Istanbul, Turkey - April 18/19
Straddling two continents, Europe and Asia, across the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul exudes a fascinating mix of Western and Eastern cultures. Its strategic locale, which has long provided easy access to the Mediterranean and Black Seas, led to its role as a significant center of trade--eventually becoming a cultural crossroads along the world-famous Silk Road. The Bosphorus Strait bustles with boat traffic ferrying across.
Our tour included a very nice, but cold and rainy boat ride along the Bosphorus strait.
Our next stop was a visit to Pasha Rüstemha Mosque. Built in 1561, it is one of the city's hidden treasures and is often overlooked because of the Blue Mosque’s popularity.
The exquisitely colored iznik tiles of blue, red, green and purple cover the entrance walls, the pulpit and its columns. This is the most richly tiled mosque in Istanbul.
A visit to the market was next, then back to boat to escape a bit of the cold/rain front that had swept through Istanbul, with temperatures in the 40's.
We have been so fortunate on this trip with good weather until these 2 days, so no complaints.
A highlight of our first night in Istanbul, Turkey was an evening visit to the Sultan Adile Sarayi Palace for an incredible concert. The Antioch choir is a group of 200 people who volunteer their time to promote unity among the Muslims, Christians, and Jews. They sing each other’s hymns. They are not paid, but do this to raise money for their cause. It was one of our favorite events. We traveled by ferry boat and bus to the Asia side of Istanbulfor the concert.
The Sultan Adile Palace was adorned in white flowers of cala lilies, tulips, and roses at each table. We had drinks and hors d'oeuvres before and after the concert of talented musicians and singers. We also bade farewell to our beloved Captain Olav, who leaves on a 30 day vacation.
On Day 2, we went on our own and ended up in the gorgeous Nusretiye (Victory) Mosque of Sultan ll Mahmud. Due to the importance given to the military by Mahmud II, the Nusretiye Mosque was built on the place of the Barracks of Cannon Carriers and a Mosque, which had all burned during a fire in 1823. It was wonderful, because in a city of 20 million people, we were the only two in there to view the beautiful mosque. A worker showed us around, pointing out the sultan's prayer area, the gold leaf, and ceramics. So peaceful.
It was another rainy day, but we walked around window shopped in the new, huge, high-end, high-tech Istanbul Galataport cruise port area.
We hope to return to Istanbul on a future trip.
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