Istanbul Part II

Chora Church

 Chora Church contains some of the best preserved Byzantine mosaics left in the world today. Originally built as part of a monastery complex, it was converted into a mosque under the Ottomans in the 16th century. The mosaics were covered, since no human depiction is allowed in Islamic art, but weren't destroyed. The church became a museum in 1948. The mosaics, which cover the church floor to ceiling, tell the story of Gospels, beginning with Mary's birth (from the Apocrypha), and concluding with the Final Judgement. Pictures don't do the mosaics justice; they are breathtaking, and visually disorienting due to the minute detail. Included are some of my favorite mosaics in the church.

Chora Church- Tempting of Jesus by Satan

Chora Church-designed so Jesus is looking at you from any angle

Blue Mosque

Sultan Ahmed Mosque, most commonly referred to as the Blue Mosque, was built from 1609-1616 by Sultan Ahmed I. Wanting to outdo the existing mosques in the area, the sultan ordered six minarets built. However, the mosque in Mecca had six, thus placing this mosque on par with the most holy mosque in all of Islam. Thus, the sultan paid for a seventh minaret to be constructed in Mecca, in order to keep his six. The interior is dominated by blue tile, giving the mosque its nickname. It is massive, and can accommodate over 10,000 worshipers.

Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque

 One of the coolest things I got to do in Istanbul was going into a mosque during prayer time. A couple girls and I decided to go back into the women's section, rather than stand with the other tourists in the main walkway, and watch. The imman's melodic reading of the Koran echoed out over the giant hall, and the women surrounding us stood up, sat down, and kneeled in turn. The beautiful space and reading combined for a truly moving experience. The best part was most of the women who caught my eye while there smiled and nodded encouragingly, welcoming me into their quiet prayer time. This is the type of thing that needs to happen more often; people only fear what they don't know. God was being worshiped in that space.

Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque

Hagia Sophia

 Next door to the Blue Mosque sits the Hagia Sophia. From 360 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox Cathedral, and was the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Under the Ottomans, the church was turned into a mosque from 1453-1931. In 1935, it reopened as a museum, attracting pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.

Hagia Sophia 

Hagia Sophia 

 The church is fascinating inside, for elements of Christianity and Islam can be seen from the buildings use as a cathedral and mosque respectively. As in Chora Church, much of the mosaic work has been preserved, and can be seen today. The iconic yellow ceiling adds to the church's unique appearance.

Hagia Sophia 

Hagia Sophia 

Hagia Sophia 

Hagia Sophia 

Topkapi Palace

 Topkapi Palace was the primary residence for the Ottoman sultans from 1465-1856. It consists of four main courtyards, the sultan's residence, meeting halls, a mosque, hospital, and many other buildings. Today, these buildings house different exhibits with artifacts from the Ottoman period (of which pictures can't be taken...hence the garden pictures!) We saw Ottoman weapons; swords, maces, shields, chain mail, bows and arrows, guns, and helmets. We saw the sultans royal garments for ceremonies, which do indeed match any painting I've ever seen from the time period. We saw the sultans jewels, gold, silver, and jade; as well as collections of gifts from other royal courts around the world. One of the crowning exhibits contains holy relics of Islam, such as keys to the Kaaba, Moses' staff, Abraham's bowl, Muhammad's beard, and Ali's sword.

Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace

The best part of Istanbul though was the food. Some of my favorites were: wet burgers (previously described), iskander (bread, soaked in butter, topped with shaved lamb or beef, covered in tomato sauce), donner (basically the Turkish version of Shwerma), and baklava. Sorry, Turkish delight did not win be over, though they do serve it on every Turkish Airlines flight. All in all, Istanbul was a blast, and definitely a city I'd love to return to. Turkish society as a whole is just fascinating, a mix between European and Arab, West and East. While we are all sad travel is ending, we are excited to spend our last week and a half in Jerusalem before heading home. Its sure to go by in a flash.

Istanbul Part 1

Welcome to Turkey! 

Bosporus Straight

 We left Casablanca and flew 5 hours and 3 times zones to Istanbul, Turkey, to begin our final stage of travel. Our first full day in Istanbul, we took a boat tour of the Bosporus, the straight that separates the European side of Istanbul from the Asian side. Istanbul, previously Byzantium and Constantinople, is the land bridge between Europe and Asia, a key strategic stronghold.

Asia on left, Europe on right

Bosporus Straight

Taxim Square

 Taxim Sqaure is one of the iconic tourist stops in Istanbul. The home to many a festival and protest, the square itself is lined with food vendors, flower shops, clothing stores, and restaurants. The road from the square is lined with high end shopping for about 30 minutes, than changes into small, trinkety shops, filled with some of the best and cheapest jewelry I've found in the Middle East (guess what you all are getting for presents?!) The famed red trolley car zips tourists up and down the main hill, weaving in between shoppers and passing cars. The street is always jam packed with people, and it makes for good people watching. Right off the square are the best sliders in the world, called wet burgers. Mini hamburgers, smothered in cheese and dunked in a spicy tomato sauce (Dad, you would LOVE them).

Taxim Square

Galata Tower

 Down the road from the square is Galata Tower, originally built by the Genoese in 1348. It has since been destroyed and rebuilt many times, with the current structure dating back to the 1870s. It is one of the most iconic landmarks of Istanbul, and visitors can travel to the top for one of the best views the city has to offer. We went up on a gorgeous sunny day and enjoyed 360 degree views of the city, the Bosporus, the Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque.

View from Galata Tower

Hagia Sophia left, Blue Mosque right

View from Galata Tower

Spice Bazaar

Another fun stop in the heart of the city is the Spice Bazaar, dating back to 1660. Inside, the halls are lined with shops selling every sort of spice, tea, dried fruit, nut, or Turkish delight you could imagine. The chefs in our group bought saffron, which you can apparently get much cheaper in Turkey than in the US. While overwhelming, the Spice Bazaar was one of my favorite stops in the city. The spices all lined up in rows are so vibrant, and they sell the best sesame roasted almonds I've ever tasted.

Grand Bazaar

No trip to Istanbul is complete without a visit to the Grand Bazaar, another large indoor marketplace. The complex is a huge labyrinth, containing jewelry, clothing, shoe, scarf, luggage, art, and cosmetic shops. Its easy to get lost in there for hours, window shopping and bartering. Of course, prices are way cheaper outside of the bazaar, but its still fun to meander through the crowds. 

Casablanca

Hello Atlantic Ocean! 

 We returned to Casablanca for the night in order to fly out early the next morning, so got a free afternoon to explore the city of so much cinematic fame. After a quick bite to eat on the beach, we were off exploring!

Hassan II Mosque

 Hassan II Mosque, located right on the Atlantic Ocean, is the largest mosque in Morocco, and the 7th largest in the world. It boats the world's tallest minaret at 210 meters, and can accommodate 25,000 worshipers inside the mosque itself, and another 80,000 in the plaza. The building is just massive, pictures don't do it justice. Look down at the pictures of the people next to the archways, and you will see the comparative size of this massive structure. It is also one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen; intricate mosaics, handcrafted stucco, soaring archways and bronze chandeliers. Construction involved 35,000 workers and over 50 million hours of labor.  

Hassan II Mosque

Hassan II Mosque

Hassan II Mosque

Hassan II Mosque

Anyone seen Humphrey Bogart?

We spent the rest of the day wandering the city. Each stop in Morocco had such a different feel, and Casablanca definitely felt more like a European city. It is the economic center of Morocco, and is trying to modernize, becoming a symbol of the future for Northern Africa. There is a mesh of old and new in Casablanca; we wandered the old souk to the left of our hotel, and explored the Westernized finance district to the right. And yes, we did find Rick's Cafe; there are actually about 70 throughout Casablanca, each claiming to be the original. No Humphrey Bogart sightings though...

Berber Village

Atlas Mountains

While Morocco was filled with wild and wonderful sights, my favorite part was our visit to a Berber village in the Atlas Mountains. The Berbers are the indigenous people group of Morocco, and maintain their own culture, language, food, dress, and traditions to this day. The call themselves the Amazigh, meaning free people, yet they are still treated as second class citizens in Morocco today. Thus, with the Arab Spring, Berber groups have pushed for recognition and the guaranteeing of basic citizenship rights from the Moroccan government.

Berber Village

Atlas Mountains

The drive up through the Atlas Mountains took us through some of the most beautiful countryside I've ever seen. It actually looked at lot Central Oregon, except with Berber houses made out of dry clay built into the mountainside. So basically the same thing. We stopped for lunch along the river, and had wonderful Berber tangine and cous cous. We stopped and shopped, many of us coming away with handmade Berber carpets (its a lifetime investment Mom!) The artisanship of the Berber craftsmen is incredible, filled with bright colors and geometric patterns. Our visit to the Berber village was like stepping back in time, back when life was simpler, and people lived by the land. An incredible experience for sure. 

Mosque 

Lunch on the river

Women doing washing in the river

Waterfall coming down from the mountains

Our Berber guide, Choani! 

Marrakech

Hassan Tower

From Fes, we traveled by bus 7 hours to Marrakech. On the way, we stopped in Rabat, which is the capital of Morocco. We stopped at Mausoleum of Mohammad V, the first king of Morocco, grandfather to the current king. The mausoleum is on the site of the unfinished mosque, started in 1195. Hassan Tower, the original minaret, stands half completed, and still serves as the minaret for the new mosque built on the other side of the plaza. 

Columns of the Unfinished Mosque 

Tomb of Muhammad V

Moroccan countryside

Koutoubia Mosque 

We spent our first day in Marrakech exploring the medina. Our first stop was at Koutoubia Mosque, the largest and most iconic mosque in Marrakech. Built in 1186, it had to be rebuilt immediately after construction, because the builders had not oriented the mosque facing Mecca. Thus, next to the current mosque are hundreds of pillars from the original building.  

Medina of Marrakech

Tombs of the Saadian Dynasty

 We next visited the Saadian Tombs, where members of the Saadian dynasty were buried in the 16th century. Rediscovered in 1917, the tombs are now a major tourist stop in Marrakech. Within the complex, you can view the tombs of the kings, the harem  the soldiers, and the children of the royal family.

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace was built in the 19th century for the sultan's grand vizier. It is a beautiful complex, filled with gardens, fountains, intricate mosaics, and stucco carvings. 

Bahia Palace

Jemaa el-Fnaa Square

We spent the rest of the day exploring the city. I had lunch on a rooftop overlooking Jemma el-Fnaa Square, the central marketplace of Marrakech. Surrounded by shops, the square boasts henna artists, snake charmers, monkey tamers, and Berber musicians. It is a sensory overload, but loads of fun to wander around and see the sights. Marrakech sits at the base of the Atlas Mountains, and since it was a sunny day, we could see them in the distance. 

Atlas Mountains