A Look Back
Nothing can really prepare you for the arrival in a foreign country that for the longest time seemed like the stuff of fiction. Istanbul [formerly Constantinople] is one of those places for me. I couldn’t have been more wide-eyed if I was traveling to the moon. Really. But this is where I found myself in August of Two Thousand and Eleven with my wife Sara and several of our dear friends. To our surprise our friends had decided the winter before to take a trip to Turkey and the Black Sea, which included stops in Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria, so Sara put herself in travel mode and made all the plans and arrangements for the 14 of us, and months later off we were off for the trip of a lifetime.
Years later and I find myself relying on faded memories and feelings as I post something about it, albeit ones I’m not sure I’ll ever forget. At least I hope I won't. While this isn’t about words, I do feel the need to add some context. Maybe that’s not important, but it is relevant. I hope this brings some sense of the wonder and joy we experienced as we made our way around some of the oldest civilizations known to man.
Alone with my thoughts on the way to what feels like the moon. A place so old and full of history one can't help but have a sense of excitement mixed with a little anxiousness of the unknown. Turned out to be one of the greatest trips we've taken.
Looking across the Bosphorus Strait - the separating line between Europe and Asia.
The Blue Mosque as seen from a small window in Hagia Sophia.
So many mosques. Each has it's own call to prayer that it becomes almost a haunting, echoing chorus across the city 5 times a day.
Hagia Sophia, the Grande Dame of them all, at least from an art history perspective.
Inside Hagia Sophia for the first time and it did not disappoint. I remember learning about this place when I was in art history so many years ago but nothing can prepare you for how big and impressive it really is. Still, to actually be here was surreal. St. Peter's in Rome is bigger, but Hagia Sophia was more impressive for me.
The Blue Mosque - Istanbul
Gazing upwards inside the Blue Mosque. The ornamentation is at once too much and beautiful.
The Bosphorus Straight the morning we came back into the city from the Black Sea (another post for another time).
The Grand Bazaar. So many shops its' easy to get lost and overwhelmed unless you know what you're looking for. Not being one to barter I had nothing to prove, though there were some pretty cool things inside for the taking if one were so inclined.
Inside the Basilica Cistern that the Romans built in the 6th Century using columns from all over the region including Egypt. They're not in use any more but they are an impressive feat of engineering.