After an incredibly long and tiring 17 hour plane flight
from Melbourne to Istanbul, we were all relieved to see the first rays of
sunlight over the snow capped mountains of Baghdad. Arriving in Istanbul at
around 7:45am, we were all amazed at the breathtaking view of the densely
populated city of 15 million, and were all incredibly excited to begin our
jam-packed two week tour!
We began our exploration of the gorgeous city of Istanbul,
by a enjoying a cruise around the Bosphorus – the 8 kilometer salt water inlet
of the 33 kilometer long river, connecting the Black Sea in Northern Europe
(near Russia), with the Sea of Marmora, the Dardanelles and then the Aegean or
Mediterranean Sea. The importance of this stretch of water is that it is the
only opening down south of Europe onto the Mediterranean and was incredibly
vital for Russia. The river is shaped like a horn, and it was believed by the
Turkish that when the sun was shining on the water, it reflected a “Golden
Shine”, ultimately resulting in the naming of one of the three bridges as the
“Golden Horn” (the fourth longest suspension bridge in the world). “Sandwiched
between the two seas”, the body of water is also the connection between the
Asian and European Continents. Interestingly enough, Istanbul is the only city
in the world spanning over two continents. The two sides of the great city are
connected by three bridges.
There are over 3000 mosques in the whole Istanbul, with the largest
and the oldest being Hagia Sophia.
Although not a functioning mosque today, the 1500 year old structure originally
built in 592 AD, took 5 years to build. Built by Justinian, it originally was
utilized as a Church, before becoming the famous mosque. In the entry hall of
the historical building, there were two doors – where pagans (who were not
baptized) could still witness the proceedings of the Church, however were not
considered to be “in the church”. Men were permitted to be downstairs, and women
upstairs, as it was believed “men were in heaven, separate from women in hell”.
Perhaps the most phenomenal factor of the mosque, was the intricate and
detailed mosaics from the 9th century, found in the Counsel Room
(comprised of the male dignitaries of the Church). One particular mosaic,
expressing Jesus, John the Baptist and Mary, is regarded as before its time,
with facial and lighting details taken into consideration by the amazing
artists.
Following our comprehensive tour from Bitz (our tour guide for
the whole of Turkey), we ventured over to the Yerebatan Cistern. Completely
intrigued by the fact that the Amazing Race and James Bond’s Skyfall were both shot in this enormous
underground area, and by taking in the controversial Medusa statues (placed
upside down, and on her side), the hundreds of Carp or Koi fish in the water,
and some people finding out just how slippery the ground is first hand from the
continual water dripping from the ceiling; the dark and ominous construction
seemed to only enforce the variations in rulings and the hierarchies and also
endorse our beginners knowledge into the Turkish Culture . Built at the same
time as Hagia Sophia, the Cistern is an old water reservoir, used for watering
crops and drinking water. Although not in use in any more, the Cistern used to
be filled with mud and is now filled with tap water.
The Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome were also both visited,
with the chance to witness first-hand the prayers and devotion of those from
the Muslim faith. We then had a wonderful traditional dinner with the most
breathtaking view over the Bosphorus and Hagia Sophia, from the central
location we could see both the European and Asian continents. After such an
amazing day, visiting awe-inspiring places, ancient mosques and such beautiful
historical areas, we were all utterly exhausted and thought we all deserved a
decent sleep in an actual bed. With so many items on our itinerary, and after
having a fantastic first day, we all cannot wait until tomorrow!!
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