Out and About in Sultanahmet (Old City) - Part 1

S6shot- The domes

I woke up way before the alarm clock. The 6 am wakeup call wasnt required at all. By 5:30 am the first call for prayer blasted from the speakers of the closeby mosque.

I went up to the 5th floor and found a girl gazing out the window at the quaint kitchen of the hotel. I quickly sussed out the rooftop views until I couldnt handle the cold. 

I had a quick chat with the girl and found out they were on their way back home to Germany from Ethiopia  just on a short pit stop in Istanbul. I asked about breakfast and was given a tip about the cute hippie stores around Galata tower. I definitely noted that down.

Reviews suggested to visit Hagia Sofia first thing in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds. Exactly what I planned for...early morning. So I decided to have dinner in close proximity.  I opted for the Turkish style of Continental breakfast.

HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL

Turkeys history is very rich. From Byzantines to Romans then Ottomans which eventually led to the Republic of Turkey. Ok..i think that was too much of a shortcut. What really made an impression to me was Ataturk himself. 

We grew up and got introduced to the terms Anatolia or also known as Asian Minor. Another which was Constantinople, the name of Turkey during times of Constantine the Great. So how are all of these connected? Thats for a separate writeup. 😊

EXPLORING HAGIA SOFIA

S6shot- Virgin Mary with
Child Jesus

I lined up quarter to 9 am. There were already tout groups in the queue. Dark clouds were filling in the sky, I feared the rain but nothing I could do with the weather. I paid the entrance fee and hired an audio guide.

Hagia Sofia means "Holy Wisdom" in Latin but is also now called AyaSofya in Turkish. It was built during 534 AD, as instructed by Emperor Justinian I of the Byzantine empire. It served as a Christian Cathedral dedicated to the Holy Wisdom of God. 

In 1453, when the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, AyaSofya was then converted to a mosque under the rule of Mehmed. As with all other churches during the Ottoman rule, a lot of  religious relics were destroyed and a few frescoes covered or were either erased or plastered over. The substantial change was the adding of the 4 minarets. This was kept as a mosque until 1931. By 1935 with the birth of The Republic of Turkey, AyaSofya was converted to a Museum (Müsezi). 

This was said to be the architecture that changed history. I do recall almost the same architecture around East Europe whilst my travels in 2013. Obviously, this served as an inspiration to the Ottomans during their reign of power. 

The structure that stands tall today wasnt the original one. The first simple creation in the 400s BC time was destroyed by a riot, which was once called Great Church. A second one was built but this was destroyed by fire during a revolt. 

By the 500s BC, Emperor Justinian I decided to build a better, bigger and stronger structure. It took years but the magnificence was an image of perfection during that period. Unfortunately earthquakes caused damages and required reconstructions and repair. 

S6shot- Deësis Mosaic
Virgin Mary and John the Baptist asking for
Jesus intercession during Judgement day

It was amazing to know that it was the Armenian architect Trdat, who also designed
the Cathedral of Ani, who was asked to direct the repairs. By the 900s BC, additions to the design are some of which you would now see, i.e. cherubims and Peter and Paul with Virgin Mary with the child Jesus in tne middle. 

The invasion and success of the Ottomans on the 29th of May, 1453 was the death of thousands of innocent people. Unimagineable acts of cruelty occured on the grounds of Hagia Sofia, which was served as their refuge until the Ottoman army barged in to claim their rule.

S6shot- wishing hole

S6shot- The Beautiful door

Before I flew in to Istanbul, it was said on the news that Erdogan recited Islamic prayers at Hagia Sofia much to the dismay of Greece but appraisal of Muslim Turks. My thinking? Why cant they just keep it neutral. If you think about it, the real descendants were not Turks anyway. Instead of fighting why not just keep things peaceful? To this day I still do not understand rage and wars among religions. I think its really a war of "man" and need for control. 

I explored the grounds of this magnificent structure and couldnt help but be humbled by the grandeur of its architecture. It was a shame that half of the main hall was covered due to maintenance. A few stray cats loitered around the grounds. One which caught my eye since it wanted to go up a set of stairs, instead looked up, shrieked to empty space as if it saw a ghost then ran away. Im sure with the history of the place, souls linger these grounds endlessly.

As I approached the West Wing, I finally found the wishing hole. Also known by the different names, but I chose it to be the wishing one. I put my tuumb in and tried as hard as I can to rotate my hand clockwise and complete a turn. I made a wish. They say it can heal illnesses. I touched my heart.

I exited through the Beautiful Door, the only genuine known piece of proof from 2th century BC, from the Hellenestic temple of Tarsus and placed there by Emperor Theophilos. Sheer admiration for the existence of this bronze door.

The Columbus clouds covered Istanbul and rain started pouring. I quickly ran to the souvenir store, kept myself warm and checked their items. I came out with a magnet and 15 postcards. Typical of me. As much as I wanted to get myself coasters, it was just too early to be collecting weight.
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I decided to go back to the hotel and change footwear. My worn out Nike sneakers didnt have much traction and I felt my feet slipping from time to time. On the way, I stopped at the corner coffee shop with a view of Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Ironically, I ordered Bhaklava with ice cream despite the freezing weather. My numb fingers trembled as I slowly wrote on the postcards. There was no way I was going to finish all of the ice cream. Eek!!

I knocked at the front door of the Inn hotel and they were surprised I was back early. I pointed at my shoes and quickly ran upstairs. I changed to my sturdy hiking North Face boots which I had with me during Nomad Enroutd in 2013. Wear and tear did not make me doubt its reliability. I had the right ankle support I needed.

On the way down I bumped into the cleaning lady and she gave me a warm smile. I was trying to make a hijab out of my scarf but was doing a bad job with it. She laughed and helped me set it up better around my face. By 1 pm, I was back on my way to Sultanahmet square. Next stop, Basilica Cistern.