Thursday, April 4
Relics
In case you were wondering what happened to Moses' famous staff, the one that turned into a
snake that ate the snakes of the staffs of Pharoah's magicians, I saw it yesterday(13th Century). It's one of the relics
enshrined in Istanbul's Topkapi museum, the former Sultans' palace and compound, Turkey's version
of the Louvre or the Forbidden City. And that same room also houses the "Prophet" David's sword (10th
Century BCE) with a metal tablet purporting to offer authentication in a language entirely strange to me;
and the "Prophet" Joseph's turban (14th century BCE), exceptionally well-preserved for fabric--and
who knew he sported a turban? There's also a footprint of the Prophet Mohammed, in what looks like
glazed mud. Topkapi consists of a sprawling walled compound, pleasantly landscaped with masses of tulips
grouped by color, and fragrant hyacinths, within which are a variety of buildings housing the treasures,
that one visits by following the crowd around, looking into recessed glass display cases. From the bejeweled
items one sees there in profusion, it's clear that the Sultans denied themselves nothing, and one
speculates that the "sick man of Europe," the Ottoman Empire, choked on its gemstones.
Hagia Sophia was both magnificent and deeply moving. One of the great architectural creations of the
earliest Middle Ages (the present building, the third version of it, dates from the 6th century CE) it retains
its solemnity, while displaying none of the decorative excesses associated today with the Eastern Orthodoc
Church, its direct descendant, although much of the original decor is gone. Kemal secularized it in 1935--the
Turks had made it a mosque after the conquest in 1453. Kemal's seated statue glowers over the adjoining park.
Islamic piety is quite in evidence, however. The magnificent Blue Mosque, part of the same complex,
issues you plastic bags for your shoes and a sky-blue cloth to women for a head covering, and has a
separate entrance for tourists from the one reserved for the faithful who've come to pray. Also, one
hears the call to prayer sung out over loudspeaker several times a day.
The local people were quite cordial. Merchants, of course, declared themselves our friends and guides, until
the moment when we said we weren't interested in visiting their shops. But those whose cafes or
restaurants we did patronize became our putative lifelong buddies. We snacked at a cafe overlooking the Blue
Mosque on one side and the Sea of Marmara on the other, both views unobstructed, and we dined
in the rich decor of a excellent restaurant, whose owner also had a business making and restoring
carpets. He had shown us his balcony earlier in the day--more great views.
After dinner we found our way back to our hotel after going in circles a few times, but finally were helpe
by a man towing a huge two-wheeled cart, fully loaded, and who refused a tip. Then we took a cab
to the bus station and boarded our midnight bus for Kayseri, near Cappadocia. Sleeping on it was more
comfortable than the airplane, since we had more room. We arrived at 1:30 Thursday, and were met
by our car rental guy, with our car, which we drove to Urgup, a beehive of tourism, and full of the typical
rocks of Cappadocia, with dwelling carved into them, only to find that our hotel, The Old Greek House,
was a further 5 km down the road in the village of Mustaphapasha. I insisted on keeping our
reservation, and it was well worth it: it's an 18th century palace turned guest house, with rustic decor and
fabulous meals. Martha Stewart stayed there in 2010.
The Blue Mosque, ceiling
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
On Uncle Kemal's knees
Blue Mosque, after dark
Lunch at a rest stop outside of Kayseri
Old Greek House, Mustaphapasha, Turkey
Relics
In case you were wondering what happened to Moses' famous staff, the one that turned into a
snake that ate the snakes of the staffs of Pharoah's magicians, I saw it yesterday(13th Century). It's one of the relics
enshrined in Istanbul's Topkapi museum, the former Sultans' palace and compound, Turkey's version
of the Louvre or the Forbidden City. And that same room also houses the "Prophet" David's sword (10th
Century BCE) with a metal tablet purporting to offer authentication in a language entirely strange to me;
and the "Prophet" Joseph's turban (14th century BCE), exceptionally well-preserved for fabric--and
who knew he sported a turban? There's also a footprint of the Prophet Mohammed, in what looks like
glazed mud. Topkapi consists of a sprawling walled compound, pleasantly landscaped with masses of tulips
grouped by color, and fragrant hyacinths, within which are a variety of buildings housing the treasures,
that one visits by following the crowd around, looking into recessed glass display cases. From the bejeweled
items one sees there in profusion, it's clear that the Sultans denied themselves nothing, and one
speculates that the "sick man of Europe," the Ottoman Empire, choked on its gemstones.
Hagia Sophia was both magnificent and deeply moving. One of the great architectural creations of the
earliest Middle Ages (the present building, the third version of it, dates from the 6th century CE) it retains
its solemnity, while displaying none of the decorative excesses associated today with the Eastern Orthodoc
Church, its direct descendant, although much of the original decor is gone. Kemal secularized it in 1935--the
Turks had made it a mosque after the conquest in 1453. Kemal's seated statue glowers over the adjoining park.
Islamic piety is quite in evidence, however. The magnificent Blue Mosque, part of the same complex,
issues you plastic bags for your shoes and a sky-blue cloth to women for a head covering, and has a
separate entrance for tourists from the one reserved for the faithful who've come to pray. Also, one
hears the call to prayer sung out over loudspeaker several times a day.
The local people were quite cordial. Merchants, of course, declared themselves our friends and guides, until
the moment when we said we weren't interested in visiting their shops. But those whose cafes or
restaurants we did patronize became our putative lifelong buddies. We snacked at a cafe overlooking the Blue
Mosque on one side and the Sea of Marmara on the other, both views unobstructed, and we dined
in the rich decor of a excellent restaurant, whose owner also had a business making and restoring
carpets. He had shown us his balcony earlier in the day--more great views.
After dinner we found our way back to our hotel after going in circles a few times, but finally were helpe
by a man towing a huge two-wheeled cart, fully loaded, and who refused a tip. Then we took a cab
to the bus station and boarded our midnight bus for Kayseri, near Cappadocia. Sleeping on it was more
comfortable than the airplane, since we had more room. We arrived at 1:30 Thursday, and were met
by our car rental guy, with our car, which we drove to Urgup, a beehive of tourism, and full of the typical
rocks of Cappadocia, with dwelling carved into them, only to find that our hotel, The Old Greek House,
was a further 5 km down the road in the village of Mustaphapasha. I insisted on keeping our
reservation, and it was well worth it: it's an 18th century palace turned guest house, with rustic decor and
fabulous meals. Martha Stewart stayed there in 2010.
The Blue Mosque, ceiling
Hagia Sophia
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