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The morning after our port stop in Varna, Bulgaria, we were up early so as not to miss the Bosporus Strait a second time. When we left Istanbul the week before, it was late at night and we were too tired to stay awake for the short sail up the 20 mile long Bosporus to the Black Sea. This was a much better day for it anyway since the sun was coming up and there would be some morning daylight to see the sights.

The Bosporus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Maramara and Istanbul sits right where it meets the Sea of Maramara. We were already entering the Bosporus when we got out of bed and headed up to the Lido deck for breakfast, camera in hand.

Our travel guide on board ship narrated as we traveled past expensive old summer homes, castles, palaces, and fortifications. It was hard to pick out some of the buildings he spoke about since he was seeing them from the front of the ship and we were looking at them at the back of the ship. A few pictures of what to look for would have been nice.

The one unmistakable landmark was Rumeli Hisari Fortress. It is a huge fortress that upon more research I found is even bigger than it appeared from the water. It is at the narrowest part of the Bosporus. Obviously a a strategic spot for what Sultan Mehmet had in mind for conquering Constantinople (Istanbul). His generals were in charge of building the various parts of the fortress and each was pitted against the other for who would finish first. The fortress is open to the public and is on my list for our next stop in Istanbul. There are also lots of ways to cruise the Bosporus and see the area's sights by ferry boat and/or special tours.

There were two bridges we needed to pass under. Since we were headed to Istanbul, the first bridge was actually the second--named Fatih Sultan Mehmet after the conqueror who ended Byzantine rule. The bridge just before entering the Istanbul harbor is just called the Bosporus Bridge. It connects the European side with the Asian side of Istanbul.

Of course once we were past the last bridge and by passing the port, we could once again see the familiar skyline of the old part of Istanbul. This time though we knew what each of the building were. The Topkapi Palace stretched out along the shore. The Blue Mosque with its six minarets and of course, the magnificent Hagai Sophia.

As I watched Istanbul disappear in the distance, I knew that we would need to return. Another cruise, another time.

Before I tell you about the Blue Mosque, I need to reminisce about our wonderful lunch that day. After exploring the Topkapi Palace and the Hagai Sophia, we were famished. Our guide, Aykut, asked us what we would like. Yes there was McDonald's, KFC, and Burger King but we wanted something representative of the country we were in. He took us to a kebab place called, SIYA.

We sat at a table near the open kitchen and could see our meal being prepared. It began with an unusual salad mostly of tomatoes (sweet) and cucumbers but it was mixed with lots of chopped walnuts and had a vinaigrette dressing that was heavy on the vinegar. With all of the tomatoes and their sweetness though, it was a great blend.

Next came our mixed grill plate. Again colorfully presented with a little salad on the plate. There was a variety of lamb, beef, and chicken. The kebabs were like a meatball mix wrapped around a stick and then grilled. My mouth waters every time I think of that lunch. The spices were delicately balanced in the meats and the aroma mixed with the taste--well the memory just makes me drool.

A short distance away was the Blue Mosque our next stop to explore. It was here that we were so glad to have a small group and a private guide. With the promise that we could get our shoes off quickly and into a plastic bag, Aykut was able to get us in a side door that didn't have a big line of tourists. The Blue Mosque was probably a little more impressive in its day before the blue tiles faded. It still has has a bluish cast inside but I can imagine it was quite amazing when newer.

For those who have never been in a mosque before, it would have been an even more unique experience as the tourists were separated from the area where worshipers prayed. I was grateful for our visit to the Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai where we were able to learn more about the Muslim religion. As Aykut had told us earlier in the day, the Turks are more liberal with their religion. He said there were many mosques but none were ever full. That could be said about a lot of churches as well.

The Blue Mosque was built by a young nineteen year old sultan named Ahmet I. He had it constructed next to the Hagia Sophia on the site of the ancient Hippodrome. Work was begun in 1609 and completed seven years later. Unfortunately the sultan died shortly after its completion.

Six minarets make the Blue Mosque unique. Normally there are no more than four. Several times throughout the day you could hear, amplified through the minarets here and anywhere else there was a mosque, the chanted call to prayer.

Our last stop of the day was something I had not researched at all and wondered all the way to the entrance just what exactly we were going to see in a cistern. I was amazed. The cistern is one of many built beneath the city during Byzantine times. The one we were in, the Basilica Cistern, sits beneath the Stoa Basilica. It covers a 2.4 acre area and has 336 marble columns and dates back to Emperor Justinian in the sixth century. There is a decorative amount of water in it now, nicely lit with accent lighting to give it an eerie feeling. James Bond rowed a boat through there in the movie, From Russia With Love.

One of the points of interest were two columns that were supported by large marble heads of Medusa. Our guide indicated that they needed the extra support and had taken them from somewhere else and just to be sure that her power to turn men into stone was negated, they put her upside down. Of course that was all said with a smile and wide eyes that made his very dark brown eyes look a bit wild in the depths of the cistern.

The day's tour ended with a quick walk through the Grand Bazaar which seems to stretch on forever. Amid lots of invitations to step inside the shops, we nodded and politely smiled, walked on a bit and then circled back to our meeting point. Maybe another day on another trip when we have more time.

Aykut left us with his capable driver. He had a date and needed to get something for her. Amid some teasing and advice about his date, we waved good-bye to a wonderful guide. At the port entrance we saw the place Aykut recommended for great baklava but the line was out the door and we were tired. We headed for the ship.

  That evening we didn't sail until eleven. We tried to stay awake for the sail-away and the trip under the lighted bridge that led to the Bosporus but we couldn't. The orange glow of the sunset backlit the city skyline making Istanbul look even more mysterious. What a great place for storytelling ideas.






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Between the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque sits the magnificent Hagia Sophia. Construction was begun in the sixth century on what was to be the largest church in the world for a thousand years. It was ordered by Emperor Justinian and took thousands of workers and more than five years to complete. It was later converted to a mosque in 1453 when the city was conquered by the Ottomans. In 1935 it was declared by Kemal Ataturk to be a national monument.

It is a little unnerving to walk into the huge structure and have your guide tell you that the domes are unsupported. Still, they have survived centuries of earthquakes and war and though repaired several times, have never fallen. I figured they might last at least long enough for our tour.

The site of the church actually dates back to the time of Constantine in the 4th century and had another church structure on it. It burned to the ground during an uprising. The next emperor rebuilt it but again it was destroyed. Perhaps that's why Justinian decided on stone and marble.

Sultan Mehmet II, the conqueror of Constantinople in 1453, ordered the church to be converted to a mosque. Architects of the day built several minarets around it and the altar was replaced by a mirab that sat to one side slightly so that those who attended for prayer would know in which direction Mecca lay.

When the church had become a mosque, many of the original mosaics were covered over with plaster. At the time it was a way of ridding the structure of its Christian influence. It actually turned out to be a way of preserving the ancient works of art. When the museum began to remove the plaster, the mosaics were discovered in remarkable condition for their age.

The mosaic over the imperial door that leads to the narthex is one of Christ blessing the emperor. This door was used only by the emperors. The mosaic dates back to the 9th or 10th century. The other mosaic I pictured is of Mary and the two emperors instrumental in building Hagia Sophia, Constantine and Justinian. This mosaic dates to the 10th century and is in the south entrance. You actually see it reflected in a mirror as you exit the church so if you go, be sure to turn around and look at it as those entering that way would have seen it.

Needless to say, I think you can get a feel for the immensity of the inside building. The center dome is 182 1/2 feet high and 102 1/2 feet wide. Impressive when you consider the age in which it was built and its standing the test of time and nature.

Look at the photo of the front of the inside of the church. The golden mirab is sitting off slightly to the right of the center stained glass window where the altar of the church was originally. That is the direction of Mecca.

We finished our wandering on our own and went out to the meeting place in the courtyard where there is a small cafe. I had been seeing carts loaded with pomegranates and the vendors squeezing them for juice. Somehow it just looked really good so I asked for one. Our guide got it for me but neglected to tell me that is would be a bit sweeter if you got it mixed with orange juice. Bob and I drank it and discovered new pucker power. Somehow I remember pomegranates being sweeter than that.

Once our group had gathered again, we were off to find lunch. It turned out to be a real treat.

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Our first stop on our privately arranged tour with Aykut Ayik from Istanbul Custom Tours (IstanbulLocalGuides.com) was the Topkapi Palace. Despite the traffic snarls we were still a little ahead of the large excursion groups from the several ships that were in port that day. As we made our way through the huge public gardens and toward the gate, one of the guys in our group asked about the harem. Ike smiled wryly and said he would tell us all about that later.

The palace was originally begun by order of Sultan Mehmet II after his army stormed and sacked Constantinople (the old name for Istanbul) in 1453. It served as home to the sultans and the royal court until the mid-19th century. During their long reign, successive sultans built Topkapi into the huge complex it is today.

There are four inner courtyards and it was impossible to explore everything in the time we had and still see the other things on our list for Istanbul. The magnificent tile work is amazing. Colorful and detailed, it reminded me a bit of the palace we saw in Bangkok.

I can't begin to tell you what all the rooms were that we saw. Some were like buildings of their own. Of course one that made a big impression on everyone was the circumcision room. Very elaborate. Richly decorated in reds and blues with stained glass windows. Quite a room for such a delicate operation.

A large open patio-type area with a pool and a fountain in the middle was where we were told the sultan would have his breakfast. Under a canopied area, he could sit and eat and look out over the city.

Gold enhanced everything. There was no doubting that wealth built the palace.

Since the palace is a museum, there are several buildings that hold collections of artifacts including many of the gifts given to the sultans over the years. One was said to be a huge huge diamond. We didn't get to see that particular exhibit since the tour buses had by then deposited their eager visitors and the lines were way too long to stand in. We did get in to see the exhibit of religious artifacts. We saw the "rod of Moses," a jar from the house of Joseph as well as the cloak of Muhammed and something that was said to contain a clipping of his beard.

 One of the other exhibits we were able to go through was the armory where sabers, decorative knives and lots of armor was on display. And yes, they looked just like the ones in all the Arabian movies--curved and jeweled.

 On our way out of the palace, we noticed a commotion and our guide said that there was to be a marching band that was scheduled to play that day. We lingered a bit eager to see it. The men began lining up in traditional garb with their instruments and we were treated to the Turkish version of a marching band. It was great!

Oh yes, about the harem. Ike said it was not so much what many people fancied. There was quite a hierarchy with the sultan's mother being the head. Often the sultan was given female slaves as a gift and they would become part of the harem. It was in a sense an area of education in that the women were taught music, literature, and courtly ceremony before being presented to the sultan. Of course he did get to chose from the group his wives (four were allowed but not all sultans took that many) and concubines. Contrary to popular belief, the girls were allowed to leave after nine years of service. Many had marriages arranged for them. They were highly sought by other high officials because of their education.

I'm not sure if that disillusioned the guys in our group who perhaps had other ideas of what may have gone on in the harem. We didn't get a chance to explore that area since it was an extra entrance fee and time was getting away from us. We still had lots to see in Istanbul.

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The Bosporus-Europe on left, Asia right