more istanbul and then south day three

More Istanbul, and then south

Day three in Istanbul was dedicated to seeing the Hagia Sofia and the

nearby Cistern --that's right, even the cisterns in Istanbul are

tourist attractions. But this one is truly unique. The Basillica

Cistern was apparently used by the byzantines to store water they

brought into the city with their aqueducts. At some point, it fell

into disrepair and was only rediscovered after tales of local Istanbul

residents "miraculously" drawing water through holes in their floors

spread. It has been fully restored now and is an eery place to spend a

few minutes, with its creepy underground mood lighting and shadowy

fish flighting about the shallow water around the dozens of columns

that support the massive cavern --it is longer than a football field.

Before going there, however, we visited the Aya Sofia (spelling

varies) --the former "Church of the Holy Wisdom" which, for a time,

was the largest church in Christendom. Built by Justinian in the sixth

century, it was transformed into a mosque after Constantinople fell to

the Turks in 1453, and then nationalized and made a museum in the

early part of the 20th century. While certainly grand and

awe-inspiring, it seems to have had a peculiar effect on Nesrine and

I. We realized that our vague sense of disappointment came from our

view that in restoring portions of the church-cum-mosque they tried to

show it both ways, and it ended up showing neither. The original paint

and mosaics had been plastered over by the muslims, due to their

prohibition on the display of images of human or animal in their

religious art. In some sections therefore-like the nave-little remains

of the original church. If you choose to approach your visit in

sections, however, there are some definite highlights: The restored

mosaics of Christ Pantocrator in the second floor gallery and the

donation depiction with emperors Constantine and Justinian in the

south entrance are worth the price of admission alone. It is

incredible to think that this is a 1600-year old church. That alone

makes it awe inspiring.

On day 4, our last one in the city, we tackled the Grand Bazaar a

second time, and did alot better this time, making headway against the

implacable merchants who assaulted us from every direction. We managed

to walk away with a few items and our dignity intact. While Nesrine

caught up on some booking, I visited the Istanbul Archaeological

Museum, which was a real treat for anyone who is interested in laying

eyes on the stuff you read about in ancient history books. It ain't

every day you can see a 6000-year old inscription of some God-King

bragging about butchering his enemies and ruling the universe.

Finally, perhaps fittingly, our visit ended at the Blue Mosque,

perhaps Istanbul's most famous site. We both agreed that it was a bit

anti-climactic after the splendour of the Suleymaiye Camii, but the

far more touristy Sultanhamet Mosque ("blue mosque" is just a

nickname) was impressive nonetheless, with its splendid tilework and

amazing proportions. I was a bit put off by the number of people who

sauntered in with their legs uncovered or, in the case of women,

without wearing the requisite head covering, provided on site by the

mosque staff. I thought it showed a great deal of disrespect. After

dining in Sultanhamet instead of Beyoglu for the first time during our

trip--all of our dining experiences having been great so far-- we

turned in early.

The reason for that was that the next day, we had to catch a ferry to

Bandirma on the Asian side, in order to catch a train to Izmir in the

south. It was a welcome respite from our hectic days of walking all

over Istanbul, and we met a nice retired couple from Australia who

chatted about their trip to Canada. After a quick bus ride to Sel�uk,

we got settled into our Pension, and slept like the dead.

Early this morning, we got up and visited the ruins of Ephesus. They

are massive, putting anything else I have seen from the classical

period of Rome or Greece so far to shame. I was particularly impressed

by the library of Celsus and the Odeon, not to mention the 24 thousand

seat theatre. The only trouble is the oppresive heat, which is taking

its toll on both Nesrine and I. We took a bit of a nap this afternoon

to recover, and I think we are about ready to transition to a bit of a

slower pace-- that means we'll probably be headed for Samos in Greece,