Guest Posted August 22, 2023 #126 Share Posted August 22, 2023 After the cistern, we walked along its adjoining street, past the panoramic restaurant we had eaten at earlier, through several shops. One tried to sell me a very good quality knock off Louis Vuitton, but I passed…not without seriously considering it though! We turned left down a street with a brightly lit restaurant greeting us and beckoning us in. my helloumi salad and my chicken kabob Nate got chicken casserole which now became his favorite dish in Turkey. You will see this a few more times. IMG_0744.mov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2023 #127 Share Posted August 22, 2023 the chicken casserole pic flipped 🙈 Time for bed…tomorrow we will visit Topkapi Palace! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HBE4 Posted August 22, 2023 #128 Share Posted August 22, 2023 3 hours ago, singinalot said: IMG_0712.mov 70.29 MB · 1 download "Um. Let's talk about my hair". 😅 57 minutes ago, singinalot said: Ordered by Justinianus I (527-565), Byzantine Emperor, the cistern is called among Turkish people as “Yerebatan Cistern” (the Subterranean Cistern) owing to the marble columns that rise up from the water and seem to be countless. The cistern is also called “the Basilica Cistern” as it is located on a place formerly known as “the Stoa Basilica.” Built on a 140-meter long and 70-meter wide rectangular space, the spacious cistern covers 9.800 sqm area, in total. The cistern is 9 meter high and has 336 columns with a capacity to store 100 thousand tonnes of water. The cistern is also home to a “tear column” with tear-like decorations and two “Medusa heads” which are considered to be among the masterpieces of the Roman sculpture. IMG_0740.mov 29.75 MB · 1 download Beautiful. Amazing, in a somewhat hauntingly kind of way. And probably easier on the hair too. 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2023 #129 Share Posted August 22, 2023 11 minutes ago, HBE4 said: "Um. Let's talk about my hair". 😅 Beautiful. Amazing, in a somewhat hauntingly kind of way. And probably easier on the hair too. 😉 oohhh that’s such an accurate description! hauntingly beautiful indeed. and definitely better on the hair 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburngirl Posted August 22, 2023 #130 Share Posted August 22, 2023 We are going to be in Istanbul in November at the end of a cruise. We will only get 1/2 day on Friday and a full day on Saturday. Would you recommend hiring a tour guide or doing it on our own? What have been your favorite attractions in order? Your posts are making me excited about our trip! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherrihall128 Posted August 22, 2023 #131 Share Posted August 22, 2023 Luckily, I have a cruise that ends in Istanbul next year... otherwise, I'd be finding a flight and packing my bags right now! I love your pictures. The city looks so safe and walkable. I can't wait to go visit. Also, lucky for me, Turkish Airlines has non-stop roundtrip flights from Seattle (where I live) to Istanbul, so the 12 hour flight won't be so bad. So excited! Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#55worktoplay Posted August 22, 2023 #132 Share Posted August 22, 2023 4 hours ago, singinalot said: Ordered by Justinianus I (527-565), Byzantine Emperor, the cistern is called among Turkish people as “Yerebatan Cistern” (the Subterranean Cistern) owing to the marble columns that rise up from the water and seem to be countless. The cistern is also called “the Basilica Cistern” as it is located on a place formerly known as “the Stoa Basilica.” Built on a 140-meter long and 70-meter wide rectangular space, the spacious cistern covers 9.800 sqm area, in total. The cistern is 9 meter high and has 336 columns with a capacity to store 100 thousand tonnes of water. The cistern is also home to a “tear column” with tear-like decorations and two “Medusa heads” which are considered to be among the masterpieces of the Roman sculpture. IMG_0740.mov 29.75 MB · 1 download Wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonTexasNY Posted August 23, 2023 #133 Share Posted August 23, 2023 I love the bits of history you include with your fabulous pictures. Looking forward to seeing more. Instead of clicking the "like" button to your every entry, please know in advance that I like them all! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ozark_Kid Posted August 23, 2023 #134 Share Posted August 23, 2023 I keep noticing on buildings, menus etc things a spelled in English. It reminded me of when I visited Cambodia. The younger generation spoke good English . Do you find that many that speak English in Istanbul? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #135 Share Posted August 23, 2023 16 hours ago, auburngirl said: We are going to be in Istanbul in November at the end of a cruise. We will only get 1/2 day on Friday and a full day on Saturday. Would you recommend hiring a tour guide or doing it on our own? What have been your favorite attractions in order? Your posts are making me excited about our trip! Thank you! oh I’m so excited for you! November seems like it would be the perfect time to be there. I think if you can get around easily and prefer freedom/flexibility, it’s best to do on your own. Our favorites in Istanbul: the Basilica Cistern the bosphorus tour drinks along the galata bridge istaklal street 16 hours ago, sherrihall128 said: Luckily, I have a cruise that ends in Istanbul next year... otherwise, I'd be finding a flight and packing my bags right now! I love your pictures. The city looks so safe and walkable. I can't wait to go visit. Also, lucky for me, Turkish Airlines has non-stop roundtrip flights from Seattle (where I live) to Istanbul, so the 12 hour flight won't be so bad. So excited! Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Thank you so much! You will have a great time! Excited for you to experience Turkish airlines, too 11 hours ago, BonTexasNY said: I love the bits of history you include with your fabulous pictures. Looking forward to seeing more. Instead of clicking the "like" button to your every entry, please know in advance that I like them all! thank you my friend! So much more history to come. 6 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said: I keep noticing on buildings, menus etc things a spelled in English. It reminded me of when I visited Cambodia. The younger generation spoke good English . Do you find that many that speak English in Istanbul? We found the younger generations did speak fractured english for the most part…but i will say (spoiler alert) when we went to the asian side, they spoke far less and we had a hard time communicating even with google translate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #136 Share Posted August 23, 2023 (edited) We woke up this morning and felt like we needed a quick visit to the gym. The hotel has a small but adequate fitness center. Edited August 23, 2023 by singinalot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburngirl Posted August 23, 2023 #137 Share Posted August 23, 2023 On 8/21/2023 at 4:17 PM, singinalot said: Turkish currency is a lira which equates to about 27 lira per USD. We paid 260 lira for both of us for the 1.5-2 hour tour. I say 1.5-2 hour because it's listed as 1.5 hours, but when it's all said and done it's about 2 hours. That's $9USD for 2 people up and down the Bosphorus....I mean...YES! https://turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Sights/Bosphorus/turyol.html This tour was 100% worth it and a major highlight of our trip. Be sure to sit on the left side of the boat and UPSTAIRS! The boats leave on the hour. We got there at about 2:30 so early enough to board and get good seats. A map I found online of the ferry ports: facing the start of the Galatea bridge from our seat on the ferry a good view of the Galatea Bridge…here you can see the two level split with the restaurants on the bottom IMG_0659.mov 53.97 MB · 2 downloads here we are passing the Galata cruise port. 🙂 IMG_0662.mov 55.57 MB · 2 downloads What time of the day did you do this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #138 Share Posted August 23, 2023 28 minutes ago, auburngirl said: What time of the day did you do this? we got our tickets at 2:30pm and the boat left the dock at 3pm. they leave on the hour all day, though, so could go at any time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherrihall128 Posted August 23, 2023 #139 Share Posted August 23, 2023 1 hour ago, singinalot said: we got our tickets at 2:30pm and the boat left the dock at 3pm. they leave on the hour all day, though, so could go at any time! Do you have to plan ahead, or can you just show up at the dock? Also, do you know the latest time of the cruise? Thanks for the tips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #140 Share Posted August 23, 2023 1 hour ago, sherrihall128 said: Do you have to plan ahead, or can you just show up at the dock? Also, do you know the latest time of the cruise? Thanks for the tips! no need to plan ahead! we just walked right up! I’m sorry, I did not take note of how late they run, but I do know that they go through the evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #141 Share Posted August 23, 2023 we grabbed some lunch from the Barbecue House. food and service were good, but we had our second encounter with a scammer here. As we were eating, a man came up and said we had arranged to meet him there for a tour and showed us a picture he had taken of us from the street. Nate and I both argued with him and the waiter came over and shewed him away. Kind of creepy…. after lunch we made our way to the grand bazaar. It is HUGE and we felt lost the entire time inside of it 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #142 Share Posted August 23, 2023 IMG_0777.mov IMG_0781.mov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #143 Share Posted August 23, 2023 I thought I’d pause here and comment on overall conversation, safety, begging, etc. that we experienced in Istanbul specifically. I was not nervous at all to go as a Christian, American woman to a muslim country and in general I did not find it to be an issue. The only time it was, was when we visited the mosque and Topkapi Palace’ holy relics. Sometimes, in conversations, I’d ask a question, but then the person would answer Nate rather than me. I believe this is part of their culture in some areas, so it didn’t bother me, and it honestly rarely happened. I also believe that begging is outlawed there, thus the scammers. That also wasn’t off putting to me as homeless/beggars are everywhere in the states. I felt very safe on my own and as mentioned, walked around a few times on my own. Most people were incredibly nice to us and welcoming. Several of our waiters would sit and talk to us about America, cruise lines, and think that we were from Miami because that’s how they recognize Florida. 😆 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dani negreanu Posted August 23, 2023 #144 Share Posted August 23, 2023 9 hours ago, singinalot said: Our favorites in Istanbul: the Basilica Cistern We've been twice to the Cistern. Once in 2000 on a land trip, and then in 2014 on a cruise stop. I was roaring to return. I've found the atmosphere eerie. It was a huge difference between the 2 visits -- In 2000 the women were not wearing head scarfs, whereas in 2014 most of them were covered from head to toes. My "inner rebel" kept asking herself why they go through with it, seeing the men with them wearing short sleeves and being bare headed. Hot weather, etc. 😢 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #145 Share Posted August 23, 2023 47 minutes ago, dani negreanu said: We've been twice to the Cistern. Once in 2000 on a land trip, and then in 2014 on a cruise stop. I was roaring to return. I've found the atmosphere eerie. It was a huge difference between the 2 visits -- In 2000 the women were not wearing head scarfs, whereas in 2014 most of them were covered from head to toes. My "inner rebel" kept asking herself why they go through with it, seeing the men with them wearing short sleeves and being bare headed. Hot weather, etc. 😢 eerie is a great way to describe it. I think of how many people built it, have walked there before us, used the water when it was full, etc. and yes! i quite often questioned how the women do it. i know it’s a sign of respect and modesty and their custom, but just for the 10 minutes I had to wear head scarfs and not even the full on coverups, I was quite literally dying from heat. They are some strong humans! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #146 Share Posted August 23, 2023 (edited) After making our way through parts of the grand bazaar, we headed for Topkapi Palace. https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/topkapi The palace entrance is a stone’s throw from our hotel. I mentioned on our first day that we were actually dropped off by the car service close to the palace entrance because of security. We got to the palace having not purchased tickets in advance. The line was not too long, but they only had one cashier working and we waited 45 minutes. When we got to the counter I asked for 2 tickets to the palace and 2 for the harem, which is a separate ticket and said to be well worth the it “As popular belief would have it, the Harem was a place where the sultan could engage in debauchery at will. In more prosaic reality, these were the imperial family quarters, and every detail of Harem life was governed by tradition, obligation and ceremony. The word 'harem' literally means 'forbidden' or 'private'.” Alas, no luck for us. The ticket agent said we were too late to have enough time to see the harem. If we hadn’t have already been waiting in line so long, I probably would have said ok let’s come back tomorrow. But we ventured on and entered the palace grounds. The second courtyard and imperial council featured below: IMG_0787.mov the ceiling 🥰 I loved how ornate and different the carvings are from things we’ve seen elsewhere in Europe. Istanbul truly had its own style. IMG_0791.mov Edited August 23, 2023 by singinalot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #147 Share Posted August 23, 2023 Perhaps because of the disappointment in the non-harem tickets or perhaps because I’ve been to Versailles and a few other palaces, I was not as impressed with Topkapi. This is why it is not on my list of top things to see. I honestly don’t even know now if even seeing the harem would have made it excitable for me. It was beautiful though, and those views are amazing! IMG_0831.mov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #148 Share Posted August 23, 2023 To enter the church of the holy relics, I once again had to darn a robe and scarf. I rushed through. a man was singing prayers as we walked through IMG_0862.mov another beautiful ceiling 🥰 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #149 Share Posted August 23, 2023 we left the palace and walked back towards the bridge to find dinner my upside down pide and Nate’s chicken casserole. both were excellent I don’t know why but we both found their trash operation an amazing feat of engineering and were thoroughly entertained IMG_0878.mov IMG_0880.mov IMG_0882.mov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2023 #150 Share Posted August 23, 2023 these were all too sweet for us, but we definitely enjoyed sampling!! Nate took a WC break, so I took the opportunity to get some sunset pics of this mosque by the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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