Off to Istanbul (1) Getting there

The school closed for Easter break and we thought that we should get away for a few days. Istanbul had received so many rave reviews from friends who had spent time there. After Cairo at Christmas, Istanbul for Easter just made sense. Remembering London at Christmas two years before, and how everything was closed, it seemed smart to continue our new theme of visiting the Muslim countries for the Christian holidays. Everything was more likely to be open.

We headed out by car, driving across Georgia to Batumi on the Black Sea. We'd never been there, and since the flights to Turkey were cheaper from Batumi, compared to Tbilisi, we figured we'd spend a day there when we returned.
It was a six-hour drive, through varied scenery, with some spectacular views.

The Caucasus Mountains from a distance

Bathroom in the middle of nowhere

Batumi turned out to be a growing city, with lots of construction going on. In fact, nearly all the local city streets were dug up for some project, so it was nearly impossible to drive around.

Arriving in Batumi

Streets under construction

We gave up on seeing any of Batumi this day and just drove out to the airport, parked the car, and waited for the flight to Istanbul.

Off to Istanbul (2) On the Road

By coincidence, it seems that something special was going on in Batumi the day we left, and the President of Georgia was on his way over there to show off. The first hint we had was when we (and all the other motorists heading west) were run off the road by a convoy of eight big, black SUVs, led by a police car with lights flashing, and trailed by two white vans with lights. They first passed us about an hour out of Tbilisi, going very fast. We caught up to them in Khashuri, where they had pulled off into a gas station at the roundabout in the center of town... bathroom or snack break. The cars were grouped together, and ringed by guys in black jumpsuits with guns. They caught up to us again farther west. It seemed like a good opportunity to make up some time, so I fell in behind the last car and we were blowing by everything else on the road until I began to have second thoughts about going so fast. It was hard to get many good pictures of the convoy, but we did manage this short video clip which may give you the general idea.

Off to Istanbul (3) Sultanahmet

We arrived in Istanbul in the afternoon and had a chance to look around trhe hotel, which was right on the water.

It was a tall, imposing building a bit outside of downtown. We actually didn't spend much time there.

The neighborhood was very modern and mainly residential.

It was the kind of place where you would feel comfortable walking your pet goat.

 

The next morning we caught the shuttle bus into the old city area of Sultanahmet. This was a crazy touristy neighborhood with several of the top sightseeing destinations, which we wandered through this day.

The first stop was to be the Blue Mosque (click the link for the history) but we arrived there at prayer time, so we had to change our plans.

Outside the Blue Mosque

Fortunately the Hagia Sophia church was just across the park, so we walked over there and toured through.

Hagia Sophia

Everywhere in town the flowers were in bloom, and well cultivated in the public parks.

The most common street vendor in this area had to be the chestnut and corn seller. Here is a typical one.

The church was pretty impressive inside.

With lots of finely done mosaic scenes.

Here is a short clip as we look around the entrance hall. The place was full of tourists from all over, and we ended up standing behind a Japanese tour group.

By this time the prayers were finished in the Blue Mosque, so we headed back over there.

Very impressive tile work in the Mosque

The prayer area

After the Mosque we went around the corner and down into the underground Basilica Cistern. This is almost a small city under the above ground streets. Dark and spooky, it is full of water and decorated with ornate columns. Definitely a highlight of the visit to this neighborhood.

Afterward, above ground again, you can get an idea of how modern and bustling Istanbul is. Tourists everywhere, it is clean and attractive. You could spend several more days wandering around just this one neighborhood.

Off to Istanbul (4) Yummy Stuff

There was so much yummy stuff for sale, on the streets and in open display windows. Not much comment is needed for the following.... just enjoy!! (Of course, you can click on any picture for a larger view.)

Off to Istanbul (5) Shopping

We met a friend of Julie's who lives in Istanbul. She took several days and led us all over town, to some less touristy areas, and was invaluable as a guide and shopping consultant. With  her help we got to see places that were more frequented by the locals. Even then, it was crazy busy everywhere we went, and there was no shortage of shopping opportunities... everything from souvenirs to daily life goods.