Kat goes on holiday - MSC Preziosa Eastern Med (5th July 2014)

[Katgoesonholiday]

Next on the list was the Hagia Sophia. This was a huge highlight of the day for us!

 

 

 

When we arrived there were already small queues for the tickets so we were very pleased to be able to swan through with our fast pass. We had to have our bags scanned, which wasn't a big deal. Then we walked through a small garden with an odd collection of columns. But we were very soon in front of this ancient building - which from close up really didn't look that impressive. We are forced to give it a pass though - because it was built in 537 so is over one and a half thousand years old! And since it is still standing, one can only be awed and impressed!

 

 

 

 

Seriously though, Hagia Sophia - named "Shrine of the Holy Wisdom of God" was built as a Eastern Orthodox Cathedral in 537 and remained the largest cathedral in the world for nearly one thousand years. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.

 

I have NEVER been inside a complete building that ancient before. The experience was amazing. It was humbling to think of the tens of thousands of feet that had trod this threshold over the many centuries. In fact, the threshold was quite worn down by all those feet and had a very definite dip in it.

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

Inside was a long foyer with the most amazing ceilings! They were decorated with gold tesserae that served to reflect the light back down and lighten the whole gloomy area.

 

 

 

We then moved across another ancient (and worn) threshold and into the main church itself. This was breathtaking! The sheer size of the dome was unbelievable - and more so when you reflect that it was constructed in the 500's!

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

It was right about this time that we discovered that neither of us had remembered to put the battery on the larger camera on to charge overnight so it was running down after all its use in Ephesus! DOH! This meant that we had to conserve its use and use the smaller (less quality) camera more. We also had two iPhones between us for back up but it was a bit of a disappointment that we couldn't use our best camera for capturing the full richness of these awesome incredible sites.

 

 

 

 

This is the Omphalion - place of the coronation of the Eastern Roman Emperors

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

Now, if you are ever planning on visiting there DO NOT under any circumstances wander round the ground floor of the Hagia Sophia, gawp at the sights, and then leave! The best is yet to come!!! The main floor was crowded and we could see people peeking over a balcony high above us so we set off to find a way up. This turned out to be a tunnel with a sloping ramp, old beyond the hills, that continually switched back on itself in a crazy and slightly claustrophobic way. The floor was insanely uneven and it felt like a grand adventure to be ascending it with no idea what awaited us at the top.

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

The tunnel ejected us into a huge mezzanine stretching over 3/4s of the way around the whole building. It was just breathtaking in its size and scope. I had had no idea this was here but I was so glad we hadn't missed it!

 

The two things that stood out the most for me were the incredible mosaics and decorations; and the way the great stone slabs on the floor had cracked and settled with age and were all crazy and uneven. That more than anything conveyed the sheer age of the building to me.

 

 

 

This new vantage point gave us an incredible view over the church.

 

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

The decorative elements were particularly interesting because when the cathedral became a mosque in the fifteenth century many of the Christian mosaics were plastered over because they depicted human figures - something not permitted in Muslim art. Now restorers are tasked with the delicate job of discovering and choosing which of these to restore. Obviously in doing so they have to destroy the art work that covered them over.

 

Whether the ancient mosaics or the somewhat less ancient but still quite old frescos, the art work was incredible and covered every spare inch of the building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

And of course we got to admire the iconic mosaics that had been uncovered and restored.

 

 

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

The age of the building was really strongly conveyed in how uneven everything was. Over time the building must have settled considerably with somewhat stomach churning results - its best not to think how high you are above the ground and how much unyielding stone surrounds you!

 

 

Some of those floors were very definitely sloped!

 

 

Signs of age were also evident in the graffiti on the columns and the way they had been smoothed by a millennia and a half of hands - but only as far as people could reach.

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

The exit to this upper floor was by a different sloping tunnel - but this time we had all kinds of fascinating nooks and crannies off it - some of which had been used as tombs.

 

 

 

 

By the time we exited the queue to buy tickets was stretching for well over a hundred metres. And there was no queue for the Fast Pass kiosk! :eek:

[Katgoesonholiday]

Next on H's marvellous plan for the day was the Basilica Cistern, again merely a hop skip and a jump away from the main locations. By now it was roasting hot and the idea of heading underground into a dark and damp cistern sounded very attractive!

 

We paid cash to a laconic and disinterested ticket officer to enter then we left the bright of the street. Our eyes adjusted very quickly to the gloom and what was in front of us was even more impressive than the many photos I had seen. It really is very extensive and there were wooden bridgeways that enabled you to get a really good view of it all. It was busy but not crowded and was well worth the visit. One slightly surreal thing was the 'photography studio' set up by the bottom of the stairs, where for a sum of money you could dress up as a sultan or a concubine and get your photo taken. Cheesy but good to know if you are into that kind of thing. We passed on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

Naturally we sought out and found the two Medusa head columns.

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

By this time it wasn't yet midday and we had already crossed off a significant portion of our 'to do' list for the day. All credit to H for his magnificent organisation and directional skills!

 

By this time though, we were ready for a short break for lunch. We found a likely looking spot - the Green something or other. I can't remember. It was a very pleasant looking outdoor restaurant. Once we were seated, however, we found that their kitchens weren't opening at the usual time due to Ramadan so we had to make do with a coffee. Following my 'when in Rome' maxim, I opted for a Turkish coffee - which was certainly an experience and not nearly as nasty as I had been led to believe!

 

 

 

Then we ambled back to the Hagia Sophia, and literally around the corner and right behind it was the entrance to Topkapi Palace! Everything was so close together!

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

Here our 72 hour pass with skip the queue served us well again. We were able to enter very quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

Topkapi Palace was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for approximately 400 years (1465–1856). It was both a palace and a seat of government. It consists of four major courtyards and a large number of smaller rooms.

 

By now the day was incredibly hot and Topkapi Palace was rather crowded by the time we arrived. Because of this, and the fact that both our cameras were low on battery, we didn't take so many photos. We did manage to view most of it, including the Harem which was covered on our 72 hour pass.

 

I loved the amazing painted tiles that covered almost every surface. It was beautiful and ornate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

There were also fascinating signs of redecoration over the centuries. Again, previous decorations were simply covered over by later.

 

 

Topkapi Palace was built with magnificent views out across the shoreline and harbour.

 

 

And we were delighted with this part of the view:

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

Just as an aside, due to not being able to get lunch when/where we had originally planned, we ended up eating at the museum cafe at Topkapi Palace. There were several different venues - one was a la carte and one was quick service. Both were horrifically priced but it was either that or have me keel over from low blood sugar. Fortunately the servings were very generous so my husband and I were able to happily split a couple of plates.

 

 

Near the eateries were the toilets. These were free and clean. However there was an extremely long queue for the ladies. :(

[Katgoesonholiday]

Following this we walked down to the Grand Bazaar. This wasn't terribly far away but it seemed like a bit of a hike in the heat. By this time heaps of shops and eateries were open and offering all kinds of delectable treats. However my husband had my iPhone and Maps open and he was a man with a mission. That Grand Bazaar was going to be located, dammit!

 

I had been looking forward to the Grand Bazaar immensely and had a very definite shopping list in mind. However once we arrived I was totally overwhelmed. I was hot and tired and this place was a visual cacophony!!! We wandered through three or four streets, worried to stray to far from where we entered in case we got completely lost. Fortunately we found a shop which had all the items we wanted and we were very quickly able to negotiate a mutually agreeable price - which incidentally cleaned me out of every last turkish lira.

 

We bought a glass apple tea set, four small painted ceramic bowls (lead free paint), and an inlaid chess set with metal figures to play chess with our boys. They love the chess set and its quite to special use. Its one of my favourite purchases from the whole trip.

 

 

 

We then asked the proprietor the quickest exit to the trams and were soon back at the ship well ahead of sail away time and having done everything we had wanted to do to the fullest extent that we wanted to do it. It was a very successful and enjoyable day and the only thing I would change would be the temperature. It was sooooooo hot!

 

Naturally we headed to the pool once we got back and happily relaxed with a drink.

 

That night was the Queen show at the Platinum theatre - which was a lot of fun. Then we had dinner followed by another magnificent sunset.

 

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

Goodbye Turkey! We loved you and hope to return one day!

 

 

 

 

Ooooh! That reminds me... every time we left port they would play a song/tune through the loudspeakers that fitted the theme of the place we were leaving - greek music for Katakolon, turkish music for Izmir and Istanbul etc. We thought it was a marvellous touch and looked forward each afternoon to hearing what they would play. The final port, Dubrovnik, they played Bocelli singing 'Time to say Goodbye'. I did think that was cruel and unusual punishment as I definitely did NOT want to think about saying goodbye to what had been a marvellous cruise!

[Katgoesonholiday]

And for Amomondo, here is a picture of our rug hung where it covers my wallpaper faux pas. I am thrilled with it and am reminded of wonderful memories every time I walk past it. Some things continue to repay the money you spent in pleasure for years to come.

 

[CruiseIreland]

Great review, Kat! You really nailed Istanbul! Can I ask you how much the 3 day pass was, in Turkish lira? Looking forward to Dubrovnik. Ken

[Katgoesonholiday]

Great review, Kat! You really nailed Istanbul! Can I ask you how much the 3 day pass was, in Turkish lira? Looking forward to Dubrovnik. Ken

 

It was 80 TL which was slightly more than paying for each attraction separately but was well worth it for the convenience and not having to queue for tickets at each place. The Basilica Cistern was NOT included. This had to be paid for separately.

[CruiseIreland]

It was 80 TL which was slightly more than paying for each attraction separately but was well worth it for the convenience and not having to queue for tickets at each place. The Basilica Cistern was NOT included. This had to be paid for separately.

 

Thanks Kat. I've been trying to book tickets to the Hagia Sophia online but the site is offline for months now. My plan is to visit the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Sulemanye Mosque and the Spice Market. Gonna leave Topkapi til a future visit. Don't really want to buy the 72 hour pass! Ken

[Katgoesonholiday]

My pleasure! You are going to have a wonderful time!

[alexkrn46]

Kate your carpet looks great!