Today we had two main destinations — Sultan Ahmet Cami (the 'Blue Mosque') and Kapalıçarşı (the Grand Bazaar).
We left our camp at Kumköy, and it took us a couple of hours to get in to the Grand Bazaar. This is a huge undercover bazaar, or bedesten, with about 65 streets inside. It has been remodelled over time, and today many of the stores now have western-style presentation. This began when the bazaar was being restored after an earthquake in 1894. The bedestenler were originally wooden structures, but in Ottoman times they were remodelled in stone and brick.
We had been warned to keep a close eye on our valuables here, but we had no incidents whatsoever. But you do have to run the gauntlet of enthusiastic salesmen — this is part of the fun of the place.
Sweet Corn vendors are common in Istanbul's streets
Sweet Corn vendors are common in Istanbul's streets
We then went across to the Sultan Ahmet Cami. This is one of the most exquisite examples of Ottoman mosque architecture. The calligraphy in the mosque is mainly by Ametli Kasim Gubari, and is lavishly adorned with gold.
It is called the 'Blue Mosque' because of the blue tiles covering most of its interior surfaces. This is a living, vibrant mosque, and visiting times are limited by the regular prayer times throughout the day, but we were most impressed by the hospitality given to non-muslim visitors. We were a little disappointed by the lack of respect given by some of those visitors, but true Islam is a religion of tolerance, so we need to take their example.
After spending time in the mosque, we went outside to the Hippodrome. This was set up n Roman times, the Egyptian obelisks being erected in 390 AD, in the time of Theodosius. This area was used for horse racing. Today, it was hosting an exhibition called 'Asırlık Tatlar ve Sanatlar', or 'Centuries-old Tastes and Arts' — we wandered the stalls, looking at arts and crafts going back a long time!
Finally, we returned to the Grand Bazaar and wandered down to the Mısır Çarşısı ('Spice Bazaar', or 'Egyptian Bazaar') before going back to our digs — read 'van' — at Kumköy.
Distance driven — today, nil; to date, 22,733 miles ( 36,586 km )
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