1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
|
<!DOCTYPE html>
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no">
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Armenian heritage trip</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="../style.css">
</head>
<body>
<h1>Istanbul</h1>
Part of the <a href="../armenian-heritage-trip.html">Armenian heritage trip memory.</a>
<hr>
<h2 id=2019-09-18><a href=#2019-09-18>2019-09-18 Wednesday</a></h2>
<h3>Nancy, James Jerusalem to Istanbul</h3>
long cab ride
<h3>First visit to Hippodrome</h3>
<h3>diner</h3>
<hr>
<h2 id=2019-09-19><a href=#2019-09-19>2019-09-19 Thursday</a></h2>
<h3>Sultans palace</h3>
<h3>Harem</h3>
<h3>Harant Dink foundation</h3>
asian side of istanbul
<hr>
<h2 id=2019-09-20><a href=#2019-09-20>2019-09-20 Friday</a></h2>
<h3>Basillica cistern</h3>
<h3>Armenian district</h3>
found Armenian protestant church
<h3>Blaise travels Madison to Istanbul</h3>
<p>
Blaise left Madison mid-afternoon Wisconsin time, traveling to Istanbul to meet Nancy and Jim.
This involved a short flight Madison → Chicago, an ~11 hour flight Chicago → Istanbul, and a hour long bus ride to get downtown.
The most remarkable experience was the Turkish Airlines flight, which involved an unprecedented level of hospitality.
Every passenger was given two excellent meals, blanket, pillow, eye masks, slippers, headphones, and seemingly countless other little amenities.
It's easy to see how Turkish Airlines got its reputation.
</p>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190919_201715.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Turkish Airlines airplane that took Blaise from Chicago to Istanbul. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190919_224234.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Dinner served to Blaise by Turkish Airlines:
<ul>
<li>chicken breast, penne, zucchini, eggplant</li>
<li>fried eggplant and green pepper, tomato, white cheese</li>
<li>salad with prawn</li>
<li>lemonade with fresh mint</li>
</ul>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190920_055602.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Breakfast served to Blaise by Turkish Airlines:
<ul>
<li>fresh fruit salad</li>
<li>assorted cheese</li>
<li>salad with prawn</li>
<li>scrambled egg with cheese, mushrooms, potatoes, grilled tomato</li>
<li>fresh bread, butter, jam</li>
<li>coffee</li>
</ul>
<p>
Arriving in Istanbul (early evening Istanbul time), Blaise was greeted by Nancy and Jim at the bus stop.
Blaise was able to unpack before the three of them had a very nice meal at the restaurant across the street.
</p>
<hr>
<h2 id=2019-09-21><a href=#2019-09-21>2019-09-21 Saturday</a></h2>
<h3>Morning Walk</h3>
<p>
Nancy and Blaise started the morning with a walk along the Sea of Marmara, near the hotel.
They saw divers with harpoons, fishermen, cats and dogs near the sea.
After walking along the water for roughly 30 minutes, they turned around and returned to the hotel through the city.
This included passing through the seafood restaurant area, several blocks worth of just seafood restaurants.
</p>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_091946.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
View of the Marmara sea. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_092759.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Seafood restaurant district. Early in the morning, so most restaurants are closed. <br>
<h3>Hagia Sophia</h3>
<p>
At 10:30 Nancy, Jim, and Blaise went on a guided tour of Hagia Sophia.
On the way, they explored the Hippodrome and saw the Alman Çeşmesi.
</p>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_103539.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Alman Çeşmesi, exterior. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_103650.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Alman Çeşmesi, interior. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_103904.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Hagia Sophia as seen from the Hippodrome. <br>
<br>
<p>
Their guide was from Bulgaria, with a mother born in Erzincan.
There was a long line to enter into Hagia Sophia, but once inside it wasn't too crowded.
The entire building is under constant restoration, exterior and interior.
</p>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_113821.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Hagia Sophpia exterior, detail. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_115354.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Outer corridor. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_115510.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
View of inner corridor, detail of main door only to be used by emperors.<br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_120536.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Internal sanctuary of Hagia Sophia.
The top dome has 40 windows.
One of the triangular pendentives can be seen, a large architectural innovation at the time.
Much is under restoration.<br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_123241.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Interior shot of Hagia Sophia, featuring stained glass windows.
The door-like structure is oriented towards Mecca for Muslim prayer.
The lamps were placed low to the ground so that they could be lit as candles. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_123247.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Special stairway used by Muslims for delivering messages to congregation. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_125241.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Interior of Hagia Sophia, featuring column detail and special lamp.<br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_124354.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Interior of Hagia Sophia, focusing on angel artwork.
Muslims believe that all faces must be covered in worship areas.
The face of this angel was covered when Hagia Sophia became a mosque.<br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_124646.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Looking out from Hagia Sophia.
In the distance, the minarets of the blue mosque can be seen. <br>
<br>
<h3>Bazaars of Istanbul</h3>
<p>
After Hagia Sophia Nancy, Jim, and Blaise toured the streets of Istanbul including several bazaars.
First, they visited the grand bazzar.
</p>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_143225.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
One of the entrances to Istanbul's grand bazaar. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_143515.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Jim and Blaise inside the grand bazaar. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_143622.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Lighting store inside the grand bazaar. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_153435.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Water closet of the grand bazaar.
All toilets were pay-to-enter.
They were squat toilets.<br>
<p>
Then the spice market, a smaller bazaar near Galata Bridge with a focus on spices and food.
</p>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_160321.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
The spice market. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_160401.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Nancy and Blaise at the spice market. <br>
<br>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_160535.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Large chunks of turkish delight being displayed at the spice market. <br>
<p>
There were even markets in unexpected places, such as this one which they stumbled upon in a tunnel underneath the interstate.
</p>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190921_161210.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
A bazaar located in a tunnel under the interstate.
<br>
<h3>Bosophorus boat tour</h3>
<p>
At 17:00 Nancy, Jim, and Blaise went on a guided boat tour of the Bosophorus straight.
</p>
<img src="istanbul/IMG_20190922_093007.jpg"
alt=""
width="100%">
Bosophorus tour route. <br>
<br>
<h3>dinner</h3>
<hr>
<h2 id=2019-09-22><a href=#2019-09-22>2019-09-22 Sunday</a></h2>
<h3>depart</h3>
</body>
</html>
|
