Contented in Constantinople.

Wednesday 10 October.  Last night we went for a stroll up to the Hippodrome and around the Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) and Aya Sofia to take some night photos, and then had a lovely outside meal at a restaurant on the edge of the Hippodrome.  Today, much of the old and some of the new.  After again being gently awoken by the call to prayers from the neighbouring mosque (which we again politely declined), we set off early to beat the crowds to the Aya Sofia (or Hagia Sophia).  Although this was a return visit, it still took our breath away.  The original Aya Sofia, constructed of wood during Constantine’s reign, destroyed, and rebuilt by his son Constantius, was burned down during the Nikka Riot (which we mentioned yesterday).  Emperor Justinian immediately ordered the construction of a new basilica, in stone, to be the greatest church in the empire.  His architects were Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, who were both professors of geometry at Constantinople University. It is enormous and still stands as the epitome of Byzantine architectural achievement. Built in just five years, between 532 and 537, it is 70 metres wide and 75 metres long; the central dome has a diameter of 31 metres and is 55 metres above ground level.  It was to remain the largest church in the world for a thousand years. As we stood in the upstairs gallery and again tried to take it all in, we imagined what the first project meeting must have been like as Isidore and Anthemius presented their plans; the builders and stone masons declaring it couldn’t be done; Justinian declaring that it would be done.  And it was.  Not only is the Aya Sofia grand and beautiful in its own right, it also retains some wonderful original mosaics.  The Aya Sofia was claimed by Mehmed the Conqueror as one of his first acts when he took Constantinople in 1453 and it remained a mosque until Ataturk established the secular Turkish state in 1925.  It is now classed as a museum.

Then, after a drink of fresh orange and pomegranate juice at a nearby cafe we tracked down another cistern; underneath the Nikkas carpet shop below the hippodrome.  We then made our way out of the city to the Kariye Mosque and Museum, which has a large area of recently-recovered floor mosaics.  Unfortunately we found on our arrival that it is closed on Wednesdays. Not to worry; with the help of a few teenagers in a nearby shop we jumped on a bus and headed back into town, alighting on the other side of the Golden Horn at Taksim.  We made our way across the Galata Bridge, stopping for lunch on the way at a restaurant on the colonnade below the bridge with great views of the waterway, the Aya Sofia and the many fishing lines that dangle over the bridge all day catching sardines. Next a brief stop at the Yeni Camii – the “New Mosque” (so called because it is only about 400 years old – built in the decades after 1597). Then to the Spice Bazaar for our senses to be invaded by the smells of spices from around the Middle East and Asia; a walk through the Grand Bazaar and a cup of rose tea with a carpet seller who has a sister who lived in Sydney (and he didn’t try to sell us a carpet or rug!); a long walk down the side streets below the Aya Sofia and the Hippodrome to locate our last port of call, the Küçük Ayasofia Camii, the “Little Aya Sofia”. This church was built by Justinian immediately after becoming emperor in 527, in homage to Saints Serguis and Bacchus, two former soldier saints.  They are credited with saving Justinian from a hit squad ordered by his uncle Emperor Anastasius, who apparently put a contract on Justinian some years earlier because the emperor thought Justinian was plotting against him.  The legend goes that the saints came to Anastasius in a dream and talked him out of his plans for Justinian and the contract was cancelled.  Like many Byzantine churches this is now a mosque and we were able, from the gallery, to watch the imam leading a number of men in prayers.  A simple, somewhat moving ritual.

Tonight we went for a long walk away from the tourist area and stumbled across a group of about twenty seafood restaurants, and an unending stream of people either dining or just walking through the area. We had a delicious seafood meal, with our delightful and attentive host’s life story thrown in for free.  We will be sad to leave Istanbul.  Again, we have been impressed by the friendliness of the people and overwhelmed by the beauty and history of this great city. Tomorrow: on an afternoon flight to Singapore, arriving very early Friday morning, then a further flight to Penang (so no blog Thursday).