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Mosques in Istanbul (ancient Constantinople)

Rustem Pasha Mosque

The Rustem Pasha Mosque is an Ottoman-era mosque located in the historic district near the Spice Bazaar. Commissioned by Rustem Pasha, who was the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire under Suleiman the Magnificent, the mosque was designed by the renowned Ottoman architect Sinan and completed in 1563. The mosque is known for its intricate tile work, which covers the walls, columns, and arches of the interior, which is stunning. The tiles were produced in the nearby city of Iznik and have a variety of floral and geometric patterns in blue, green, and red. The Rustem Pasha Mosque is considered one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a world-renowned architectural wonder. Originally built as a Christian cathedral in the 6th century, the building has a rich and complex history spanning over a millennium. For almost 1,000 years, it served as the principal church of the Eastern Orthodox Church, until the city of Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. The building was then converted into a mosque and remained so until the early 20th century, when it was turned into a museum. In 2020, it was converted back into a mosque.

Hagia Sophia’s architecture is a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of its designers. The building’s massive dome, which spans over 100 feet in diameter, is one of the largest in the world and was then a marvel of engineering.

The interior of the building is adorned with intricate mosaics, frescoes, and other decorations, many of which depict scenes from the life of Jesus Christ and other religious figures.

The mosaics depicting Christianity are allowed in the mosque as this is outside the prayer area.

The mosaics in the ceiling of the outer hallway.

Despite being converted into a mosque and then a museum, the building’s historical and cultural significance remained unchanged. It showcases both the Byzantine and Ottoman cultures with the unique blend of Christian and Islamic elements.

The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, is a stunningly beautiful mosque. It was commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I in the early 17th century. The mosque was designed by the famous Ottoman architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, who aimed to create a masterpiece that would rival the Hagia Sophia.

The Blue Mosque’s most distinctive feature is its six slender minarets, which are topped with balconies and small domes. This was seen as a bold move at the time, as it was believed that only the Grand Mosque in Mecca should have six minarets. Sultan Ahmed I famously solved this issue by commissioning a seventh minaret to be built for the Grand Mosque.

The entrance has chains that remind even the sultan that everyone who enters bows before God.

The mosque’s interior is equally impressive, with intricate tilework, beautiful stained-glass windows, and a stunning central dome that is over 75 feet in diameter. The mosque also features a large courtyard with a fountain, as well as several smaller domes and semi-domes.

The mosque remains an active place of worship.

Outside the blue mosque is the Hippodrome. The Hippodrome of Constantinople was an ancient stadium located in the city of Constantinople. It was originally built by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus in 203 AD and was later expanded and renovated by the Byzantine emperors. The Hippodrome was the center of Constantinople’s social and political life for over 1,000 years and was the site of chariot races, games, and public ceremonies. It could hold up to 100,000 spectators and was adorned with statues, obelisks, and other decorative features.

Today, only a few remnants of the Hippodrome remain, including some of the original pillars, the obelisk of Theodosius, and the Serpent Column.

This obelisk has Egyptian carvings and was brought from Egypt using slaves to transport it.

Basílica Cistern, Istanbul

The Basilica Cistern, also known as the Yerebatan Cistern, is an ancient underground water reservoir. It was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, and its purpose was to provide the city with a reliable water supply.

The cistern is an engineering marvel, measuring approximately 138 meters long and 64.6 meters wide, with a capacity of around 80,000 cubic meters of water. It was constructed by skilled workers who used a combination of brick, stone, and mortar to create a vast network of columns, arches, and vaulted ceilings that supported a flat roof. The columns were brought in from other parts of the empire and various types of columns can be seen throughout.

The cistern’s name “Basilica” is derived from the fact that it is located underneath the site of a former basilica that once stood on the same spot. The cistern was forgotten for centuries and was only rediscovered in the 16th century.

One of the most famous features of the cistern is the two Medusa heads that are used as the bases of two columns, which are believed to have been taken from an ancient temple and placed in the cistern for protective purposes. I seem to have not found those, but admit to being very tired by that point.

Two of the columns in the Basilica Cistern are famously upside down, with their capitals (the decorative tops of the columns) placed below the base. The reason for this unusual placement is not entirely clear, and several theories have emerged over the years.

One popular theory is that the upside-down columns were recycled from an older structure, possibly a pagan temple, and were placed in the cistern as a way of neutralizing their power. According to this theory, turning the columns upside down was a way of symbolically rendering them powerless, as the tops of the columns would no longer be able to support the weight of the building.

Another theory is that the upside-down columns were simply a result of a mistake made by the builders of the cistern. It is possible that the builders did not have a clear understanding of the correct orientation of the columns, or that they were in a rush to complete the project and did not notice the mistake until it was too late.

Capadocia

Cappadocia, located in central Turkey, is really unique and is unlike any other destination in the world. The landscape is stunning in its natural beauty, but it also has a rich history, and unique cultural heritage. There are many caves hotels you can stay in. The front face is built into the rock and the caves are used for rooms. Those are pretty pricey and many people are claustrophobic as there are no windows.

I did not start in a real cave hotel but it was cool nonetheless.

Turkish breakfast. So amazing and yummy.

The area is known for its unique rock formations, which were formed over millions of years by volcanic eruptions and erosion by wind and rain. These formations, known as fairy chimneys, take on many different shapes and sizes, and are dotted throughout the region. They are one of the main attractions of Cappadocia.

The volcanoes here erupted millions of years ago. The longest river was also here. When the Red River withdrew some of the base was eroded then the volcano erupted again. Basalt formed at the top and stayed as a chimney top.

Hittites used obsidian to carve places to live. They cut holes in the fairy chimneys to let out smoke.

Early Christians were persecuted so they hid by living in caves.

It stays about 10 C year round in the cave no matter the outside temperature.

Today many people use the caves to store food as it preserves harvest much longer.

Dime fairy chimneys do collapse as wisdom is still going on in the most layers beneath the basalt.

It really is unusual and stunning.

In addition to its natural beauty, Cappadocia is also rich in history. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years, and has been home to numerous civilizations, including the Hittites, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans. As a result, the region is home to a wealth of historical and cultural sites, including ancient cities, churches, and monasteries. Saint Simon had a canned check in the area. An early church can be found in the Rose Valley. The paintings in the church are done with natural dyes and date back to the 10th century.

The rocks are reddish here due to more iron oxide being present.

I can imagine a thriving community here a long time ago.

There are hiking trails through the region as well.

Some of the small holes are actually for pigeons as they are considered sacred and were a means for communication in the past.

Cappadocia is also known for its unique cuisine. The region is famous for its pottery, and many of the traditional dishes are cooked in clay pots. Some of the most popular dishes include pottery kebab, a meat dish cooked in a clay pot, and şırdan, a type of sausage made from lamb intestines.

We also toured a master potter family that is commissioned by the government to keep the tradition alive. I was not able to take pictures of the creations inside but they were so amazing.

You can see the round drink vessel. It is a work of art itself. The shape allows one to bow as it is poured.

His son, another master artisan would make any of the 40 forms he had mastered on demand. We chose the drink vessel. He cut through it to prove that it was hollow throughout. I did take video of parts of the process: https://youtube.com/watch?v=NNN25EFLWKQ&feature=share7

At the end of the day I had summer time before my transport to the airport. I walked around the town and had a glass of local wine.

These are actually caves that are being used today.

Hot air balloon over Capadocia

I usually pack my vacations tightly and really tried to see many places in four days on this trip. After Ephesus, rather than fly back to Istanbul, I flew instead to Kayseri. The next day i was to have a tour of the landscape of Capadocia. Originally it meant flying out of Istanbul again for that tour. But now that I was there the night before, I could join a hot air balloon ride over the Devrent Valley. Unfortunately, it meant only a few hours sleep again. It is a good thing that i can actually sleep on planes (but now jet lag is creeping in…)

One of the most popular activities in Cappadocia is hot air ballooning. I took a sunrise balloon tour, to look at the breathtaking scenery of Cappadocia from a different perspective. Later I will tour from the ground.

The unique landscape of the region is dotted with fairy chimneys and other rock formations, which was truly spectacular to view from above.

Mount Erciyes, also known as Argaeus is an inactive volcano in Kayseri Province, Turkey

Throughout the region there
many caves dwellings.

The sunrise and colors would be more spectacular with less clouds but we were fortunate there was no rain as had been forecasted.

I do have a 360 video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=PjrMdtt73Q4&feature=share7

Ephesus

Virgin Mary house

The House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus, also known as the “Meryemana” in Turkish, is a small stone house located on a hillside. According to tradition, the house is believed to be the final home of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, where she lived out her last days.

The significance of the Virgin Mary’s House in Ephesus is primarily religious and spiritual. For Catholics and some other Christians, it is considered a holy site and a place of pilgrimage. The house is believed to have been the site of a number of miraculous events.

The belief in the authenticity of the house dates back to the visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, a German nun who had never visited the site, but in 1820 described the house in detail and its location on a hill near Ephesus. The house was rediscovered in the late 19th century.

The house is located near the ancient city of Ephesus, which was an important center of early Christianity and the site of one of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The house and its surroundings also showcase the cultural and architectural influences of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

The water from the spring is considered holy and one can drink or wash hands.

The bottom stones are darker color and are the original excavated foundation.

The ruins of Ephesus are the remains of an ancient Greek and Roman city located near the Aegean Sea in modern-day Turkey. The city was founded in the 10th century BC and was once a thriving center of trade, culture, and religion, with a population that reached up to 250,000 people at its peak.

Clay pipes excavated from the ground which shows an extensive water and sewage system.

Many of the structures have unknown purposes.

The ruins of Ephesus include a vast array of well-preserved structures, including the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), the Great Theater, and the Terrace Houses (luxury homes of the wealthy). The city’s most iconic structure is the Library of Celsus, a stunning two-story building with a façade adorned with intricate carvings and statues.

Rams head that would be on the top of a column.

The top of these columns are all a little different due to various architectural influences.

The road going to some dwellings and the market area are pushed in original marble stones. They are the original summers though some were moved from a different place in the city.

There are many fountains and other structures throughout the city.

Roman toilets for men only! Fresh water ran continuously through.

This would be part of a rich person’s house as these mosaic tiles on the floor are patterned as a rug.

The inscription on the stone speaks of this place being a brothel, but going there would give you a bad reputation. It is thought that there was an underground passage from the library which was across the street for noble people to enter unseen.

The original Aegean sea came up to about the trees close to the city. An earthquake changed the landscape.

A very large stadium which held 24,000 people.

Symbol for medicine where a doctor would be.

Ephesus was an important religious center, with several temples dedicated to various gods and goddesses, including the Temple of Artemis, the Temple of Hadrian, and the Temple of Domitian. The city was also the site of one of the Seven Churches of Asia mentioned in the Bible’s Book of Revelation.

Temple of Artemis

One of the seven ancient wonders, there is not much left here. Pieces were taken to make other monuments in existence today such as the Hagia Sophia and also a British museum as well as structures in other countries.

Ephesus was eventually abandoned in the 15th century due to a combination of factors, including natural disasters, changes in trade routes, and the rise of new cities. The ruins of Ephesus are stunning with architecture, intricate mosaics, and impressive monuments.

Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

Topkapi Palace is a magnificent historical complex located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built in the 15th century, and the palace served as the residence of Ottoman sultans and their families for over 400 years.

The palace has various courtyards, chambers, and pavilions. It was fascinating to look at all the different areas, each adorned with opulent decorations and intricate designs.

The Imperial Treasury houses priceless artifacts and jewels.

The Harem is where the sultan’s concubines and wives lived.

Entry halls that are managed by Black eunuchs from Africa (then part of the Ottoman empire)

Nurbano Sultán apartment for the mother of the future sultan (son and heir).

Above the door reads: O believers, do not enter the house of the prophet without permission

The imperial Hall where ceremonies took place.

The use of skylights for natural lighting is amazing throughout the Harem.

The work on this ceiling dome dates back to 1585.

Another building that is a place to receive dignitaries.

The Mecidiye Pavilion was the most recent building addition in 1858. This would be a resting for Sultans after their throne ascension ceremonies.

A few relics in the relic display hall.

The relic fragment of John the Baptists arm and skull bone from the 1st century

The footprint of the prophet Mohammed in the 7th century

I also toured a building with centuries of clothing.

What a wild few months

Leaving one country where you have been teaching and preparing to go to another is chaotic and emotional. Things that need to be done before you leave a country:

Banking and last pay
Police clearance which needs translated to wherever you are going then notarized and legalized
Work visa cancelled and one month visa given instead
Shipping some of your things before you go
Spending or selling much of your cash from the local bank to travel with less
Many dinners and brunches to celebrate all the friendships. The most fun and heartbreaking part.
Making sure that people coming to fill your role have everything they need to take over (that includes the department head position i had as well as the sunshine committee, etc)
Meetings with the next school with email and online resources and tools

I should have been posting all along but I was very busy to pack and decide what goes and what i give away among other things. So this post will be more of a dump of photos with some explanation of the people here. Unfortunately I don’t have all of the pictures as sometimes we forgot to take them!

I’ve had a fair amount of tears. You make some great friendships when you are abroad and lean on each other often. It is difficult to say goodbye but we really like to say “see you down the road.”

Heidi and Elaine have been here for so much in our lives They are great friends! We had some amazing times and were very close mahjong buddies.

Claire on the far right was another travel buddy during the COVID times.

Kathy my wine drinking buddy who was always there to lend an ear and have some fun.

And at the top of the Canton Tower. We even did the death drop ride. So funny. When she screamed before they ever dropped us, the crowd
thought it was hysterical!

Bubble cars near the top of the Canton tower.

Some of the best of my dragonboat buddies. I would spend usually four hours a weekend paddling with them. So funny, kind, and thoughtful. I will miss all of them but especially these three.

More of some of the best people to paddle with.

Receiving flowers from my cross country team at the end of the year athletic ceremony.

I met Lily the first year in Guangzhou. She likes to meet foreigners in a variety of places and have brought together some really fun people.

I have amazing colleagues and school events
are still great get togethers!

At the end of the year party i took a photo with all the people who are still left from our cohort.

At a tour of the new gym facilities that will be opening next year at the school. It will be an amazing addition and will miss Tamara and Joanna.

Of course I’m going to miss quite a few people namely my department and Anne who will be taking over as department head and breaking in a whole new group of teachers. She is amazing and of course I didn’t get pictures of the last afternoon together!

The last bus ride to school. This crew always is the first to arrive to await the bus. Always a great
to start the day!

I received some great gifts.
Vincent gave me a Chinese calligraphy saying that he painted: To leap with enthusiasm.

I was fortunate to see some former students come back and visit for graduation.

I will miss Bodie. He belongs to Dee Baker and often was in the school shop. What a support dog!

Zach and Alexis. I was fortunate to be around amazing educators.

…and TsoTso. They have been in a good home for months and look pretty happy.

Last day, students did not want to go to the buses. They really love school.

I will miss this pool also. It was great therapy for my knee and such a beautiful view

Hong Kong, for lunch

My friend Helen wanted to go for the day to Hong Kong to buy a new phone and i joined her so we could have lunch somewhere new! I also wanted to take the ferry to get back to Guangzhou.

Masks are actually not required anymore but since so many people are traveling…..

This building in the shadows of a Chinese coin
on the way to the train station is either
loved or hated by people.

The first year i was in China i made the comment that i had been to Hong Kong 6 times and that i was eager to go somewhere else instead….. Who would know COVID allowed that to happen. Now I’m back. So was everyone else as it was a holiday weekend (Labor Day in China).

This is actually the most people we saw but we knew it would get worse later in the day.

It had been some time but a stroll from west Kowloon down along the water was beautiful.

A popular statue to get your picture taken.

We walked along sheung wan where street art is but I am slow with stairs still.

We took a car to sheung wan. Ubers are these old cars. I always chuckle when a message asks you what you are wearing!

Reminders that they drive on the other
of the road here!

We found a nice restaurant for brunch.

Afterwards we went to find the ferry as there is only one cruise time. Walking around we found a noodle museum and shop.

We decorated cups then chose our original mixture for the noodle soup. Mine included laksa soup base and even papaya!

You participated in putting together your soup.

They even packaged it to not get damaged in travel.

One of the many bridges going to Hong Kong from the China mainland.

I was only going a day but it was great to have a break from the normal week and the rest of China. Only a couple months left in China….

Khmer cooking class

There are many things to do in Siem Reap but i needed to give my knee a break and many other activities required biking or more walking. I was happy to find a cooking class on Trip featuring two dishes i have ordered frequently in Cambodia: Fish Amok and green mango salad. A tuktuk picked me up at my hotel (a guarantee people arrive on time….) And a quick stop down the alley.

Tuk tuks are the way to travel. They zip in and out, are not expensive, and use less fuel.

Narong is my chef and she works for a restaurant owned by a French gentleman who has been here for 13 years.

He owns the restaurant and the cooking school which also sells many of the ingredients. Helpful since I want to make it when I return home.

We started with a tour of the old market. Many items i already know from China wet markets. But we discussed different things useful to cook here differences in produce.

I have seen these peppercorns in many places.

Lots of vegetables including baby corn and tamarind.

These are two different types of eggplant.

We started by chopping all of the ingredients. The cooking takes little time but the preparation is much longer as all of the ingredients are fresh. The recipes can be found at www.khmergourmetcookingclass.com

The ingredients used for the sauce of the Fish Amok are minced small and then pounded in a mortar until it becomes a paste.

The paste made in the mortar is in the bottom left.

And now it is time to cook. I even made dessert. Glutinous rice balls with a palm sugar filling. They are boiled in hot water then cooled in cook water.

Cooking the shrimp for the green mango salad.

And then it was time to eat. Lots of food so some leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Asking with a great Angkor beer, a wonderful lunch.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is actually a temple complex located in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It is the largest religious monument in the world and one of the seven wonders. The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu. It was later converted into a Buddhist temple in the 13th century.

First views are breathtaking before we even see the full view of the Angkor temple. This is one of many temples inside this whole complex.

In front of the temple created in the 12th century.

Angkor Wat is a vast complex of buildings and monuments, covering an area of over 400 acres. The temple itself is built on a rectangular plan, with a moat and an outer wall surrounding the central complex. The tallest of the towers inside is 65 meters high.

These are an inside portion of the temple. I am already on the second floor of the structure. This goes to the third. On full moon days, only religious people can enter that floor. There are different stairs to climb as these are too dangerous.

Around the temple are platforms for ceremonies and small buildings which were libraries.

On the second and third floor are pools. From the central tower that would be quite a sight when filled. They represented the different elements.

Angkor Wat is a masterpiece of Khmer architecture. Ancient volcanoes left large amounts of volcanic stone which are used as the base of the buildings. The tops are made of sandstone which allows them to be carved. The temple is decorated with intricate carvings and sculptures, depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The temple is also known for its intricate system of canals and reservoirs, which once provided water for the temple and its inhabitants.

I did see a few monks as it is a holy day.

Most of the scenes are from Hinduism that depicts good reigning over evil.

Most of the statues of Buddha are the body but without a head. During invasions, armies would take everything of value but the statues were too heavy. Instead they took the heads off. The heads of most of the statues have not been found.

This depicts the prince and demons holding Naga.

The head of Naga rises alongside the stairs. The railings along the walkway in the courtyard are the body of the 7 headed snake.

Leaving the complex you pass by the reflection pool.

I have so many pictures but shared just the best ones. It is an impressive place to visit. Also, it was amazing to see some of the reconstruction and cleaning of the stones. From the Angkor Temple we continued along the complex to Bayon temple.

The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple related to Buddhism at Angkor. It was built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the King Jayavarman VII. It is at the centre of the king’s capital, Angkor Thom.

The Bayon is best known for its 54 towers, each of which has at the top a four-faced head. The faces are believed to represent Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. (Bodhisattva are awaiting their reincarnation as Buddha). The faces are all slightly different, and they are said to represent the different aspects of Avalokiteśvara’s personality.

You can see a few of the faces more clearly.

The Bayon temple is also decorated with intricate carvings called bas-reliefs, which depict scenes from Hindu and Buddhist mythology. The bas-reliefs are some of the most famous examples of Khmer art. I haven’t seen other art, but I’ll take their opinion. They are amazing and depict scenes of daily life, good vs. evil stories, etc.

The base of the temple is lava stone with
sandstone used for the carvings.

The depiction of elephants used for daily tasks and even for fighting in wars.

We then traveled to another temple in the complex. Ta Prohm was built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and was originally called Rajavihara. It is one of the most popular temples at Angkor, partly because it was featured in the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The guide said that Angkor Wat was largely unknown by the world until then.

Amazing. In the complex many of the walls have fallen and you can see which being to the roof and which blocks belong to the walls.

This roof has been replaced. They are the original blocks but now held together by mortar. Countries have pledged and taken over the reconstruction of the various temples in Angkor Wat.

A headless Buddha. Many of the rooms had gold buried and jewels in the walls but those have been removed and are long gone.

We were there when wedding photographs were taken. They take the pictures before the wedding and of course they have more than one dress.

Ta Prohm is known for its intricate stone carvings, which are often hidden by the roots of the trees that have grown around the temple. The temple is also home to a variety of wildlife, including monkeys, snakes, and birds.

This is the tree from the Tomb Raider movie. Angelina Jolie i am not …

These are fig trees and in particular this is a strangler fig which can grow around a tree and surround it until it dies.

Baksei Chamkrong is a small Hindu temple located in the Angkor complex. We passed by it walking up the hill where we were to watch the sunset. It is dedicated to Shiva and used to hold a golden image of him.

The temple is named after a mythical bird that is said to have protected the city of Angkor from attack. The bird is said to have spread its wings over the city, and to have sheltered the people from harm.

We waited for the sunset and literally melted wherever we rested. It had been nearly 40 C which is 100 F with high humidity. I was grateful for the rest considering I needed to rest my knee from time to time. The slow ascent made it easier to get to the top of the hill.

From the hill you can see the Angkor temple. We are still in the Angkor Wat complex from this point.

The sunset was okay as there were clouds in the horizon.

Our tour guide Sarak shared some other pictures he had taken during sunrises and sunsets.