Istanbul 2011 - A Chronicle of Nick's Journey

Last days in Istanbul

Well first things first. Bursa and Iznik were awesome! Bursa is known for its thermal waters, so we had our very own thermal spa or hamamm in our hotel free of charge! and Iznik, or Nicea was a short stop on our way back to Istanbul, they are known for their famous tiles, so some good shopping was done there! I would have made this entry earlier but with class, and sightseeing taking up most of our days it was hard. Now class is officially over and we are spending our last days in Turkey. I find that it is a bitter sweet time for me. I miss my family and loved ones so much but at the same time I have fallen in love with the city of Istanbul. I will miss the Bosphorus and Golden Horn, the jaw dropping architecture, the history, the clash between east and west, Europe and Asia, everything. I must say though as I start packing my bags and situating my things, that I will return to Istanbul, it is a place that I can see myself regularly visiting. Today I spent walking through the heart of the city, Sultanahmet; while walking through the Bazaar I could smell the spices and taste the sweets and Turkish coffee, as a waiter zips by with a tray of cay (tea). Your senses are overwhelmed with different colors smells textures, and all you want to do is get lost in the magic that is Istanbul….and in some ways I think I already have.

-Nick

Excursion to the Aegean Coast days 1-3

Well it’s been 3 days since we left Istanbul for the Aegean coast, and so far the trip has been one amazing stop after another. On day one we left Istanbul and headed towards the Gallipoli Peninsula, the site of a famous battle during World War I where the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps or ANZACs fought the Ottomans lead by the future leader of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (father Turk) founder of the modern Republic of Turkey. The site is sacred for Australians and New Zealanders and the entire Peninsula is full of monuments, cemeteries and markers. It  is an eerie feeling, walking on the ground where 130,000 men died, but it was just one battle among many throughout history that took place there.

            After crossing the Hellespont on a ferry boat we drove on to visit the famous city of Troy. Upon entering the site you are immediately greeted with the walls of Troy 6 (Troy is in layers which differ in time periods). These very walls were the ones that Hector tried to defend and that Achilles tried to breach. One gets goose bumps just thinking about the Illiad, and then coming to the realization that you are ACTUALLY at the places mentioned by Homer in his epic. The site does not have much, besides overturned columns, city walls, and not to mention a tacky “reconstruction” of the Trojan horse. But if you are in the region I do recommend visiting the famous city of Troy.

After spending a night in Assos (right across from Lesbos, Greece) we left and hit the road for Ayvalik and Izmir (or Smyrna for my Greek friends). Ayavlik was nice, we got to witness how olive oil was made a nice little treat for anyone who loves olive oil as much as I do! And then off to Izmir, an extremely beautiful city right on the Aegean Sea. My heart can’t help but sink thinking of all the Greeks and Armenians who lost their lives here in the Great Fire of 1923, and the population exchange between Greece and Turkey that occurred after. This once great city, which was almost half Greek has been wiped clean of any remnants of the people who used to live there, a travesty that I hope is never repeated.

Day 3 of our trip takes us to Selcuk, and Ephesus. The city of Ephesus is an incredible city, one filled with ancient ruins of libraries, fountains, bath houses, huge villas with mosaics and theaters. It was hoot today and there is not much shade in the site but it is all worth it. As a side note, Cleopatra and Marc Anthony where based here during the struggle with Augustus, so to know that you walked the same route through the city that Cleopatra did is truly mind blowing and extremely cool. At the end of the site there is this corny exhibit where actors play out a scene with Anthony and Cleopatra as well as a gladiator battle, its quite comical and put a nice smile on all the visitors faces.  Well we have three more days on our trip so you will be hearing from me again soon! Till then I wish you all a great week!

-          Nick

PS: Bursa, and Iznik coming soon!

Leaving Istanbul for the Aegean Coast!!!

It’s the night before our excursion and we’re all getting ready to spend the week on the road. We will be visiting the Aegean coast. Day 1 will be visiting Gallipoli, Troy, and Assos.Then its off to Izmir (Smyrna), Ayvalik, Selcuk, Bursa, Iznik and finally Nicea. It should be a great week full of different sightseeing opportunities and hopefully beaches :D 

-Nick

Turkish Hamam

My first experience at any sort of spa took place today at the old Çemberlitas 
Hamami which has been around since 1584. The men and women are separated, and 
you go upstairs to strip down to nothing but a towel. After changing you enter a 
massive room that is steaming hot, (first timers beware if your hard of 
breathing this might not be for you!) The steam room releases all the toxins in 
your body, it is an amazing experience in its own, but after sweating it out on 

a hot slab of marble an attendant comes over and scrubs you, takes off a layer 
of dead skin, and then does a bubble scrub. While all this is happening your 
receiving an intense massage, it feels as if your muscles are being stripped 
from the bone, but trust me in the long run, it is worth it. After a 15 minute 
scrub down you head to a cool room where you can wash up and cool off. In the 
end its a unique once in a lifetime experienced that I would recommend for 
anyone looking to relax and strip away the cares of the outside world! 

Till next time
-Nick

Churches, Cisterns, and Caves, OH MY!!!

Hello All! Sorry I haven’t updated in a while, it seems I don’t get much time to myself to sit and write while I’m here, except for now of course. Well since I last left you I have visited the Hagia Sophia, the Basillica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, and Cappadocia (Cappadocia being a different part of Turkey outside Istanbul in the Eastern part of the Country). Well where should I start, first of all let me explain my visit to Hagia Sophia…the Great Church was one of the most awe-inspiring things I have ever witnessed in my life. You walk into the building through the Imperial gate, a threshold that has been crossed by Emperors like Justinian, men who controlled empires, and had a major impact on the world around them. Just thinking of that gave me goosebumps. The second thing that struck me about Hagia Sophia was her beauty, and the mosaics and calligraphy that cover her, I can imagine turning the clock backwards and watching what the scene in that building would have looked like 1,500 years ago, and I can’t begin to fathom the splendor and beauty that would have been present. The dome of the structure seems
to hover in mid air, an optical illusion designed by it’s engineers, it truly gives the sense that one is walking into a holy space. Lastly after visiting the Great Church one can’t help but want to weep over the condition that it is in, 1,500 years of wear and tear have not been kind to the building, and it shows. I hope that one day the church could truly be restored to its former wonder and glory.

A short walk from the Hagia Sophia is the Basilica Cistern, an underground water storage area for ancient Constantinople. The cistern is filled with cool columns holding the roof up, two of thee columns’ bases are made of the heads of old statues of Medusa. They are interesting and kind of eerie to look at, but worth it. In the water that remains in the cistern are carp that swim around and take food from visitors, they grow to unusually large sizes are a nice sideshow to the cisterns main attraction (the Medusa heads). 

After visiting these sites, we decided to take a trip to Cappadocia for the weekend, a place that if one has the chance MUST see, its a beautiful place in Eastern Turkey with natural cave formations created millions of years ago, unlike any other place in the world. In some of these caves there were churches carved out of solid rock by monks during the Byzantine Empire. The churches artwork is amazing, and it really is a wonder that people lived and worshiped in buildings carved out of solid rock (There
was actually an underground city where people lived in years at a time!) It was definitely worth the 11 hour bus ride in (but even nicer on the 1 hour flight back! ;)  

Finally no trip to Turkey would be complete without visiting the palace of the Sultans, named Topkapi. The palace is filled with elaborately decorated tiles, fountains, and countless rooms, mosques, and breathtaking views of the Bosphorus. It is impossible to see it in one day, but if one goes, you must visit the Harem (the quarters for all the Sultans’…uhum…well concubines, wives etc.) and the Private quarters of the Sultans which are decorated with calligraphy (verses from the Q’uran) and elaborate tiles with flowers and other geometric designs on them (I wanted to ask how much the rent would be for me but my better judgement stopped me) And you also have the personal effects of the Prophet Mohamed and his companions, both amazing sites to behold. All in all the visit was a success and I am happy we did it. The price of entrance like most museums here in Istanbul is a little pricey (25  TL for the palace 15 TL for the Harem 10 TL for the audio guide) but you get your money’s worth!

Ok people peace out and enjoy your time in NY or where ever you might be, I’m going out to enjoy the nice Mediterranean Sun ;) 19 days left!

Getting Lost in Istanbul….

Hello to all,

As my professor said getting lost in a city is probably the best way to get to learn your way around, you can discover new and amazing things this way, and I must say it is certainly true. Today I got to meet some of Istanbul’s Greeks. On my way to class I passed by a large and beautiful Church. While walking past it I read the inscription of the Church grounds exit, which was donated to the church by the Sultan in 1880. I had to walk in and see for the church for myself. Unfortunately you could not get passed the narthex, so I light a candle and decided to look around, the Icons inside the narthex though where in themselves amazing, they were beautifully painted, and quite unique. After that I walked up Taksim square and just happened to see a poster for an art exhibit the Greek consulate was holding at Topkaki Palace. On the way to the palace however I stepped off on the wrong tram station, and had to walk most of the way, asking people for directions, most of whom did not speak English, but while looking for a way to the palace, I walked into a plethora of narrow streets, and alleys all paved in stones, all probably a thousand years old or more, and I could not help but take in the beauty of it all. Then out off nowhere emerged the Palace and the Hagia Sophia. I am face to face with what was the largest and most impressive church in all of Christendom. This is the Church that helped convert the Russians to Orthodox Christianity, the Church who’s dome seems to float in mid air, and seems to be illuminated from heaven, the church which emperor Justinian claimed rivaled the temple of Solomon. It really is something to see a structure so old, knowing it was here so long before you ever existed and will be around long after you pass. While sitting in the Palace Garden I could not help but feel closer to those who walked the grounds before me, and that made the trip all the more worth while.

Istanbul, the first weekend

So I have finally arrived in Turkey, I know this post is a little late but there’s just been so much to do and little time to sit and write at a computer. These first few days have been extremely Interesting. Istanbul is a beautiful city, with so much to see and do. We have already visited Te Blue Mosque, the old city, Sultanahmet, the Grand Bazaar, and passed outside the Hagia Sophia (I can’t wait to go inside!). Yesterday we each got our own Akbil, a Turkish equivalent to the Metrocard, an d started learning our way around the Metro system here. Class officially starts on Monday, but until then, the city is ours to do with as we please! till next time,

Nick

Twas’ the night before….

Well the bags are packed, my things are ready to go (for the most part), and the trip of a lifetime is about to begin. Yet I can’t help but be nervous about leaving home, my family, friends and loved ones. This will be the first time I will be on my own, but I will welcome the experience, and look forward to seeing new things and meeting new people, because in the words of Saint Augustine: “the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”

Istanbul: T-5 Days!

Hello All!

As most of you already know I am leaving for beautiful Istanbul in just 5 days! I will be studying the historic city of Constantinople (Istanbul) through Queens College. I created this tumblr account as a way to chronicle my trip and share with you the places I visit and the people I meet. I am going to miss you all very much for the month I will be gone so feel free to keep in touch; comment, review, and discuss anything you like with me here! I hope to hear from you soon!

- Nick