David and I continue to make an excellent recovery from our empty nest daze by travelling at every opportunity! This month brought an incredible adventure and those of you who know Turkey will relate. We spent time in Istanbul, Cappadoccia, Pamukkale and Ephesus discovering more about the history and people of this incredibly upbeat and dynamic country each day. It seems that every thirteen years I get an itch to move on and frankly, Istanbul was very, very appealing ...the stories from the Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman empires are richly tapestried, colorful and full of characters you cannot but admire and artistry that blows you away.
Perched above the Blue Mosque, our hotel the Turkoman was the perfect spot from where to explore the treasures of Sultanahmet. The mosque seemed to hum below us on the restored Hippodrome as if it were a space ship about to take off. Its blue mosaics are very beautiful.
The dome at Aya Sophia is awe inspiring. How did Justinian execute such a marvel in 532??
Equally dazzling was the harem in Topkapi Palace
and so were the treasures at the archeological museum:
Above are details of the tomb called Alexandra's tomb as he appears here on the left. See the incredible beauty of the horses on one of the greatest works of antiquity.
The mosaics at the Chora church are so touchingly beautiful and exquisite:
We silently assisted a Mevlevi ceremony as the Dervish whirled before us at the Hodjapastra center and enjoyed a luxurious bath, scrub and massage at the Cemberlitas Hamam! We were wined and dined by Hamdi on the Bosphorus. We walked everywhere: along the Golden Horn and over all the bridges watching fisherfolk, nargile cafe activity and all the boats; and all the way up to Takshim square and back down Istakkiel Cadessi to Tunel, occasionally taking a tram or a funicular and often stopping at a mehane for cay, lokum, baklava or kebab.
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