Spring break this year would be spent again with my mom, with the added benefit that she would travel back to Saudi with us for a short stay. We decided to spend a few days in Istanbul. This was to see the sights and give mom a few days to adjust her body clock. We would then travel on to Romania for a week long visit before returning to Yanbu.
The family arrived from Yanbu around 9 a.m. and made the trip to our hotel. It was in the Sultanahmet area, between the sights and the Marmara Sea. The opening of the Hagia Sophia was altered at the beginning of the year, with the website indicating the museum would be closed on Mondays. With this in mind, we decided to visit during the day before mom arrived. She was scheduled to land around 4 p.m. so we had most of the day to explore.
We walked through the shops and were invited by zealous shopkeepers to try their lunch, their carpets, their trinkets, etc. We had one gentleman follow us wanting us to visit his shop after we were finished with our tour. He followed us into the line for the Hagia Sophia, continuing until I told him we were there to see the museum and nothing else.
Macy served as our tour guide since she had recently learned about the history of the basilica/mosque/museum through its long, storied history. We were amazed by the years of wear from feet in different areas, the stones wore smooth by traffic from worshipers and tourists. The mosaics of Christian figures mixed with Islamic artwork were powerful and representative of the efforts of Ataturk to maintain the turbulent history of the building and the city.
We headed back towards the hotel after a outside viewing of the Blue Mosque. I was accused of being from Utah, because “You walk like a Mormon.” We picked a restaurant close to the hotel that had outside seating. The Turkuaz Gurme had a decent mixed grill dish, and the kids opted for pasta. We stopped back by the hotel and waited for our shuttle back to the airport to meet mom.
Mom arrived on time and breezed through immigration. We hopped a van back to the hotel and visited for a bit before heading out around the corner for a great dinner at the Palatium. We reclined at a window table while sampling meze and pide. We enjoyed some Efes and green tea before heading back to the hotel.
The girls had a special treat planned for the night. And for more details, Macy makes her blog debut with the following play-by-play:
The Turkish Bath is something widely know about Turkey, so of course we had to do it. Luckily our hotel provided a Turkish Bath. When we first went down there, I was so excited. The massage, the aroma, it was pumping me up. But the nudity was sitting in the back of my mind. I’ve never met the people doing it, yet they’re going to see more of me than basically everyone. Do it for the experience, I kept telling myself, It’ll be worth it. And oh boy was it. So we go down there, Drew, Mom, Nana, and me.
First we showered, then we got our towels and went into the sauna. I’m surprised I didn’t steam cook the four of us from the amount of water I kept pouring on the coals. It was just too fun. We went one at a time, so we went Mom first, then me, then Drew, then Nana. So we’re all sitting in there, burning to death, seeing who is sweating the most, like a competition. Mom goes in this room, and the door looks like a bank vault door but not metal. Inside is a big slab of marble surrounded by water fountains. Mom goes in and disappears for what seems like the longest time, then comes out, signaling my turn. I go in and inside is a middle aged lady who instantly makes my worries go away. If anyone is going to see me naked, I’m glad its her. That’s a weird way to word it, I know, but her smile and kindness to me made me forget all about it. I layed down and she gets to work, dumping water and soap on me. She gets out what seems like sandpaper, and starts scrubbing, and it surprisingly felt good. She was so precise, making sure to scrub *everywhere*. She kept and kept and kept scrubbing, making me flip and the scrubbing even more.
After a while, she washed over one more time and then it was time for the massage. I got into a small room that smells like everything good. I layed on the massage table and start getting covered in oils. Then the girl started the massage. Starting at the feet, to the legs, to the thighs, to the back, to the shoulders, to the neck, to the arms, flip and repeats. It was the most painful yet most relaxing massage i’ve ever gotten. I can’t even put it into words. She massaged so deep I felt like she was touching my bones. But its like i could feel the tensions in my muscles going away. I was so relaxed I almost fell asleep. Afterwards, she gave me five minutes to relax (in which I slept), and then I went back into the room where the sauna and bath was. I saw Mom, Nana, and Drew. The only time we were together was in the sauna but if we passed in the common room or hallways we would make that face at each other that meant : “holy crap, this is literally amazing” and would keep going. After getting back to the room, I sat on the chair and almost instantly passed out. Afterwards, went back upstairs and I felt like I slept before I even reached the bed. The next day I was so loose and my body felt so good. Overall, it was an amazing experience.
Day 2 would be filled mostly with the Old City tour with Dilek. She met us at our hotel and, after introductions, began our walking tour by going through Arasta Bazaar. It was quiet early in the morning since all the shops were still closed, and it was a pleasant stroll, taking time to admire the architecture and decorations. We then walked around the back side of the Blue Mosque up Tavukhane Street to the Hippodrome. We stopped at the entrance to the park and got some history from Dilek, periodically battling with the street sweeper making his morning rounds. After checking out the Byzantine & Egyptian obelisks and the Spartan Serpentine Column of Delphi, we made our way to the Blue Mosque courtyard entrance.
This particular entrance had chains hanging from the arch, which caused the Sultans of old, riding in on their horse, to bow with a forced reverence. We made our way through a short line and the ladies received disposable hijabs to wear inside the mosque. All of us received a bag to place our shoes in before we entered. We were amazed by the intricate tile work that covered the interior; 20,000 Iznick tiles that blend into a seamless work of art.
We exited the mosque. Side note – even though we live in Saudi, keeper of the two holiest cities in Islam, with 4 or 5 mosques close enough that the prayer calls meld into one, we have never entered one. We’re classified as irreligious. There are no other designations. In Saudi, you are Muslim or Irreligion. As such, we are not permitted to enter the cities of Makkah or Madinah, or any mosque in the Kingdom.
We found a spot right outside to cop a squat and don our shoes. We passed the tomb of Sultan Ahmet I, and Dilek took a second to comment on the current state of tourism in Istanbul. The industry has obviously taken a hit with the unrest throughout Turkey, but the Eastern visitors have flooded in to replace the Western and cruise ship visitors. The city is still vibrant and the sites are still crowded. Dilek pointed out a group of Easterners and said it’s like taking young children around; easily distracted, focused on the world through their lenses, and many stray sheep. They are fun to watch from our perspective, much like watching a school playground, but I wouldn’t want the responsibility of trying to keep 20-30 of these excited, intense tourists on a strict timetable.
We then passed by the Hagia Sophia up to Topkapi Palace. This place warrants a full day to visit all that the historical treasures within the walls that were used as the home of Ottoman sultans from the 15th to 17th centuries, when the move was made to Dolmabahce. It now houses many important Islamic relics within many buildings situated around four courtyards. The views over the Sea of Marmara across to the Asian side are unmatched from the palace.
We then made another visit (for our family of five, the first for Mom) to Hagia Sophia. We spent more time studying the small details while Mom made the trip up the gently sloped and well worn ramp to the second floor with Dilek to see the murals and views.
We made for the Pudding Shop for lunch, once the impromptu gathering place for hippies traveling east during the 60’s. The modern day version is more touristy, with an average cafeteria-style selection of Turkish plates and a decor that memorializes the heydays rather than maintaining the beatnik atmosphere. But like most things, it ain’t cool if everyone wants to visit.
We stopped for ice cream as we left, and got the show that comes along with it. The man under the fez uses a large steel spatula to soften and serve the ice cream, and they are quite adept at handling them. It usually takes about 4 minutes to get the first cone served. The cone is offered and retracted through several different techniques, including a second cone, an empty cone, spinning the spatula, tapping the cone on various areas of the body, and sorcery. It’s a good show for a small price, and the server always delivers before the laughs turn into forced grins.
We then headed for my most anticipated visit, the Basilica Cistern. Security here was more noticeable then other areas due to the forced choke-point of entry. The 6th century cistern did not disappoint, despite being mostly drained for repair work. The fish population was concentrated in one dammed area near the Medusa head columns, which were exposed during the work.
We then made a visit to a ceramics shop, where we enjoyed a short clay working demonstration before shopping, haggling, and taking home a few pieces of reproduced designs from the Blue Mosque.
A short stop at a Turkish rug shop with a demonstration and explanation of the difference in knots gave us a respite on our way to the Grand Bazaar, which was just a whetting of the appetite for a future visit. It would be easy to get lost in the first mall in the world, made up of 61 covered streets. Cheap Made in China trinket shops rub shoulders with artisan shops, and we passed on buying anything since the time required to determine the quality shops, accept a tea, visit, haggle and complete a purchase would have put us all past the limits of our patience.
We drug ourselves back to the hotel and rested a bit while discussing dinner option.
We decided to take an Uber to Hard Rock. Much to Drew’s disappointment, the doors were locked. We strolled up Istiklal to the Rock Shop. The atmosphere here was much different. We were some of the few Westerners in the mass of people, but there weren’t the street vendors of the Sultanahmet district vying for every Lira in our pockets. We did some window shopping and the girls did some actual shopping while Cade and I walked towards Taksim Square, then we all doubled back in order to find dinner. We found Konak Kebap, a restaurant near the Sishane stop.
We then decided to stroll down to the Galata Tower. The narrow streets were, fortunately, all downhill in our direction of travel. We watched a new bride having pictures taken with the wedding party around the tower, found another stray dog to pet, and hopped an Uber back to the hotel. Next up, Romania.
From Tennessee To Texas to Saudi Arabia 