Woke up this morning at 7:00 after a great night's sleep. After freshening up, I proceeded to breakfast where I was met with all manners of breads, cheeses, and meats along with assorted other foods. My favorite was the honeycomb, which I had with a slice of bread.
Our tour began at 8:30, starting with a beautiful mosque. Many of you know of my hatred for Islam, but that quickly vanished after stepping into the courtyard. Moslems must wash themselves and then remove their shoes before entering the mosque--a practice much to my liking. The inside of the mosque smelt clean and it had a very respectful, yet inviting atmosphere. Beautiful tiles and frescoes covered every wall, all lit by the generous windows that lined the many domes. Moslems do not adorn their places of worship with faces of men, but of beautiful calligraphy containing the names of their prophets and verses from their scriptures. Our guide continued to explain the Islamic faith and I soon found my hatred turned into reverence as I watched two Moslem men kneel and pray. Were their doctrine not flawed, I think I myself would convert to Islam.
We departed the mosque and headed toward the Hagia Sophia--I could hardly contain my excitement. That moment, when the blackened dome emerged from the metropolis, my heart skipped a beat. There, before my eyes, was the church where emperors, sultans, kings, crusaders, vikings, merchants, priests, and peasants had stared at in awe since the time of Emperor Justinian. Now I too would stand on that sacred marble floor and stand in awe at what had been the most glorious building on earth for almost 1000 years. I walked through the gateway into the inner sanctuary and marveled at the depressions in the marble where the praetorian guard stood vigil for a millennia. The columns, mosaics, windows, and domes were impressive beyond my wildest dreams. In the center of the vast expanse was the spot where all the Eastern Roman emperors had been crowned, including Justinian himself. Though marred by time, the crusades, and Islam, the church of holy wisdom still takes the breath away--and we didn't even see all of it. As we left, the ruins of the imperial palace greeted us, a testament to the end of the Roman Empire.
Next was the Hagia Irene, the church of holy peace. This 4th century church held the Second Ecumenical Council, the Council of Constantinople presided over by Emperor Theodosius. A lone cross from the Iconoclastic Age kept vigil over the corpse of this once magnificent basilica. It reminded me very much of Constantine's Palace in Trier and I could only wonder how many people had stared in wonder at this ancient relic.
Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans since the capture of the city in 1453, was our next stop. It had an eclectic mix of styles compiled over the ages, but they mixed well. My favorite part was gazing at the sword wielded by Mehmed II, no doubt as he laid siege to the city where it now eternally resides. Crown Jewels, vestments, and furniture were all on display, holding tourists captive as if they still held a figment of royal authority. Lunch was expensive, but delicious: a Turkish chicken sub thing with lettuce, pickles, and peppers, washed down with a signature palace fruit drink.
After the Topkapi Palace, we saw the grave of the Hippodrome. Now a public square, all that's left are two obelisks that stand like tombstones over the ancient nascar track.
Our last stop was the grand bazaar, Mehmed's attempt to revitalize the city's economy, the tourist trap of all tourist traps. Gold, spices, leathers, rugs, tapestries, scarfs, cheap T-shirts, you name it: all for sale. I didn't bother looking at the price.
We finished our day with a cruise on the Bosporus. It offered great pictures of the city, as well as excellent orange juice and Turkish tea.
No dinner tonight. The boat ride left me a little unsettled, and I figure I'll eat well for breakfast. After a piping hot shower, I crawled into bed to pen the day's events. It's going to be a long day tomorrow, waking at 5. Guess that's all for today, hopefully the next hotel will have equally good wifi--this one's is better than ours at home!
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