Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is the only city to have a “foot” on two continents. The view from our ship as we approached the remarkable port was unforgettable. The domes and minarets(spires) of more than 135 mosques rose through the misty landscape along the channel. The palaces are wonders in design.

The history of Istanbul is long, the Byzas established the port in 675BC. Ankara may be the Turkish capital, but Istanbul is the commercial center. Instanbul is Europe’s most populour city (the world’s 4th largest city proper. Today, the traditionally clad Muslim women walk alongside those in jeans or designer outfits, and even though donkey carts and old cars have yielded to Mercedes and BMWs, the change was fairly recent.

Our first tour took us to the Hippodrome, where ancient Byzantine entertainment spectacles such as gladiator fights and chariot races took place. This park featured an obelisk from Egypt dating to 3,000 BC.

Next, we visited the St. Sophia church constructed in the sixth century. It took thousands of workers more than five years to complete the massive structure. That was an impressive feat in the absence of modern architectural knowledge. For 1,000 years the Hagia Sofia was the world’s largest church. It was later converted to a mosque. The unsupported domes have withstood centuries of earthquake and war and though they have been repaired several times, they have never fallen.

The next stop was for a carpet demonstration. We watched as a woman worked on an intricate pattern. Some of the hand made carpets take months to complete. The price seems to depend on the number of knots, they’re very expensive. We were then dropped off at the Grand Bazaar to do some shopping. The Grand Bazaar is inside, has a domed roof and contains 4,000 stores. It was extremely crowded and we were inundated with the vendors. We were big spenders, buying a refrigerator magnet. However we did find something to buy on the street going back to the bus. We can’t say because it might be a gift for someone.

The next day our first stop was the Blue Mosque. We removed our shoes but did not need to cover our heads. The Blue Mosque was named because of the over 21 thousand azure colored tiles on the walls. The 16 balconies on its six minarets honor the 16 sultans of the empire.

Our next stop, the Topkapi Palace was close by and the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans. Although the palace suffered fires and many of the older buildings were replaced over time, the original layout is still intact. The palace consists of courts, mosques, fountains, pavilions and a rich treasury section. A crowd often gathers around the Spoonmaker’s Diamond, the collection’s priceless 86-carat jewel. The Harem is another point of fascination. The only men permitted to enter (other than the sultan) were enuchs, hand picked by the ruler for their unlikely interest to women–the women were considered the Sultan’s personal property.

Our last night in Istanbul was a trip to the Binbirdirek Cistern. This was an event hosted by the President and CEO. A special guest was Ambassador Ross Wilson, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey. The Cistern was built in 330 CE to hold water for a palace. This was a lavish party with plentiful selections of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres representing the different flavors of Turkey. These were served continually through the evening along with special drinks, wines and anything one wanted to order. The Cistern was large enough 200 x 400 feet and had 30 foot ceilings supported by many columns. It has been converted into a restaurant and was large enough for the 1200 of us. To touch a column that is over 2,000 years old is a special feeling. We were entertained with folk dancers, belly dancers and fire eaters. The bus brought us back to the ship for a dessert extravaganza which included chocolate martinis.