After the tiles were made it is said that the color recipes were destroyed so tiles like those will never be made again...it also means that if some are stolen or fall off, too bad kids! And it is also said that one tile was recently sold and brought $240,000.
JMB fussed at the bare feet aroma lingering in the Mosque, but enjoyed photographing it. Several men came in to pray while we were there: they were early for the next call and seemed totally unbothered by the throngs of people and tour guides. We left, and put our shoes on as we clambered down the marble steps outside. Then we all walked across the plaza to Hagia Sophia, one of the greatest examples of Byzantine architecture rich with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings. St. Sophia is a World Heritage Site, so I can cross one more off my list.
Back on the bus, we rambled and rumbled to a carpet demonstration and learned the difference between Turkish carpets and Persian carpets. (double knots vs single knots). Just outside the carpet store was the arched entrance to the Grand Bazaar and its 4000+ shops featuring everything. We bought tea, and a few other goodies, to help the teetering Turkish economy.
Somewhere in there we stopped for a bite to eat...two Cokes and two chicken wrap sandwiches plus an order of fries for Jeff....total? 890 Turkish Lira which equaled about $48 USD! A pretty hefty lunch price for an outdoor bistro! It was a tasty lunch, but, really?
Overall I think we agree that we really like Turkey...it's different. It's clean. Yes, we like it.
Back onboard, tonight's movie is SKYFALL, but the real attraction is The Janene and Jeff Show...or the British Invasion production, which was excellent. And, as has become our very favorite part of the day, after a quick bite to eat after the show, we stop and relax to happy music by Alan and Alana. More often than not, we all share a bottle of nice wine...ending some beautiful days making new friendships stronger...
Quote for today? "The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready." ... Henry D. Thoreau, WALDEN, Chapter 1
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