Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern and some Grand Bazaar

31 July 2014

The Blue Mosque is considered a must see for visitors to the old part of Istanbul. It was comissioned by Sultan Ahmet I, who did not have any great wars won, so decided to use the treasury fund and built a mosque to rival Aya Sophya. They are both buildings to fill visitors with awe, although Aya Sophya broke ground architecturally (with a dome that appears to be unsupported)  while the Blue Mosque did not. What Blue Mosque does have, though are six minarets-- and at the time it was built, the only other mosques with this many were in Mecca.To avoid the accusation of being presumptuous, he donated an additional minaret for Mecca.

What is interesting about visiting is that this is a working mosque, so people attend prayer there several times a day. Visitors are only permitted to stay in one section and have a strict dress code. I did pass muster on the head scarf, but my dress was too short (even though it hit below the knee) so I was handed a cloth to wear to cover my legs. Mark did much better passing muster-- he only had to take off his hat.

The name Blue Mosque comes from the tile, which did not photograph well in the dark and distance. The carpet did though, and apparently the repeating pattern helps observers to orient for pray and equal spacing.

Mark and I usually like to see religious spaces as they are used by the people who worship there, if we can. This visit had so many tourists, and so much hustle to get ready to enter, it didn't really feel contemplative, though.

We walked to see the Basilica Cistern next. This was an excellent choice in the hot afternoon. The Cistern was engineered to hold tons of water underground in the Justinian time and Topkapki Palace also used the water. It is beautiful and eery-- the ceiling is held up by reclaimed Roman columns and they reflect in the water so it looks like they go on forever. Two of the columns have Medusa heads as their bases--and the heads are set upside down and sideways. No one knows where they were recycled from (hard to advertise for a missing Medusa.) They were probably placed upside down and sideways for the superstitious reason that looking at Medusa can turn one to stone.

We are going to watch From Russia with Love again when we get home. Sean Connery chases someone through the cistern in that movie. This was definitely a visit that made us think of the boys back home.

We visited Hagia Irene which was the church built in honor of peace (Sophya was for wisdom.) It's ironic, though, that although the Ottomans left if standing, it because used as an armory and as a storehouse for the spoils of war. We had the place to ourselves and it is cool and damp and far from what must have been splendid in its day. It does have a peaceful use now-- because of its acoustics, it is used as a concert hall.

Late in the day, we finally shopped the Grand Bazaar. There is no seeing it all, and the kiosks get repetitious. We did barter when we made a purchase. I would never separate from a party and arrange to meet-- and I feel sorry for any small child that gets separated from a parent! Anyone who knows how to shop there, though,  must have incredible fun.

The holiday is over and the ratio of local tourists to international tourists has shifts toward the international.There is a different feel to the city today as people went back to work, and more of the many apparel stores near our hotel were open. They have interesting names like "Discover Underwear," and "Ano Domini," and "The Call Chop." Being a trade center of civilization for so long really shows here.