The tour has begun and they look like a good crowd. Three lawyers from Perth, a British journalist (who I'm sharing a room with), an older couple from Canberra (occupation unknown), an academic from Canada, a Pharmacist from Chicago, a student from Holland, and a couple of vets from New Zealand who are currently living in the UK. Most of us went out to dinner last night at a restaurant looking over the Hagia Sophia and then for a drink at a place looking over the Hagia Sophia (it's a popular selling point). Oh and Ozan, our guide, who studied for 5 years to become a guide - I'm hoping that this means he really knows his stuff.
Today we spend the morning with a walking tour of the highlights, including, some 18th century Ottoman houses, an alley way full of second hand book shops (mostly in Turkish), the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar, a visit into a couple of mosques including the Suleyman which was built to 'last forever' sometime in the 6th century I think and it has survived over a hundred earthquakes since with nary a crack, and some history and then a few of us had freshly caught fish grilled and put in a sandwich (with too much onion). It was delicious and only 5 TL (about NZD 3.50). Then it was time for some serious sightseeing. The Aya Sofya was originally a cathedral built under Constantine (360 AD). The structure that is there today was constructed 200 years later and was then converted to a mosque in 1453 by Mehmet the Conqueror. Ozan tells us that Islam is a very tolerant religion and christians are allowed to prayer in the mosques. The Aya Sofya is now a museum. The Blue Mosque, our next stop, is free entry and was therefore every full. Before entering a mosque, you must remove your shoes and women must have their head covered. The architecture and history of the mosque is interesting; the second class treatment of women inherent in the religion is not.
Lisa, the dutch student, is studying classics and on her urging we navigated out way to the "most important artefact in Western history". It was a fairly short column on two entwined snakes that was constructed at Delphi to celebrate the Athenian and Spartan defeat of the Persians. According to Lisa, if the Persians had won, all of Europe would look very different today. The sculpture was later looted from Delphi and taken to Istanbul.
We stopped for a drink in a nice little courtyard place and rested our feet before tackling the archaeological museum. It's quite a big place with exhibits in three different buildings. The highlights are the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great and a collection of 'interested documents' that were c.2000 BC including the oldest love poem, a page from Proverbs, and some law code thing.
You will be all "historied out" by the time you get home!A nice interconnection that you had been in Delphi only days before.
ReplyDeleteWomen and Islam (thought you might find it interesting): This summarised from Geraldine Brooks via Tapu Misa - The prophet Muhammad was the ‘founder’ of Islam. Khadija, a rich Meccan businesswoman, was Muhammad's BOSS. It was she who proposed to the poor, illiterate Muhammad; she who gave him money and status; and she with whom he first shared the miraculous vision which gave birth to Islam, after the angel Gabriel passed on the word of God.
ReplyDeleteShe was Muhammad's only wife for 24 years, and it wasn't until she died that the prophet began receiving revelations from God on the status of women. How different the lives of Muslim women might have been if she'd lived as long as her husband.
Khadija, the first Muslim woman, "was never required to veil or seclude herself, and never lived to hear the word of God proclaim that 'Men are in charge of women …”
Facinating Mum, clearly Muhammad daren't express the submission required of women when his wife was alive .... would be hilarious if it wasn't so awful!
ReplyDeleteNina, sounds like a diverse bunch of travellers, that always makes the journey more interesting :-)