Turkey Nuggets
A long line of busses were waiting for those from our ship who paid for a tour of Istanbul, Turkey, but that did not include us. We walked on our own.
A nice young man stopped and talked with us. He said he had worked for NATO for 12 years, is now a tailor, and this is his day off. He asked if we were taking a tour of Istanbul, Turkey, and we thought he was about to try and sell his services. But not at all, he was just a friendly young man, happy to answer the questions of American tourists.
After a night and half-day in Istanbul, Turkey, the SS Odysseus sailed to Odessa, Ukraine. Since our ship is late, they canceled the visit to the Odessa ballet, so everyone is taking the city tour.
As we crossed the bridge over the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey, on the way back to the SS Odysseus, it was lunchtime. Restaurants were becoming crowded, fishermen were still selling fish, street stands were still selling pastries, the ferryboat terminal was still disgorging passengers, a thousand pigeons were eating, and others waited to be fed.
As we left Istanbul, Turkey's harbor, headed east, on the left (European side) the huge domes and minarets of the mosques were on top of the hill, and the palace, and other fortress-like buildings are still in view. East of the Golden Horn, still on the European side, were the major buildings of downtown new Istanbul, including the Hilton Hotel and the Sheraton Hotel, again on the low hills. On the right, is Asia, more hills, and both office buildings and what looks like older fortress/palace type architecture. These are not really high steep hills, but have a gentle slope.
As we sailed to the Black Sea, the bridge, Bogazici Koprusu, which our bus had crossed from European Istanbul to Asian Istanbul, Turkey, is crowded with vehicle traffic. They said that before the bridge was opened it took 20 minutes to cross by ferryboat, and now it takes 45 minutes to cross by vehicle.
As we walked back to the ship docked in Istanbul, Turkey, we again crossed the bridge over the Golden Horn. It was meal time, the restaurants were filling with hungry patrons, fishermen were still selling fish, street stands were still selling pastries, the ferryboat terminal was still disgorging passengers.
As we were going up Mount Solmissos, Turkey, to visit the Last Home of the Virgin Mary, Sweetie saw a large field of red poppies, and asked the Turkish taxi driver about them. First he worried that Sweetie was interested in buying drugs, but then he understood, and explained this is a crop of poppy seeds, not poppies for drugs.
At the Yeni Cami (Mosque) in Istanbul, Turkey, a thousand pigeons were lined up as if by a drill sergeant, waiting for a tourist to buy semit bread (Sesame bread rings) and feed them.
At this point the Hungarian Autobahn near Budapest, was a two lane road with the right-away and bridges prepared, so they can easily put in the other lanes whenever needed. There were rest stops every few miles. Near the little towns we saw big garden plots, with garden houses, and there are TV antennas on most houses.
Before we crossed Galata Koprusu, the bridge over the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey, we walked past a line of sidewalk vendors selling bread and other kinds of pastry, fishing boats offering fish for sale, and there’s a ferryboat terminal, disgorging crowds of people.
Both the Bosporus and the Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey, were filled with boats of all kinds and sizes, and many of them appear to be passenger boats.
Due to mechanical troubles with our ship, we arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, later than scheduled, so they bused us to a nightclub that wasn't to our liking. It wasn't worth the cost in time, effort, or money, and they had paid for it.
Emmy asked his help to buy a Coke to take a pill for her toothache, but instead, the young man got her a glass of water at a little restaurant. He understood her unasked question, and said, “Everyone can drink Istanbul, Turkey, water,” and she did, and it was fine.
Emmy was shocked to see how hard the laborers had to work to move giant carts loaded to overflowing with carpets, clothes, pots and pans, and the other thousands of products that are sold in Istanbul, Turkey’s Grand Bazaar.
Emmy’s Cousin Fina had told us we must see “Virgin Mary’s house,” near Ephesus, Turkey. The taxi driver wasn’t too happy about that, since the old Chevy Taxi would have to work hard, and might overheat while climbing the steep mountain.
Ephesus, Turkey, is about the most stunning old city ruin we've seen. The streets, the old buildings with marble pillars, and a huge theater, all parts of what must have been a magnificent city, centuries ago.
In 1935 the Turkish government declared St. Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, a museum. The dome is so large that building engineers say it can’t be built, and will not stay in one piece if it were. Columns for the interior were brought from temples at Baalbek, Heliopolis, Ephesus and Delphi.
In back of St. Sophia Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey, there’s a block or so of wooden houses that look a little like they belong in San Francisco. Talked to some people who were just leaving one building, and they told us the houses were originally built by an English Company, for their workers. The buildings have been remodeled, and now serve as a hotel.
In Istanbul, Turkey, I priced a beautiful rosewood cane, inlaid with brass. The price of $75 elicited this comment, “Bob's not that good of a friend.” So no sale.
In Istanbul, Turkey, we walked past a line of sidewalk vendors selling bread and pastry, fishing boats offering fish for sale, and a ferryboat terminal, disgorging crowds of people. We walked across the Golden Horn on the Galata Koprusu (a bridge with many restaurants), to the Eminönü area of the city.
In WW I, the British tried to land an Army in Gallipoli, Turkey, (on the Dardanelles), and as a result of almost complete stupidity, thousands men from Australia and New Zealand, were killed. The several people from those countries, on the SS Odysseus, carefully watched the memorials to that battle, erected on the shore line.
Istanbul (named in 1930) began as a fishing village in about 1000 BC. It was first called Byzantium, then was named Constantinople by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 330 AD.
It’s still a little early for some of the stores in Istanbul, Turkey, to be open, but the street scenes were bustling. We walked through the edge of the 4,000 shop Grand Bazaar, on our way to see the Blue Mosque and the St. Sophia Mosque.
It’s too bad the weather was not better as we entered, and now as we left Istanbul, Turkey. We have sailed into and out of dozens of major ports (124 ports in total, including ferry boat rides) in various parts of the world, and we believe Istanbul must have the most breath-taking setting of any harbor. That is, the most breath-taking man-made setting. It would be very difficult to find a better natural setting than the Geiranger Fjord in Norway.
Near “Virgin Mary’s house,” near Ephesus, Turkey, a row of pipes supply what we understood is “holy water,” something like at Lourdes, France. Our taxi driver had been a driver for a General in the Turkish Army, and was wounded in the leg during a war in the 1950’s. The wound would not heal, in spite of what the doctors and hospitals did. He managed to visit “Mary’s house,” did something with this water, and his leg healed.
Near St. Sophia Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey, there’s a block or so of wooden town-houses that look a little like they belong in San Francisco. The were originally built by an English Company, for their workers. The buildings have been remodeled, and now serve as a hotel in Istanbul.
On the “other” side of Galata Koprusu, the bridge across the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey, the Yeni Cami (Mosque) has maybe a dozen curved stair steps. Our photo shows a thousand pigeons perfectly lined on the edge of each stair, and on the wires above, almost as if placed there by a drill sergeant! When we returned here a few hours later, some of the pigeons had been fed, others were still hopeful
One man in Istanbul, Turkey, was selling slices of watermelon, and from the looks of the trash pile, had been selling successfully.
Our cruise ship, the “City of Rhodes,” left Athens and stopped for a few hours at the Island of Míkonos, a half-day on the Isle of Patmos, then at Kusadasi, Turkey, where we negotiated for a taxi to take us to the local sights.
Our taxi driver, most likely in his fifties, had been a driver for a General in the Turkish Army, and was wounded in the leg in the 1950’s. The wound would not heal, so he walked and hitchhiked across Turkey, managed to visit “Virgin Mary’s House,” did something with this water, and his leg healed.
Sweetie was shocked to see how hard the laborers had to work to move huge carts loaded to overflowing with the thousands of products in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey. Sometimes the huge pile of “goods” were just loaded on the back of a hardworking man. There were fires in 1546, 1618, 1652, 1660, 1695, 1701, 1750, 1791, 1826, 1954. Earthquakes in 1766, 1894. It has always been repaired after each disaster.
The bus toured Istanbul, Turkey, for awhile, then went across the bridge to Asia, and back to our ship by about 1:00 AM. The tour guide made a big deal out of the fact this is the only place where two continents are connected by a bridge. No big deal, North/South America, Africa/Asia, Europe/Aisa all join without a bridge.
The dome of St. Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, is huge, and high, and old, and so large that building engineers say it couldn’t be built, and will not stay in one piece if it were. Another “bumblebee” building that has existed ‘lo these many centuries.
The elderly Chevy taxi took us up the mountain above Ephesus, Turkey, to visit what local legend says was the last home of the Virgin Mary. Near “Mary’s house,” a row of pipes supply what we understood is “holy water,” something like at Lourdes, France.
The green marble columns inside St. Sophia Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey, are said to have been moved here from Ephesus, other features are from other ancient cities of ruin.
The huge Greek theater (24,000 seats, an entrance fee was charged) in Ephesus, Turkey, is part of the most stunning old city ruin we’ve seen. The old building ruins with marble pillars, remain a magnificent city. Ephesus, formed by the Greeks sometime after 1000 BC, later fell into Roman hands. The extensive remains are chiefly from the Roman period.
The little shops and sidewalk vendors in Istanbul, Turkey, sell one product only, but they appear to have every size, shape, and color of whatever that product is — buttons, ribbons, zippers, and whatever.
The only other shopping center I have seen that compares with Calcutta, India’s 2,000 stall New Market, is the much larger 4,000 stall Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey.
The SS City of Rhodes sailed from the Isle of Pátmos to Kusadasi, near Ephesus, Turkey, on the coast of Turkey, where we negotiated for a taxi to take us to the local sights. Most of the taxis were 25 year old Chevrolets, but they are kept in good condition.
The SS Odysseus arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, at about 8:30 PM, and since we were late leaving Míkonos, and other stops had to be canceled, they took anyone who cared, to a nightclub near the Hilton Hotel.
The SS Odysseus was docked on the Golden Horn, a waterway in Istanbul, Turkey. We could see domed mosques with many minarets, situated on the low hills on one side, high rise buildings on the other. The bridge, Galata Koprusu, over the Golden Horn is two-level, and we don’t believe even a small boat could get under it. There is traffic on the upper level, restaurants, one after the other, on the lower. Some are fancy with tablecloths, and others are not.
The St. Sophia Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey, originally a Byzantine Christian church, became a mosque in 1453, and the mosaic murals of saints and angels were covered with colored plaster. In 1935 (500 years later), the plaster was carefully removed when the Turkish government declared it a museum. The dome of St. Sophia Mosque is huge, and high, and old, and so large that building engineers say it can’t be built, and will not stay in one piece if it were. Another one of the ‘bumblebee’ buildings that has existed ‘lo these many centuries.
The streets of Old Istanbul, Turkey, on the “other” side of the Golden Horn, were very busy, but there’s a pedestrian tunnel under the first big main street. One man was selling slices of watermelon, and from the looks of the trash pile, he had been very successful.
The Süleyman Mosque (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul, Turkey, is huge. Outside there are several domes, and six tall, slender minarets, inside the floor is covered with hundreds and hundreds of rugs, and there are blue and white Iznik tiles everywhere. We had to leave our shoes at the entrance, with hundreds of others.
The taxi driver drove down the mountain to the “up-hill” entrance to Ephesus, Turkey. He let us out, and made arrangements to meet in 30 minutes at the entrance on the “down-hill” side of Ephesus. A very good idea, as the walk through town was a slight downhill slope. What a fantastic city!
The taxi driver drove part way down the hill, from The Virgin Mary’s last home, to the entrance of Ephesus, and made arrangements to meet in 30 minutes at the entrance on the other side of town, on the downhill side. Ephesus, Turkey, is about the most stunning old city ruin we’ve seen. The Library of Celsus in Ephesus is about the most photographed scene of that city, and the sacred house of Artemis is one of the wonders of the world. The streets, the old buildings with marble pillars, and a huge theater, all parts of what must have been a magnificent city, centuries ago. Our imagination told us Ephesus was the most beautiful city ever, when it was in its prime. Wish we had spent 30 hours, rather than just 30 minutes, but the ship would not wait!
The temple and some parts of the city of Ephesus, Turkey, have been excavated, but most of the remains are chiefly from the later Roman period. Ephesus is about the most stunning old city ruin we’ve seen. We believe it’s nicer than anything similar we saw in Greece or Italy. The streets, the old buildings with marble pillars, and a huge theater, all parts of what must have been a magnificent city, two or three millennia ago.
The two huge mosques are next to each other in Istanbul, Turkey, but the buildings and the grounds around them must cover a square mile. It’s difficult to describe, “enormous” will just have to do.
There was a Soviet submarine sailing on the surface toward the Black Sea, in the Bosporus, near the Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey. It was filled with ferryboats, and other ships and boats of all sizes. It’s a shame the weather is still cloudy and not nice at all. It’s cold and very windy, almost too windy to stand on the deck and enjoy the sights. But enjoy them we must! A fascinating city!
There was to be a remembrance of a war where the Ottoman Turks defeated the Serbs (lead by Prince Lazar) in 1389. Although 99% of the residents in Serbia, Yugoslavia, (in 1989) are Albanians, a million Serbs poured into Kosovo for a rally at the Field of Blackbirds to celebrate the six hundred years since they were defeated by the Turks, who then ruled Kosovo for the next hundreds of years. They “celebrated” a war that was lost, hundreds of years ago. Amazing. In 1991 the Serbs went to war to try to unite Serb-inhabited areas of Croatia, and Bosnia, with Serbia.
There were several people from Australia and New Zealand on the SS Odysseus, and they had a special interest in some monuments we saw along the shore line. In WW I, Churchill and the British leaders planned to capture this part of Turkey, just as others have planned a thousand times. Turkey was allied with Germany, and the allies wanted our ally, Russia, to get her Navy out of the Black Sea. Churchill, and others, landed an Army in Gallipoli, Turkey. As a result of almost complete stupidity on the part of all the leaders, thousands of men, many of them from Australia and New Zealand, were killed.
There were stores of all kinds in Kusadasi, Turkey, and the storekeepers were in the street trying to get us into their store. When we ignored one man, he guessed we were Americans, then started picking on the US. He was unhappy we didn't spend money in his store, and said Americans only spend money on guns so people can kill each other. I remember Turks as a fierce war-like people who have killed millions of people, many of them long before there was an America! We enjoyed Kusadasi anyhow!
These two huge mosques the Blue Mosque and the St. Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, are next to each other, but the buildings and the grounds around them must cover a square mile. It’s difficult to describe their size, so ‘enormous’ will just have to suffice.
Thirty minutes was certainly not long enough to see all of Ephesus, 30 days would be more like it. We did need to be on our ship when it left Kusadasi, Turkey.
Those street scenes will be there for us to enjoy when we return to Istanbul, Turkey, the most enthralling of the 124 ports we have arrived at, or departed from, on a ferry or cruise ship.
We are told that apartments or houses along the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey, can rent for as much as $10,000 per month, while in a more normal location an apartment will rent for more like $200. It’s considered a status symbol to have a large chandelier in a home, and as we rode through Istanbul on the bus the other night, we could see plenty of them. We saw a lot of huge, elaborate chandeliers in stores in Athens, Greece.
We don’t remember any beggar or drunk, or anyone at all just laying on the street in Istanbul, Turkey, or approaching us for a handout. As we walked into the shopping area of Old Istanbul, there are little shops and sidewalk vendors everywhere, even more than in Athens, Greece. Most of these shops sell one product only, but they appear to have every size, shape, and color of whatever it is they are selling. It’s still a little early for some of the stores to be open, but the street scenes are bustling.
We drove 12 miles or so, to near Selçuk, Turkey, passed the ruins of Ephesus, then started up the mountain to visit what local legend says was the last home of the Virgin Mary. The story is that Mary came to Ephesus with John, who was to take care of her, and she died here. Others say she died in Jerusalem, but whether legend or fact, this place is interesting, none the less.
We had only a precious too few hours in Istanbul, Turkey, to visit Süleyman (Blue) Mosque, St. Sophia Mosque, Topkapi (the huge palace where 4,000 people once lived and worked), and shop in the 4,000 stall Grand Bazaar.
We had walked through the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey, on our way to see the Blue Mosque and the St. Sophia Mosque. We’ll return to the Grand Bazaar on our way back to the ship. As we walk the streets, we find the little restaurants and shops lively, but not too tempting. Tourists are often concerned about ‘native’ restaurants in places like this, but the people all look reasonably well off.
We have sailed into and out of a dozen major ports in various parts of the world, and Istanbul, Turkey, has the most breath-taking setting of any harbor we have visited.
We left the SS Odysseus at 8:00 AM to sightsee Istanbul, Turkey, on our own. Outside the port building, a long line of busses were waiting for those who paid for a tour. Before we crossed Galata Koprusu, the bridge over the Golden Horn, we walked past a line of sidewalk vendors selling bread and other kinds of pastry, fishing boats offering fish for sale, and there's a ferryboat terminal, disgorging crowds of people.
We recrossed the bridge over the Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey, on the way back to SS Odysseus. It was nearing lunch time, the restaurants were becoming crowded, the fishermen were still selling fish, the street stands were still selling pastries, the ferryboat terminal was still disgorging passengers, a thousand pigeons were eating, others waited to be fed. Those same street scenes will continue until we return to Istanbul, some day soon.
We visited Turkey on a Cruise Ship, and slept on the ship in 1989
We visited what local legend says was the last home of the Virgin Mary, on Mount Solmissos, Turkey. Near “Mary's House” a row of pipes supply what we understood is “holy water,” something like at Lourdes, France. Our taxi driver, most likely in his fifties, had been a driver for a General in the Turkish Army, and was wounded in the leg during a war in the 1950's. The wound would not heal, in spite of what the doctors and hospitals did. He walked and hitchhiked across Turkey, managed to visit “Mary's House,” did something with this water, and his leg healed.
We walked to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey, and spent a couple of hours walking and talking to people, and buying this and that. Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar includes miles of cobblestoned passages lined with tiny shops. Over 4,000 stores line dozens of little streets, all under a large roof.
We went to visit Topkapi Palace, the huge palace where 4,000 people once lived and worked in Istanbul, Turkey. Didn’t find it too appealing, at least not as interesting as the things we saw in the rest of Istanbul. Not nearly as interesting as many of the castles and palaces we have seen in Northern Europe. For more information, just visit Google, or your local library!
When we visited the ruin of Ephesus, Turkey, our imagination told us must have been the most beautiful city ever, when it was in its prime.
While sailing on the SS Odysseus, we arrived in the most beautiful city of Istanbul, Turkey. There were “tons” of boats crossing the Bosporus, and there are now two bridges connecting Europe and Asia. We were told that before the bridge it took 20 minutes to cross the Bosporus by ferry, with all the traffic, it takes 45 minutes to cross the bridge in a car.
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