And now to tell you what these pictures are about...
The Cistern. This was where the fresh water supply was stored and it was built around 600. Aqueducts brought in water from the north. It is over 20,000 sq ft. The columns are holding up the ceiling, and there is water below the bases of them (you can kind of see how it reflects the light). It is both impressive and spooky!
Galata Tower at Sunset
The entrance to the Sultan's Harem at Topkapi Palace. The most powerful women in the Empire were the women in the harem.
The sitting room of where I stayed. The back wall touches the Topkapi Palace compound wall and the front is about 15 feet from Hagia Sofia. I was awakend every morning by very loud chanting/praying for the morning prayer. It was amazing. These are old houses and when you walked in, it smelled like my grandma's house. Very comforting.
A column at the cistern of Medusa. She is sideways. There are several legends about this, but no one really knows why she is sideways. There is another colunm of Medusa and she is upside down. You can see some coins and rings in the water near her mouth. It was raining outside, and water was dripping into the cistern, creating water splashes as it fell into the water that was already in there.
Topkapi Palace. Notice the winter sky, palm tree, and deciduous tree with no leaves? Istanbul can't decide if it wants to be a warm place or have a proper winter.
Tile work at Topkapi Palace. See what you can accomplish when you don't have TV and the internet to distract you? You too could finish your home improvement tile project!
View of the Marmara Sea and Islands from the Asian side of Istanbul. Girls from Indiana are always fascinated by the sea.
Disgusting. And that's all I have to say about that...
I had tea at a tea garden just down from the Palace. The place was outside and overlooked the Bosporus and the Sea. They bring the tea in this copper pot. The bottom pot is filled with hot water, and the top pot is filled with tea. You pour about half a cup of tea into your cup, making sure to strain out the tea leaves. Then you top it off with the hot water. I add sugar too. It is a neat ritual. I love the copper kettle and the tea cups.
And one other interesting thing I did was meet a co-worker at the Istiklal area on Saturday night. This is a very popular place that has shops, cinemas, pubs, cafes, clubs, live music, and about 10,000 people on a Saturday night. We met up with some of her friends and some of their friends were having a drink for a birthday. So it was a friend of a friend's friend. I was the only non-Turk at the table. Luckily, most spoke English. All in all, it was a good weekend.
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