Bathing Optional

Christmas & New Year's Eve in Istanbul

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We arrived in Istanbul by ferry from Yalova across the Sea of Marmaris and the city that unfolded in front of us as we approached was as exotic as we had always imagined.
Photos of Istanbul have to begin with the Blue Mosque, the most famous of the hundreds of mosques in the city.
Across a small park from the Blue Mosque is the Aya Sofia, once the greatest Christian church in the world, later a mosque, now a museum.
Views across the Golden Horn Strait to Istanbuls more modern Galata and Pena districts with the Galata Tower rising above it all on the hill.
One of Istanbuls modern suspension bridges crossing the Bosphorus River and bridging the gap between East and West, Europe and the Asia.
Our introduction to Istanbul was far from what we expected. The colorful walk from the southern port at Yeni Capi to Sultanahmet, the heart of the Old Town, took us through one of Istanbuls more vibrant working class neighborhoods.
Laundry and churches; not what we expected to see.
The local Greek Orthodox church.
Aksaray street.
Another colorfu and historic wooden block.
Less than an hour in Istanbul and we had already been lured into a carpet shop. The dealer had promised fabulous views of the Blue Mosque from his rooftop and we got them!
View of the older of the two obelisks in the ancient Hippodrome from the carpet shop rooftop.
Bosphorus River views from the rooftop.
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art.
Egyptian obelisk and Blue Mosque minarets.
Shoeshine man.
Kids in the street.
Top of the obelisk.
Pavilion in the park that separates the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofia.
Blue Mosque minaret.
Us by the huge Blue Mosque.
Domed walkway along the Blue Mosque courtyard.
Inside the Blue Mosque. The beautiful and huge main dome draws the eyes first.
Massive chandelier.
Blue Mosque interior.
The walls of the Blue Mosque are covered in amazing designs and patterns.
Colorful patterns.
One of the lesser domes of the Blue Mosque. Doesnt look lesser to us!
The Blue Mosque as evening falls.
I think we mentioned how much Turks love their liberator, Ataturk. Loved this mould which, through a clever optical illusion, looks three dimensional.
A new day begins in Istanbul and we find a basket of fresh bread by the gate to the neigborhood mosque near our hotel.
Entering Solullu Camii, a mosque at which a piece of the black Mecca stone can be found.
Painted dome.
Morning also means baskets of eggs on a street corner.
Tomb dome. Lots of tombs can be found in Istanbul, many hidden along modern streets.
Istanbuls historic central peninsula is filled with dozens of old mosques. This one stands near the Grand Bazaar.
Tombstones inside a tiny cemetery near the Grand Bazaar and along the bustling Divan Yolu street.
Belly dancing outfits for sale at the gates to Istanbuls busy Grand Bazaar.
Turkish carpets for sale.
Another nearby mosque seen over the Bazaar rooftop as we entered the Grand Bazaar.
More carpets for sale inside the Grand Bazaar.
Istanbuls Grand Bazaar, operating since 1481.
Turks love to stay clean. Public wash stations like this one inside the Bazaar are always hopping.
What could be found under a burka? A risky shop within the lively market.
A couple more colorful buildings (right out of San Francisco) along Istanbuls streets.
Fisherman at Eminonu, Istanbuls busiest port with views acroos the Golden Horn to Galata on the other bank.
Mosque domes and minarets, an abundant part of Istanbuls wonderful skyline.
West of the historic center, the town turned suburb of Eyup is home to Islams fourth most important pilgrimage site. Eba-Eyup-el Ensari, Prophets standard bearer, came to Istanbul with an Arab army. According to the legend, having erected the town for a conference, he was killed by an arrow as he was leaving and buried there. His is housed at the wonderful mosque built at the site.
Amazing tiled walls fill the mosque courtyard at Eyup Camii.
Tiles.
Mosque chandelier.
Visitors arriving at the Tomb.
Mosque kitties.
Lantern and wall script.
Another mosque kitty.
Mosque visitors.
Pretzel stand.
Following the old city walls we entered a lively but decaying neighborhood.
Lady with her cat.
Schoolgirls.
Following the old city walls.
Fruit vendor.
The Byzantine Chora Church, as with many others, was later a mosque and is now a museum.
The mosaics inside the Chora Church are a fantastic reminder that Constantinople was once the greatest of Byzantine cities. Here, God pulls Jesus towards heaven.
On the other side, Mary and others pull Jesus back into the world.
Saints.
Mary in the middle.
Holy people.
Jesus in tile.
Gold tile.
Gold tiles, a Byzantine trademark.
Mary and child.
Chatting in the street.
Tacky backdrops, all the rage.
Another Byzantine church destined to become a mosque. The Fethiye Mosque.
An odd sight: the distinct dome of an orthodox church with an Islamic crescent added to it.
Not as large as the Chora Church, Fethiye also has some fine Byzantine mosaics inside.
Fethiye wall.
Great views across Istanbul from the churchyard.
The domed tower of the Orthodox Holy See.
Making our way downhill from the old Byzantine churches of Chora and Fethiye we found ourselves in a couple of Istanbuls poorest but most interesting neighborhoods: Draman and Fener.
Local boy. A group of four boys excitedly joined us on our downhill walk.
Draman block.
Cart on apartment step.
Laundry, lots of it.
The streets of Draman were filled with old, wooden homes and very normal people.
Colorful homes.
Back on the shores of the Golden Horn Strait, the Church of St.Stephen is a fantastic Russian Orthodox church built entirely of cast iron.
Inside the Church of St.Stephen.
Golden Horn views along the shores of Fener.
Climbing back up the hill towards the Orthodox Holy See.
Streetscene.
Maciej with his old friend Jacek, our very first friend to visit us on the road, for the second time!
Barbie.
Golden Horn views from the hills.
Now closed, the Orthodox Holy See is still a great building along Istanbuls skyline.
Black and white.
The Orthodox Holy See over the homes of western Istanbul.
Fantastic views from a mosque in western Istanbul.
Golden Horn views from the hilltop mosque.
As with many of Istanbuls mosques, this one was built around the tomb of an important sultan, prince, or princess.
Boys at the mosque.
Views to Galata across the Golden Horn.
The huge Fatih Mosque, one of Istanbuls greatest.
Ladies at the mosque.
Praying inside the Fatih Mosque.
Fabulous windows, domes and decorations.
Amazing dome painting.
Wall clock.
Mosque chandelier.
Praying at a tomb.
Lady in the street.
Istanbuls ancient aqueduct.
Aqueduct by night.
The packed street of Istiklal Caddesi in Istanbuls new town is for pedestrians only except for the old electric car that goes up and down the hill.
Istiklal Caddesi, always crowded.
Lady by a mosque.
Another mosque, another exquisite dome.
Mosque cemetery.
Aqueduct by day.
Street tea seller.
Riverside mosque along the Bosphorus.
Distant mosque as we took a ferry across the Bosphorus River to the Asian side of Istanbul.
With Jacek along the Bosphorus.
The Beylerbi Palace, one of many European style palaces along the Bosphorus River, the homes of the Ottoman Empires final sultans.
Riverside pavillion at the Beylerbi Palace.
Palace guard at the river gate.
The Bosphorus Bridge as seen from the Palace gardens. The Bridge connects European Istanbul to Asian Istanbul.
Crows on the palace wall.
The Bosphorus River.
Ashe always manages to find the local kitties.
Ashe and Jacek relaxing in the Palace garden as we waited for our tour.
The interior of Beylerbi Palace is exquisitely and ostentatiously decorated. All chandeliers are of bohemian glass.
Palace curtains and ceiling.
Fabulous chandelier.
Sea motif on the Palace ceiling.
Waiting room.
Another great chandelier.
Great walls.
Ceiling designs.
Fancy furniture.
Another room, another great chandelier.
Mirror.
Clock. Grandfather or grandmother?
Our first taste of the fine wooden homes that line the Bosphorus River.
Despite rapid modernization, the Bosphorus River is still the source of livelihood for hundreds of fishermen and villages built around fishing.
Men at a mosque in Uskudar on the Asian side of the Bosphorus.
Views of Istanbuls grandest palace, Dolmabahce Palace, from the ferry back to the European side of the River.
Ottoman turret.
A few days into our stay in Istanbul, Ashes parents joined us to begin our 12 days together. Here, Ashe and her Mom Tera are both ready to enter the Blue Mosque.
A little too much excitement during our first day together with Ashes parents. An old wooden home near our hotels went up in flames.
Man watching the fire as emergency vehicles rushed to the scene.
Cannons at the Rumeli Hisari fortress built by Mehmet the Conqueror north of Istanbul as he prepared to invade Constantinople.
Rumeli Hisari tower.
Great Bosphorus River views from the fortress.
Maciej, Ashe, Bob, and Tera at Rumeli Hisari.
Lots of steps to climb at the fortress.
Bebek neighborhood homes beyond the fortress walls.
High over the River.
What a place from which to watch the sunset!
Looking across the River from Bebek to the Kucuksu Palace on the Asian shore.
Interesting mix of buildings above Bebek.
Fishermen along the shores at Bebek.
Views from our table at the riverside cafe where we took a break after a long afternoon of walking.
With great company and great views how could we not be smiling?
The wonderful riverside mosque in Ortakoy, one of Istanbuls more happening and trendy neighborhoods.
Ortakoy mosques details.
The interior of the mosque is quite unique in its design and decoration.
Large windows.
Ortakoy is filled with cobbled lanes, shops, and historic architecture.
Streetside tea guy.
Another day begins with a sunrise over the Sea of Marmaris.
Sunrise over the Sea.
Our part of Istanbul is still full of old wooden homes like this one.
Cay (tea) cups can be seen sitting empty just about everywhere.
Great carpets (not for sale) at the entrance to every mosque.
Mosque entrance.
Churches are not the only sacred places with great stained glass.
Tea man on the street.
Crossing the Bridge at Eminonu.
Gate to the grandest of Istanbuls European style palaces, Dolmabahce Palace.
Clocktower at Dolmabahce Palaces gate.
Gate details.
Dolmabahce Palace guard.
The guard is armed.
The gate guard is perpetually ready for action.
What life along the Silk Road once looked like.
Inside, the Dolmabahce Palace is as ornate as they come.
Table bowl.
One of several sultans to make his home in the Palace.
A Sultans tea set.
Nice.
Another palace, lots more fancy chandeliers.
Even the banister is in crystal.
Fancier drapes you cannot find.
Crystal and nail-less wood flooring.
Hall lamp.
The sultans private hammam (bath).
Starry cushion.
What a chandelier!
Palace bedroom.
Painted dome inside the greatest of Dolmabahce Palaces many grand halls.
Lounge sofa.
The bedroom and bed in which the great Ataturk died.
Views over the Bosphorus River to the Asian side from a pavillion in Yildiz Park.
Innovative gardening.
Maciej trying to look as European jet-set as he could before making an attempt to enter the elite and guarded Ciragan Palace Hotel. (The Grand Sultan Suite costs a mere 20 thousand per night)
Its all red carpets at the 5-star plus Ciragan Palace Hotel.
The old Ciragan Palace, now a super luxury hotel.
Inside the Palace Hotel.
Views to the riverside mosque at Ortakoy from the Palace Hotel promenade.
Making gozleme at the restaurant.
$Merry Christmas from Istanbul! \r\nOur San Francisco Dad and Mom have come all this way to meet us for a couple wonderful holiday weeks in Istanbul. Every daily adventure begins at their hotels rooftop terrace with its great views of the Blue Mosque.$ Merry Christmas from Istanbul! \r\nOur San Francisco Dad and Mom have come all this way to meet us for a couple wonderful holiday weeks in Istanbul. Every daily adventure begins at their hotels rooftop terrace with its great views of the Blue Mosque.
Mosque cemetery at Istanbuls largest mosque, Suleyman Camii.
Cemetery rose.
Inside the beautiful tomb built for the great Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent.
Tomb dome.
Inside the tomb.
The huge Suleyman mosque.
Wash stations outside the mosque. Enter with clean feet only.
Looking through the entrance gate to the courtyard.
Great stained glass inside the Suleyman mosque.
Lots of prayer spots, no one praying.
At the mosque entrance.
Very few shops inside the Egyptian Spice Bazaar still sell actual spices. Most have turned to souvenir shops as in the Grand Bazaar.
The Rustem Pasa mosque is considered one of the finest with Iznik tiles.
The Tree of Life, a common image in tile.
The tiles dont stop inside the Rustem Pasa mosque. Almost everything is covered in Iznik tiles produced during a time when these were the best tiles in the world.
Prayer spots.
Tile meets painted wooden ceiling.
Building and mosque along the historic Divan Yolu street.
Mosque interior -- lots of natural light.
Hiding out behind a wonderful chest/pulpit.
Washing up before entering the mosque.
Prayer beads.
A very unique mosque interior.
Boy with broom.
Even if they may need a bit of work, Istanbuls old wooden homes still look great!
Dried goods for sale at the Spice Market.
Spices.
Wonderful dome.
One of the best mosque interiors weve seen and I forget the name...
The huge Yeni Camii is said to have tiles from a period when Turkish tile quality was on the decline. I couldnt tell.
Cats waiting for their breakfast at the local butcher by our hostel.
View from our ferry as we headed up the Bosphorus River.
Bob and Tera on the ferry.
On the ferry north up the Bosphorus River.
Bob accepted the fourth tea offered to him this morning.
Riverside mosque from the ferry.
Traveling up the Bosphorus, Istanbul disappears and fishing villages/suburbs begin.
Life is good along the River.
Fancy old homes along the Bosphorus.
Yenikoy port.
Hotel.
Harbour.
Great blend of styles.
Ashe walking along the Bosphorus into the town of Tarabya with her Dad.
The fantastic Sadberk private museum traces Turkish history over ten thousand years.
The Crimean War brought Turkey and western Europe really against the Russians.
Eight thousand year old Turkish pottery.
How a sultan lived on a fan.
Harbour in Sariyer.
Late day fishing.
All of us with the sunset.
Sunset.
Buy your seeds to feed the pigeons here.
Believe it or not?
No more than fifteen miles from Istanbul are the Princes Islands in the Sea of Marmara.
We took a ferry over to the largest of the Princes Islands, Buyukada.
Cars are not allowed on the Princes Islands by law. Horse carriage is the way to move around.
Our carriage turned out to be the fastest one in town.
Beautiful!
Up on Buyukada Islands highest hill is the Greek Monastery of St.George.
Leave your watch and other valuables here.
Mary image inside the monastery church.
St.Georges ceiling.
Ashe in a tree.
A foggy and wet day on the Island.
Are you sure this is a trail, Bob?
The worlds largest wooden building is the abandoned orphanage in the hills of Buyukada Island.
The weather was perfect for our visit to the historic orphanage.
Great walk through the forest.
Horses ran around through the forest. It was surreal.
Horses in the forest.
Some homes on the Island need a bit of work.
Some homes have been bought up and brought back to great shape!
One of the best of the historic island homes.
Walking through the beautiful Gulhane Park in central Istanbul we decided to take a few portraits.
Bob and Maciej.
Bob with Maciej.
Ashe with her Mom.
The Wattles family.
The Wattles family plus one.
Inside Istanbuls Grand Bazaar.
Discovered just fifty years ago, the fantastic mosaic floor of the ancient Roman Palace is a sight to see.
Bearded man.
The giant gate to the giant Topkapi Palace, home to several centuries of Ottoman sultans.
The second gate, into the the second court.
One of hundreds of detailed domes inside Topkapi Palace.
The Palace kitchens once fed 5000 palace residents.
The third gate.
Orb.
The Topkapi Palace harem sits empty today but its walls are still covered by beautiful original tiles.
Entering the Palace harem.
These blue, red, and green tiles produced at the height of Izniks tile quality are worth a mere 20 thousand dollars today (per tile, that is).
The Princes chamber.
Comfy.
Inside the circumcision room; lots to keep the victim distracted from the task at hand.
Palace arches.
The tile work doesnt end inside.
Run out of a pattern? No problem.
Crescent.
Fabulous ceiling.
More great walls.
Small pavilion with a view in the fourth courtyard.
We couldnt believe it -- at the Palace we ran into Patrick, the Spaniard taking a 2.5 year long bike ride around the world whom we met in Meteora, Greece more than a month ago, and his girlfriend visiting from Barcelona. See: www.imagineonbike.com
More fantastic tiles!
Palace mosque.
Dome inside the Palace library.
That evening, we did an Istanbul must; saw the dervishes perform their meditative whirling.
Whirling dervishes.
More whirling.
Deep in meditation.
Kanlica, our final fishing village visit along the Bosphorus.
Canal life.
Canal home.
Kucuksu, one of the small royal lodges along the Bosphorus.
Kucuksu Lodge.
Every room has a different ceiling.
What? No chandelier?
Marble sink in the bathroom.
Grand staircase.
Fancy.
Bohemian crystals.
At the royal lodge.
A hint of the past, the front of the Bosphorus palaces face the water, not the road.
Ashe with her Dad.
Galata Tower.
Corner building in the lively Galata district.
An old streetcar still makes its way up and down Beyoglus Istiklal Caddesi.
Colorful Beyoglu buildings.
Catholic church of San Antonio de Padua.
Beyoglu is happening most of the day but things are pretty quiet along its cafe filled side streets at 7 a.m.
One of the two royal pavilions (old hunting lodges) at Ihlamur.
Pond at Ihlamur.
Tombstone and new town skyscrapers.
Blue and starry dome of one of the prettiest mosques we found, Yildiz Camii.
Arch at Yildiz Camii, one of few art nouveau style mosques.
Palace buildings at Yildiz Palace.
Lots of shutters.
Garden fountain.
Ottoman with distinct headgear.
The grounds at Istanbul Technical University are great!
Old wooden buildings fill the university campus.
Yildiz Park path.
The royal chalet in Yildiz Park.
One of the Chalets most impressive rooms: the aptly named Mother of Pearl Room.
Walking in Yildiz Park.
Another mosque, more beautiful painting.
Another mosque dome.
Wow!
View over the hilly Beyoglu neighborhood.
A Chinese gate in Istanbul? Why not?
Istiklal Caddesi, always packed.
A Christmas Eve dessert stop.
Inside the Church of San Antonio de Padua on Christmas morning.
Come and get it.
Kadikoy, a nearby suburb of Istanbul, on the Asian side.
In Kadikoy we met my old friend Cag (a Turk whom I met in Japan and with whom we spent our week in London) and his wife Pinar for a great vegetarian lunch!
Kadikoys market is as lively as they come.
Nothing sells lingerie like Santa.
One of few reminders that this was Christmas day; a lady selling holly in the street.
We found a book with old photos of Istanbul and although all were very interesting, we wanted to post a couple. The first is an 1860s view across the Hippodrome near our hostel in the old part of the city. It couldnt look much different today.
Another 1860s photo shows that the ubiquitous doner kebab is not a new thing at all.
After a month of fantastic weather in Turkey we finally saw some snow!
In Peras hills sits the old Mevlana (Rumi) Lodge.
Tomb of one of the great Sufi masters who practiced at the Galata Mevlana Lodge.
Inside the Mevlana Lodge where the Whirling Dervishes do their thing.
Fishing boat docked on the north side of the Golden Horn.
Suleymani Mosque, Istanbuls largest, can be seen from almost anywhere in Istanbul.
Under the streets of Old Istanbul is the Basilica Cistern, an immense ancient water cistern built by the Romans.
Ashe in the Cistern by one of the two famous giant Medusa heads.
Neither of the two Medusa heads sits upright, a mystery that is still unsolved.
The second head, upside down.
At the entrance of the Aya Sofia this buildings history as church and mosque can clearly be seen.
Inside, the Aya Sofia still looks very much like a church with the mosque items looking a little out of place.
Mary image over the altar of the Aya Sofia.
When the Ottomans converted the Aya Sofia from the worlds greatest church into a mosque they covered up all the Christian images. Can you guess what this image once was?
Prayer room.
Another Christian image easily seen through the Islamic design painted over it.
Cleaning station. Tiny taps release the water that is stored inside this giant marble bottle.
Aya Sofias most impressive mosaics have been uncovered and restored in the upper chambers.
Arches.
Jesus mosaic.
St.John the Baptist.
Mary.
Mary holding the oddest baby Jesus weve ever seen.
Loot bag.
A cartoon-like Jesus.
The vast interior of the Aya Sofia.
One of the many old, wooden homes in Sultanahmet that still hasnt burnt down.
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts shows off some fantastic treasures like this ancient mosque door handle.
Only if we still had time to make wooden doors like this one.
Fantastic urn.
Great bowl!
All that work just for a case for a book. Well, not just any book; the Koran.
Nice.
Reminded us of those locked scroll cases from Da Vincis Code.
An ancient astronomical tool.
Hows this for a world domination map? The royal map of the Ottoman Empire circa 1890.
Checking out one of the many great old carpets in the Museum.
Bejeweled.
Maybe the best view of the Blue Mosque is from the balcony at the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.
Turkish lands have at one time been a part of many an empire. The Archaelogy Museums show off Turkeys fabulous historic legacy.
Nice beard.
Even the hinges were a piece of art.
Did jewels once fill those eyes, we wondered?
Ancient mosaics that once lined the main road in Bablon. Amazing!
Inside the Tiled Kiosk.
Great stained glass.
Tiled Kiosk dome.
Another room inside the great Tiled Kiosk.
Fine Iznik porcelain on display inside the Tiled Kiosk.
The brilliant entrance to the Tiled Kiosk.
Tiled Kiosk.
The Serpent.
Hermaphrodites, the ancient Greek God/Goddess.
Roman bust in the Archaeology Museum.
One of the many fabulously preserved sarcophagi found inside the necropolis at Sinon. The tomb of the Mourning Women.
What one of the sarcophagi looked like when first buried and how it looks today with the paint faded.
Sunset over the Tiled Kiosk.
Copy of the Trojan Horse.
Egyptian sarcophagi are part of the Sinon find.
Even Alexander the Greats sarcophagus was uncovered at Sinon! Amazing!
Whats a visit to Turkey without a night at a Turkish hammam? We spent the evening at Istanbuls most famous historic bath, the Cemberlitas Hammam.
Golden Horn views at Fener.
Lots of holly boughs for sale around the holidays.
Maslak Lodge, the most remote and forgotten of Istanbuls grand Ottoman palaces.
As usual, the ceilings inside the lodge look great!
Chandelier.
Hexagonal pavilion on the palace grounds.
With an unexpected extra week in Istanbul how could we not visit the village of Polonezkoy, once a place of asylum for Polish escaping Tsarist Russia.
Goodbye Polonezkoy! As you can see, we were unimpressed with the Polish village.
The Birds.
Sunset over the Bosphorus Strait.
By the Kucuksu royal Lodge.
Ashe with one of Istanbuls tens of thousands of street cats.
Kucuksu Lodge.
Ashe loving the Bosphorus sunset.
Sunset bridge.
One of the many baroque style mosques along the Bosphorus.
Bosphorus homes, some of Istanbuls best!
Life is good for those living in those old wooden homes with patios opening right onto the beautiful Bosphorus Strait!
Another grand home on the Bosphorus.
Santa and McDonalds. There is no question that Istanbul is westernized.
Istiniye, one of the many small villages along the Bosphorus.
Emirgan Park is a very, very welcome piece of green amongst the miles of concrete that are Istanbul.
Beautiful old home turned cafe inside Emirgan Park.
At the Park.
Love those kitties.
Inside the old park home.
Ashe on the balcony with great Bosphorus views.
Another kiosk in the Park.
Down below the Park, the neigborhood of Emirgan could be one in SF! All the Victorian homes in Istanbul leave us wondering whether this is one of the best places to see such architecture in the world.
Dolmabahce Palace view from our ferry.
Another great wooden mansion along the Bosphorus.
Another fine sunset!
Looking out from one of Istanbuls historic tiny port stations which line the Bosphorus.
Jelly fish! The Bosphorus was full of them!
More great wooden homes along the Bosphorus.
Some need more work than others.
A fitting way to spend one of our final days in Istanbul: a visit to one of our favorite mosques with an interior like no other.
What a dome!
Windows on fire.
Mosque cats.
Great designs on the underside of the mosque awning.
Brilliant mosque domes.
Minaret.
Sunset over the Bosphorus from Suleymani Mosque.
Galata Tower and Beyoglu at sunset.
New Years Eve in Istanbul. We followed the spotlights to the top of the hill at Taksim Square where we met a few hundred thousand Turks for the New Years festivities.
The stage and lights at Taksim Square.
Standing room only.
Almost midnight...
Us with our new Basque friends Olatz and Inaki waiting for the clock to strike midnight.
Happy New Year!!
Welcome 2007!

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