Arrived in Istanbul by train this morning. Attended afternoon prayer at the first mosque founded after Mehmet the Conquerer took the city in 1453. It's just beneath the Galata tower. The view from the top of the Galata tower has got to be one of the best in history. I was imaging Greek sailing ships bringing wheat from the Russian steppes around the golden horn to feed Athens during its Golden Age and British warships heading up the Bosphoros to fight the Crimean War.
Walked by the headquarters of the local council of the Turkish Communist Party and saw Turkish translations of Che's diaries for sale in bookstores. Visited Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches still functioning in the heart of the city. I think the Catholic one is a remnant of French influence in the region.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Cool Beans.

I hope you will be visiting Hagia Sophia as well. That would be the reason I would go to Istanbul.

__________________
80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

Sounds like an amazing trip. Taking pictures I hope...

Whatever you do, don't say "Seek-Eee-Sark-Ick." Will not help you make friends.

__________________
Cannondale ST600 XL
Redline Monocog 29er
2011 Mini Cooper Clubman
2005 Honda Element EX

www.djugurba.com
www.waldenwellness.com

Should I ask our Turkish hosts what that means?

Visited Hagia Sophia today. Breathtaking.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

One of the best cities in the world to visit!....amazing to think that Hagia Sophia has been standing for over 1400 years and through numerous earth quakes!

__________________
Current Mercs
R129 1994 300-24SL
W124 320E Turbo Technics Twin Turbo 350bhp

Previous Mercs
W124 1986 Quad Cam AMG Hammer, 45,000 miles
W124 300E Turbo Technics Twin Turbo 320bhp
W124 E500

..tried the nargile yet?
Don't leave the place without seeing Topkapi, and try those figs locals sell everywhere: yummy !

__________________
2011 Prius

Under no circumstances! My turkish friend (the actress on Bicak Sirti: look at 33 seconds in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38LVN8wgiUY) said it's among the worst things to say to another person... something about improperly restrained male genitals...

Isn't Hagia Sophia a museum now? It's incredible. Canan has shown me pictures.

__________________
Cannondale ST600 XL
Redline Monocog 29er
2011 Mini Cooper Clubman
2005 Honda Element EX

www.djugurba.com
www.waldenwellness.com

Isn't the marble jar there? - the one carved from a single piece of marble?

__________________
Cannondale ST600 XL
Redline Monocog 29er
2011 Mini Cooper Clubman
2005 Honda Element EX

www.djugurba.com
www.waldenwellness.com

It's open for visits during non-prayer hours.
It looks truly amazing, I looked at it from outside. I didn't dare to go in, it's a very holy place for moslems and I want to respect that, I wouldn't like if tourists came and wandered around in places that I consider holy (if any).

Istanbul is quite amazing, you really get a sense of history there. As you walk around the streets you'll stumble on some brass plaque explaining that this stone or this water well has been here for 2000 years. I felt very humble there.

Just over the street from Hagia Sophia is this thousand year old water reservoir underground, go visit it if you are around.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_Cistern
The roof is upheld by 336 marble pillars that are all individual in appearance.
There's even an antique joke down there, the Turks turned one specially carved stone upside down as a middle finger gesture to the Romans. I find it hilarious.



Been around a lot of western cities of which most of them feels about the same, but Istanbul was truly different!

__________________
Tomas, Sweden
1966 Mercedes Benz 230S with OM617.912, automatic. Disk brakes from W108
1983 Mercedes Benz 300TD grey, OM617.912 and 5-speed manual
1983 Mercedes Benz 300TD blue 7-seater, OM617.912 and 5-speed manual