Location: Istanbul, TurkeyDate: January 24, 2010
I arrived in Turkey on the night of January 23rd. I had no idea where I was going (which is usual upon arrival), and despite my comfort with the whole traveling thing, I still needed to summon up all of my courage to step off the plane and embrace a new country. I love this life- the new people, places, flavors, languages...but I have to admit that it's still tough for me in a way. It is hard for me to make that first move when I arrive somewhere new, to dive into the culture, head first. I never know if the person I ask for help will speak any English, or if I am headed int he right direction. After a few minutes examining my surroundings, whatever they may be, I start to get the courage to move forward, step by step. After arriving in Istanbul, I loaded up my bags and preceeded to the metro, bought a token (jeton), and sat down in my seat.
Usually, this nervousness dissipates when I get to a place to spent the night. I had made arrangements ahead of time for a hostal in Istanbul....a hostal that cost 15cents per night. Thinking I just hit a spot of luck, I booked the thing before the prices skyrocketed. Unfortunately, when I get there, I could see why I was paying such a ridiculous rate. Needless to say, this may have been one of the first arrivals where a place to sleep was not a comforting thought. I set out in the freezing rain with my backpack in all to find in a new place, but I realized that my task was fruitless when I was completely soaked with no direction to go in...so I turned home and spent the night in the cold, lonely hostal.
The next morning, I headed to one of the nicer hostals I found online, and spent the following week surrounded by the kind staff workers, Yavuz, Hasan and Veli, and a 4 month of puppy, Lilu. I get the feeling I'm starting to grow up a little- pay a little more to feel a lot more comfortable!
Since it is low season in Istanbul, there were not many tourists visiting. During the first week, Yavus spent time showing me around the city and seeing the non-touristic mosques and neighborhoods. I also made friends with the local baklava shop and restaurant owners and I spent hours in the Grand Bazaar, the inside market that sells everything from water pipes (hookahs) to evil eye charms. Turkey is filled with beautiful places, people and sensations, and so I will post a series of pictures of my adventures over the course of a few blogs. In this blog are some of the beautiful mosques I went to go see.
The Ayasophia, a church converted into a mosque.
Called the "Little Ayasophia," this is a small beautiful mosque away from the beaten track. Like all current mosques, the first thing you notice after you cover your head and take off your shoes is the carpeted floor and the peacefulness of the interior. I found the mosques to be comfortable, quiet, and exquisite places. The walls are filled with intricate details and designs and I could have walked around and stared forever just at the decor. In the mosques, there are no chairs, and the people who come to pray just kneel on the floor. In many of the mosques, there is a section for women and one for men.
One of the many perks of the hostal: this is the view from the upstairs terrace, overlooking the Blue Mosque.
More views of Ayasophia:
Though these pictures don't even come close to capturing the beauty of the mosques, I hope they start to share the feelings that I experienced. Much more of Turkey to come: the people, the flavors, the adventures...
