Istanbul, 31st May
We sailed up the Dardanelles and past Gallipolli at around 6.30 am today.
It took another six hours to sail through the Sea of Marmara and into The Bosphorus River. As we neared Istanbul it began to get exciting. It was quite weird to see Europe to the left and Asia to the right.
Pretty – and narrow. I see why it was an important place during wars.
The sail into Istanbul was stunning.
As we got close to the city we could see the hustle and bustle and it was ‘call to prayer time’ with all the many many mosques calling. The sounds were bouncing off the buildings and was so very good.
That was something that I so wanted to hear. What a welcome! It was amazing.
The harbour was so busy with dozens of ferries zipping around at all times.
I went for a (four hour) walk along the river. It was a Sunday afternoon so everyone was out enjoying life.
This guy had a string of balloon in the water and you paid to use his slug gun (I hope) to shoot balloons.
I drank ‘Orange Tea’ and the description was accurate, for colour – but more of a hot cordial drink.
I ate amazing ‘pretzels’, walked against tens of thousands of people heading to a concert and festival and rode on one of the many ferries zipping around the harbour.
Serious police car!
The people who were not going to the concert were setting up by the river for an evening of relaxing. One lady was breaking up wood and starting her little brazier – on the footpath.
Later, in the dark we could see a few fires – like huge old fashion bonfires burning in parks around the city. All the food vendors sold really wholesome foods like hot chestnuts, corn on the cob, and bags of various seeds like sunflower or pumpkin. A fun afternoon.
1st June – Gallipoli, Turkey
Get off my ship day!
We got up at stupid o’clock to meet in the lounge at 7, and said our goodbyes before leaving the Legend, our home for a month. What an amazing cruise it was. We then had to meet our guide for our private tour to Gallipoli. When booking the private ‘car’ I checked a few times to make sure they would have room for all our luggage. Three people – five weeks and a wedding! “Of course we will” they said. Our private ‘bus’ had plenty of room. And a DVD player, a coffee machine and Wifi!. We drove for about an hour through Istanbul and down the side of the Dardanelles.
Driving to Gallipoli we went through Istanbul.
Breakfast – Turkish style. Breakfast was included in our package so we didn’t order. I have discovered a new piece of awesomeness. Smooth Feta in honey. Wow. Yum.
When I was doing the booking the deal was a private car. I rang a few times to make sure there would be room for all our luggage in the car. Would they be bringing a trailer? Would it all fir? They had no idea how much we would have.
And then they turned up with this……. A driver, a guide and three of us.
Think the bus is big enough for three of us? Oh that’s right – our luggage.
I was doing a 5 hour trip each way _ Lehany’s were staying down at Canakkale. I decided I needed to be comfortable for 10 hours in a bus………So I got my bed softener (cause yes I am a sook who takes her own softener) and made a nest in the back.
Our first historic site. Kilitbahir Fort and Corporal Seyit Memorial, Kilitbahir
The statue of Corporal Seyit commemorates the Turkish hero of the naval bombardment of 18th March 1915. It was the Turks’ main fort on the Gallipoli side of The Narrows. When Seyit’s gun loading machine was destroyed, he carried and loaded a 275 kg shell on his own, to keep his gun in action. Supposedly it hit and sank the British battleship HMS Ocean and won that battle.
Gallipoli sites.
ANZAC Cove and Ari Burnu Cemetary
So… turns out that much of what we have been taught about the battle of ANZAC Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915, (also known as the landing at Gaba Tepeis) may not be entirely correct. Document and photo evidence suggests that it wasn’t the totally wrong beach and that the slaughter did not take place as they landed – it was a few hours later. Either way it was terrible. Seeing the steepness of the sand cliffs they climbed, in the dark, under fire was humbling.
Atatürk – “Father of the Turks” (Mustafa Kemal), the first President of The Republic of Turkey, in 1934 wrote the following tribute to the Anzacs killed at Gallipoli:
“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives … You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours … You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”
Lone Pine
The Lone Pine battle was on the second ridge between the 6th and 10th August 1915. This battle was part of a diversionary attack to draw Ottoman attention away from the main assaults. The ‘Lone Pine’ tree in Canberra was grown from a Pine Cone sent home by a digger. In 1990, when the original Lone Pine died, a sapling was grown from the one in Canberra, and planted here. Now the Canberra tree is ending it’s life and a sapling from the the new Gallipoli tree will replace it. A great great grand tree of the original!
57 Piyade Alayi Sehitligi – (57th Infantry Regiment Cemetery)
The Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment was the first unit to go into action following the landing at Anzac Cove. On the first day, the 19 Division commander, Staff Lieutenant-Colonel Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk ) famously ordered the regiment, “I am not ordering you to attack. I am ordering you to die. During the time before we die other forces and commanders will take our place.”
Trenches
War Memorial/Museum.
I then bid farewell to Tim and Caroline. We dropped them at the ferry to Cannakale. It had been a wonderful month travelling with them.
I got back to the hotel and settled in by 11pm. My Hotel was sensational with an amazing bed! Yay. Great linen. BIG towels. Great pillows. I was happy.
Sensational tour. Huge day but sensational. RSL Tours – amazing.
Here I was …..Istanbul – not Constantinople.
2nd June
If only I could stop singing the song.
“Istanbul was Constantinople. Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople. Been a long time gone, Constantinople. Now it’s Turkish delight on a moonlit night ,(Oh) every gal in Constantinople (Oh) lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople. (Oh) so if you’ve a date in Constantinople (Oh) she’ll be waiting in Istanbul”
Even old New York Was once New Amsterdam Why they changed it I can’t say People just liked it better that way
So take me back to Constantinople No, you can’t go back to Constantinople Been a long time gone, Constantinople Why did Constantinople get the works? That’s nobody’s business but the Turks’
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo doo doo doo / ohhhhhhh ohh ohh ohh Doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo doo doo doo / ohhhhhh ohh ohh ohh Doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo / ohhhh ohh ohh ohh ohhh Istanbul (Istanbul)
I got up in the morning and headed off to explore.
All the cafes look like this.
Just up the road from my hotel is the super touristy attractions including the Old city wall.
I found the Highia Sophia. But since it is ginormous …….thats probably not all that clever!
Then I found a guide who wanted to take me on a four hour tour for about $40 – so off we went.
Yay – I was not going to get lost!
More city wall.
The Archeological Museum.
Medusa – but she only turns guys to stone.
The Tiled Pavilion –
the oldest Turkish secular building in Istanbul. Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror built a residence here in 1457, shortly after he took the city from the Byzantines (1453).
Apollo – I was at his temple a few days ago. More stuff – Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Egyptian. It’s all here.
Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror built a residence here in 1457, shortly after he took the city from the Byzantines (1453), but the present building dates from 1472.Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror built a residence here in 1457, shortly after he took the city from the Byzantines (1453), but the present building dates from 1472.
Around town.
Yeni Cami or The New Mosque – ’cause it was built in 1660. Very new! And not the Blue Mosque – But still very blue!
The Old Spice Markets – But really the “All Things Delicious and Wonderful Markets”.
Lunch was ‘Cig Kofte’. Looked a lot like dog poo – but apparently it was potatoes and spice – lots of spice.
Smeared out on the flat bread – again very like dog poo
Cig Kofte. Sauces and vegetables. Cig Kofte. Rolled up and delicious. Spick but delicious.
Taskim Square. It was then up the Funicular – the second oldest subway in the world, to Taksim Square, the major tourist and restaurant spot.
The word ‘taksim’ means division and it is the spot where the original water pipes divided off to the city. It’s always busy. It’s where political protests happen and was closed off the day we arrived due to unrest. It has a public space in a very nice old building where artists can rent space and put on exhibitions. So, wanting to be as cool and cultured as Sarah (who went to a weird art exhibition in Copenhagen), I went to have a look at the really wanky art. And I did laugh.
The Gypsies start their kids off early. Never too early to get into the family business.
St. Anthony of Padua Church, or Sant’Antonio di Padova Church, is a basilica and the largest church of the Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul.
The Hippodrome of Constantinople! (There I got to use the name – now I’m singing the song again).
The Obelisk of Theodosius (on the left) is the Ancient Egyptian obelisk of Pharo Thutmose III and was re-erected in the Hippodrome of Constantinople by the Roman emperor Theodosius I in the 4th century AD – after he stole it from the Egyptians.
The Walled Obelisk -also known as the Constantine Obelisk (on the right). The original construction date is unknown, but it is named after Constantine VII, who repaired it in the tenth century.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque or the Blue Mosque was built between the years of 1609-1616. It’s know as the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles inside.
The Blue Mosque complex is one of the largest building complex in Istanbul. Some of these structures have not survived.
Ahmed built it with money from the treasury rather than with the spoils of war – as he had had no great victories. The mosque was built on the site of the palace of the Byzantine emperor.
The Haghia Sophia …..
…….is supposedly one of the finest architectural works in the world. It was originally built as a church. Construction began during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine 1, but was only completed in AD 360 during the reign of Constantine II.
The original was burnt down in an uprising in 415. It was re built and re burnt down in 532. It was rebuilt as “an unparalleled place of worship”. Material was brought from all Mediterranean countries as well as from Pagan temples including the Temple of Atremis – which we have seen!
When Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror , took Istanbul in 1441 he changed it to a mosque. It became a place of enormous significance for Muslims of the Ottoman Empire. Various Sultans added minarets over time.
The Million Stone
In Ancient Roman times, this used to be the starting point for all of the roads from Constantinople, and the origin point used for the calculation of the distances.
Today I went to a Hamam – a traditional Turkish Bath. But it’s not a bath – it’s a treatment and massage place.
You strip off to a tiny pair of undies then go and lie on a hot marble slab. Huge – 10m across, under huge solar tubes. You lie there sweating – with a heap of other people – for about 20 minutes. I thought I was going to burst into flames. Then your attendant throws buckets of water over you. Then scrubs you down with ‘Gumption and a scourer.’ She then covers you in heaps of silky slimy bubbles and scrubs you again with the scourer. All this time you are lying on the hot slab being tossed, flipped and spun around. More buckets of water – then over to the tap for a hair wash. This all took nearly an hour. Then into another room for the massage. It was fun and funny! And my skin was so smooth after. Great way to finish an awesome visit.
Apparently you are not allowed to tie you horse to this bike rack – in the park between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
I wandered back and did that horrid job called packing. My load has grown!
Tomorrow the journey begins!
Time to click on the First Class tab!