From 6fa3d6d03c4f0731cf388166bacebbf2e062fd1c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Blaise Thompson Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2021 16:42:51 -0500 Subject: refactor with actual building --- .../armenian-heritage-trip/istanbul/index.html | 533 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 533 insertions(+) create mode 100644 memories/armenian-heritage-trip/istanbul/index.html (limited to 'memories/armenian-heritage-trip/istanbul/index.html') diff --git a/memories/armenian-heritage-trip/istanbul/index.html b/memories/armenian-heritage-trip/istanbul/index.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..914ab56 --- /dev/null +++ b/memories/armenian-heritage-trip/istanbul/index.html @@ -0,0 +1,533 @@ + + + + + + Istanbul + + + + +

Istanbul

+ +Part of the Armenian heritage trip memory. + +
+

2019-09-18 Wednesday

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Nancy, James Jerusalem to Istanbul

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+The travelers flew from Telaviv to Istanbul and caught a cab. +The cab ride covered a distance of about 60 miles. +

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+It is good that the airport has many moving sidewalks because the place is HUGE. +It took the travelers a long time to get from the places where they debarked the plane to the place where they collected their luggage, went through security and found a cab. +

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Istanbul Airport walkway.
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Istanbul Overview

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+Istanbul is a popular place to visit with a long and important history. +The travelers wanted to experience this place and gain some understanding of what life may have been like for Yesia when he lived there. +Yesia began working in Istanbul when he was 13 and lived there until he was 17 when he immigrated to the US (1900) due to Turkish fear of Armenian revolutionaries. +

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Basileus Hotel

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+The travelers arrived at Basileus Hotel, their home away from home in Istanbul. +

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Basileus exterior.
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Nancy naps in her Basileus bed.
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Istanbul first reactions

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+There seem to be lots of dogs and cats roaming the streets. +It appeared that they were all fed and perhaps even vaccinated. +

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Public Istanbul dogs.
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+The travelers enjoyed turkish delight candy. +

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Turkish delight being sold at a local shop.
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+Hagia Sophia at sunset was a special sight. +

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Hagia Sophia at sunset.
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+The travelers had dinner at 3 Partners Restaurant. +Both Jim and Nancy had an entire bowl (meant to be for dipping) of jajikh. +

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Dinner at 3 Partners Restaurant.
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2019-09-19 Thursday

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breakfast

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+The travelers learned that Turkish breakfast is quite different from "continental style". +

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Basileus hotel breakfast.
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Sultan's Palace

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+The travelers visited the Sultan's Palace. +

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Outer wall of Sultan's Palace.
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Inner gate of Sultan's Palace.
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3D model of Sultan's Palace.
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Pebble art at Sultan's Palace.
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Interesting wall detail at Sultan's Palace.
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Tile ceiling in one of the kiosks on the property.
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The Harem building on the sultan’s property.
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Toilet for the sultan's mother.
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Interesting lighting.
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Fireplace in the Sultan’s bedroom.
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Sultan's bedroom window.
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Fancy drainage system.
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Hrant Dink Foundation

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+After lunch the travelers undertook to find the offices of the Hrant Dink Organization located on the Asian side of Istanbul. +They had the address but had trouble finding it. +Finally they did find it with the help of Jim’s phone GPS and a hand drawn map by a tattoo artist who worked in a shop nearby. +Once there, they were given helpful information about visiting Istanbul, Kayseri and Erzindjan. +The staff were interested in the fact that the travelers were visiting Develi in an attempt to see where the property Yesia inherited may have been. +Evidently this organization is in the process of suing the Turkish government which claims that Armenians who left Turkey before the genocide as Turkish citizens should be entitled to reparations. +They do not intend to be part of this lawsuit, but wonder if Turkish documents about Yesia might have indicated if he was a Turkish citizen when he left in 1900. +

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+After spending the afternoon in this way, the travelers enjoyed a nice dinner before bed. +

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Nancy enjoys dinner.
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2019-09-20 Friday

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Basilica Cistern

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+Jim and Nancy tour The Basilica Cistern- used by Romans to bring water via aquaducts to the city. +7000 slaves dug the hole (9 feet deep, 140 feet long and 70 feet wide) in 9 months. +

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Many columns, some reused from other places.
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The weeping column- dedicated to the many workers died in the process of constructing the place.
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Armenian district

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Making Turkish coffee in sand.
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Steep colored steps on a street.
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Lots of fixer-uppers.
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Sweat shops are in the basements of various businesses.
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Armenian Protestant Church exterior.
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Armenian Protestant Church interior. + Lit two candles for Azniv here.
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Armenian Protestant Church caretaker.
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Many, many shoe businesses, as there where when Yesia worked for his shoemaker uncle.
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Blaise travels Madison to Istanbul

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+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. +

+ + +Turkish Airlines airplane that took Blaise from Chicago to Istanbul.
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+ + +Dinner served to Blaise by Turkish Airlines: + +
+ + +Breakfast served to Blaise by Turkish Airlines: + + +

+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. +

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Blaise and Nancy meet.
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Travelers enjoy dinner at a local restaraunt.
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2019-09-21 Saturday

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Morning Walk

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+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. +

+ + +View of the Marmara sea.
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+ + +Seafood restaurant district. Early in the morning, so most restaurants are closed.
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Hagia Sophia

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+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. +

+ + +Alman Çeşmesi, exterior.
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+ + +Alman Çeşmesi, interior.
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+ + +Hagia Sophia as seen from the Hippodrome.
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+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. +

+ + +Hagia Sophpia exterior, detail.
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+ + +Outer corridor.
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+ + +View of inner corridor, detail of main door only to be used by emperors.
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+ + +Internal sanctuary of Hagia Sophia. +The top dome has 40 windows. +One of the triangular pendentives can be seen, a large architectural innovation to support heavy domes. +Much is under restoration.
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+ + +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.
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+ + +Special stairway used by Muslim imans for delivering messages to congregation.
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+ + +Interior of Hagia Sophia, featuring column detail and special lamp.
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+ + +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.
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+ + +Looking out from Hagia Sophia. +In the distance, the minarets of the blue mosque can be seen.
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Bazaars of Istanbul

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+After Hagia Sophia Nancy, Jim, and Blaise toured the streets of Istanbul including several bazaars. +First, they visited the Grand Bazzar. +

+ + +One of the entrances to Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.
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+ + +Jim and Blaise inside the Grand Bazaar.
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+ + +Lighting store inside the Grand Bazaar.
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+ + +Water closet at the Grand Bazaar. +All toilets were pay-to-enter. +They were squat toilets.
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+Then the spice market, a smaller bazaar near Galata Bridge with a focus on spices and food. +

+ + +The Spice Market.
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+ + +Nancy and Blaise at the Spice Market.
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+ + +Large chunks of turkish delight being displayed at the Spice Market.
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+There were even markets in unexpected places, such as this one which they stumbled upon in a tunnel underneath the interstate. +

+ + +A bazaar located in a tunnel under the interstate. +
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Bosphorus boat tour

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+At 17:00 Nancy, Jim, and Blaise went on a guided boat tour of the Bosphorus straight. +

+ + +Bosphorus tour route.
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View of Dolmabahce Palace from the Bosphorus.
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Travelers pose during the Bosphorus boat tour.
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dinner

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Nancy and Blaise enjoy the view during dinner.
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Wharf where the travelers ate dinner.
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+ + + -- cgit v1.2.3