It's Kili Time - AGAIN!
10 years ago
I'm back on the roof of the hostel after my third full day in Istanbul, and it's about time I write down all of the incredible things I've seen here before they all blend together and it's too late.
After a night's sleep recovering from the hellish travel day before, I set off Thursday morning to explore the major sights: The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Bascilica Cisterns (all conveniently located 5 minutes from where I'm staying). The Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sohpia are the two most iconic Istanbul landmarks, and they stand facing each other across a wide landscaped plaza. The Blue Mosque was first, and it's gorgeous, especially from the outside, where its white marble facing reflects the sun and its many domes cascade down from the massive one at the top. The inside is pretty, but a bit of a letdown after my initial judgment- it's pretty, for sure, and its huge inner area is impressive, but it's no more interesting than the other mosques in the city (if not less so), and much more crowded.
The Hagia Sophia, on the other hand, is no letdown at all. Yes, from the outside it looks like a pile of bricks and butresses (built to keep the dome from falling in for the 4th time) and I was expecting the inside to disappoint, but what it lacks in outside appearances it more than makes up for with its interior. Simply and crudely put, its GIRNORMOUS- which is especially impressive considering that half of it is taken up by floor to ceiling scaffolding due to restoration work. If Istanbul is a place where East meets West, then the Hagia Sophia is the collision point- built in 540 AD under a Christian Roman Emperor, you can still see 1000 year old mosaics on the walls and ceilings; turned into a mosque after the Muslim conquest in 1450, there are huge panels with Arabic script hanging from the walls. I could keep writing forever about how breathtaking it is, and pictures don't really do it justice- the only way to get the full picture is to see it yourself.
My last big stop on the first day was the Bascilica Cisterns, which outdate the other two but are a new addition to the tourist route, having recent been discovered and restored only 20 years ago. Basically, what is it is a huge underground water storage room, but built with way more craftmanship than it really deserves. Columns pillaged from Roman temples; column bases made out of Medusa faces; beautifully vaulted ceilings; dim lighting to make it all seem even more mysterious; and best of all on a hot day, 65 degree temps. Props to Alex and Andrea for giving me the heads up on this- the Bascilica Cisterns definitely rival the other two destiniations on the day.
On the way back to my hostel for the day, I made one last stop- the little Hagia Sophia, a church-turned-mosque built at the same time at its big brother. But unlike the real Hagia Sophia, this one was free of the tourist hoards- or really any tourists, for that matter. It had also just been restored, so the inside as perfectly preserved, with painted Muslim designs on the ceiling above columns still displaying the monogram of the Byzantine emperor who built it. In addition to being quiet and clean, it's also an active mosque, which led to a really cool moment: taking pictures of the interior of the mosque while someone was praying (which sounded vaguely like a Jewish prayer), putting the amazing acoustics on full display. Sadly, the moment was interrupted when the caretaker decided that that it would be a perfect time to vacuum the floor. Oh well, it was cool while it lasted.
Day two and three, next up...
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