Istanbul - Our First Day

Inside the Aya Sofia

I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders when we got off the train in Istanbul.  Maybe that's because we arrived 5 hours late and we were both just anxious to get there, or maybe it's because arriving in a place that I already know and love is significantly less stressful than showing up somewhere I don't know anything about.  Regardless, our first day (half-day) in Istanbul was fantastic.

Our hostel is in Sultanahmet, right down the street from the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofia.  After checking in, we set out to explore the major sights.  But first, we had to get some lunch.  I took Kati to the kebap place I went almost every day last time I was here.  Sadly, it appears that the small hole-in-the-wall place I loved has been over-commercialized and the quality of the food has suffered.

We stopped in the Aya Sofia to see the gigantic church Justinian built in 537 which, for a long time, stood as the largest building in the world.  Upon walking into the Aya Sofia for the first time Justinian reportedly said, "Oh, glory be to God!  Solomon, I have outdone you!"  After seeing the church (now a museum) and it's golden mosaics we headed to the Basilica Cistern.  The Cistern can hold over 80,000 cubic meters of water and just looks really cool.  The locals had forgotten it was under this part of the city for a long time until it was rediscovered in the 1600s. (Why they didn't think about a cistern being there when they could get water from a hole in the floor of their home is beyond me)

One of the Whirling Dervishes

Next we tried to go to the Blue Mosque, but they were in the midst of prayer so we walked through the nearby Hippodrome instead.  It was there that they used to have chariot races.  In Constantinople chariot races were very significant because there were two "teams" that essentially amounted to political parties, so there was a lot at stake in those races.  In the center of the Hippodrome are three columns: one strange spiral column that nobody can explain, an out-of-place Egyptian obelisk, and Constantine's Column, one of the very few remaining monuments to the great Roman Emperor.

After a quick rest at the hostel, we struck out again, on a mission: to find the dervishes.  The whirling dervishes are a branch of Islamic (Sufi) monks who, like the Franciscans, take a vow to live a life of poverty.  The particular monks that whirl are part of the Mevlevi order, started by the Persian poet Rumi in the city of Konya.  It's a very religious and sacred ceremony, but its uniqueness has led it to become a very sought-after tourist activity.  Luckily we found a less-touristy place with real monks.  Both the Sufi music and the whirling itself were really neat.  I don't know how those monks spin for so long without falling over or getting dizzy!  Then we had a good Turkish meal at the restaurant below our hostel and then I took Kati to my favorite tea bar for some apple tea before calling it an early night.