Daily Dispatch: March 11, 2010

By Maia Efrem

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Reporter Carolyn Phenicie snaps a picture of Hagia Sophia. (Lim/Journey to Jerusalem)

For most of us, it turned out to be a day to explore Istanbul’s  timeless mosques, underground waterways and old world bazaars.

We landed at Ataturk Airport in Turkey at 10 a.m., looking haggard after a nine-hour flight from New York but excited to walk the city. Due to a need for an advanced visa from the Turkish consulate for Mexican and Indian citizens, Mamta  and Jose could not leave the airport for the day. As for the rest of us, we divided up in two, with the women  choosing to take a guided tour of the city and the less-adventurous men  preferring to take hotel rooms and do a bit of sight seeing themselves.

We first stopped for a kebab lunch at Tamara Restaurant and Café in Istanbul’s tourist-heavy Sultanahmet district an area famous for the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. We spent most of our time photographing and taking in  the stunning architecture.

The Hagia Sophia, an Orthodox basilica turned mosque, is now a museum attracting countless visitors every day. We could hear the sounds of dozens of languages as tourists flocked through the large double gate doors. Both Islamic and Christian symbols were in evidence. On one dome, gold paint on an olive background spelled God’s  name in Arabic , while on another  images of Christian angels were depicted. Long suspended chandeliers added the glow and warmth of intimacy in a massive space.

The Blue Mosque, situated directly in front of the Hagia Sophia was closed to visitors during prayer time. But we could see men gathering  outside the mosque to prepare for prayer by  washing their hands and feet in one of dozens of sinks encompassing the perimeter. The first beautiful notes of the call to prayer sends shudders down your spine as it seems as if the Hagia Sophia is echoing the prayer, almost as a response to the call.

We went next to the the Turkish market, which Mariana called the  “bizarre bazaar.” It is  one of the largest souks in the world and a kaleidoscope of colors. Jewelry, scarves, and glowing hanging lanterns filled the shops lining the bazaar arteries. Sweet talkers, aggressive salesmen, and even unabashed flirters drew the attention of tourists; anything to make a sale. “I was not impressed,” said Josh. “All bazaars are the same with the vendors selling the same things.”

Though left behind, Mamta and Jose did their own share of exploring. Airport exploring, that is. “We can now draw you a Google Map of the airport,” said Jose, laughing at the thought of an audio-slideshow dedicated to the airport.  Mamta heartily agreed: “I know by heart which café sells the cheapest coffee here, I’ve walked around enough times to memorize the prices.” An ice cream vendor even offered her sympathies with an extra “pity scoop,” said Badkar.

Finally, at 11:30 p.m. our Turkish Air flight for Amman was ready. When we arrived at our hotel, almost four hours later we had logged 36 hours of travel time.  The long trip from New York to Amman increased our enthusiasm and eagerness for all the adventures to come.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 8:33 am and is filed under Daily Dispatches and tagged with Amman, Bazaar, Blue Mosque, Daily Dispatch, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, jordan, Maia Efrem. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.