Istanbul
During the October break, we took our first trip to Turkey, Istanbul and then Antalya. I was blown away by the history, architecture, culture and people. I can tell you this is the first of many trips to Istanbul as there is so much to see in the old and massive city. We were only there for a few days with two teenage boys in tow, so we managed to see just a handful of historical sites, along with a cruise on the Bosphorus.
The highlight for me was the architectural feat of constructing the Hagia Sofia in 537AD by Roman emperor Justinian I, first used as a Christian cathedral in what the city was then known as Constantinople. “The church was then the world’s largest interior space and among the first to employ a fully pendentive dome. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture[6] and is said to have “changed the history of architecture”.[7] (Wikipedia)
To see such a large dome from this time period without internal supports was mind boggling. For reference, the Pantheon in Rome was dedicated in 126AD (without internal supports but much smaller in scale) and the Notre Dame de Paris began construction in 1163AD.
The Blue Mosque
We also visited the Blue Mosque but like many other cities, Istanbul is using the pandemic to refurbish some of their most popular sites. Very little of the Blue Mosque was visible, so for that reason alone, I must go back to Istanbul!
Other highlights included the Roman Cisterns, also built by Justinian I and used as a water filtration system for the palace and other buildings in Constantinople. Today they are sometimes used to host large events, and are quite beautiful and impressive. You can spot ancient graffiti on some of the supporting columns, which fascinated me.
No trip to Istanbul is complete without visiting the Grand Bazaar. We hired a tour guide to take us around to the top sites, and through the Grand Bazaar. I would recommend this because like many touristic places, if you want to buy genuine handmade goods, it is better to have a guide to recommend the legitimate places to shop. I brought home hand made bowls and turkish towels from the Grand Bazaar.
Grand Bazaar:
Topkapi Palace:
