2006.05.03_Efes Beer and Turkish Hip-hop

Photos: Beer pad; Efes Beer (Photo courtesy: AK); SH and Me at Cheers Bar (AK); HC, SH and Me at Cheers Bar (AK)

We arrived at Eminonu Ferry Dock in the afternoon. We attempted to visit the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, but unfortunately we were too late. We headed back to the neighborhood of our hostel, and hopped into a bar called Cheers Bar for some beer. We killed some time at the bar before heading back to Sultan Hostel for our backpacks. At 19:00 we took a few pictures with the hostel staff and left the hostel.

As we walked by the Blue Mosque, we saw two kids, perhaps early teens, having fun with themselves dancing at the outdoor seating area in front of the monument. They showed great interest in us after we told them that SH knows Chinese Hip-hop. We fooled around with them for a bit as night fell upon.

After some fun with the kids, we took the T4 bus from Aya Sophia to the Taksim Square. We headed over to the office of Kamil Koc and waited for the departure of our first night bus in Turkey.


Photo: MC and Turkish Hiphop(Photo courtesy: AK)

2006.05.03_Cats at Anadolu Kavagi

2006.05.03_Anadolu Kavagi

We get off the boat at Anadolu Kavagi. The first thing that caught our attention was the street food around the dock area. We get into a seafood eatery, climbed the stairs to the upper floor, picked a table, and ordered a number of dishes for lunch: fish buns, fried mussels, fried calamari, etc. After lunch, we ascended to the hill behind the village. We reached the ruins of a citadel, took some photos, and relaxed ourselves at an open area overlooking the Bosphorus where it reached the Black Sea in a distance. SH, HC, and AK climbed up the ruins to take some "funny photos", before we headed back to the village. As we waited for our returning boat, we saw a few fishermen in descent blazers and trousers, fixing a fishing net on a boat.

2006.05.03_Bosphorus

Photos: Riverside Timber Mansion, Under Bridge Architecture, Contemporary and Historical Buildings along Bosphorus, Riverside Luxury Mansions, Riverside shelters for the Poor.

'If the city speaks of defeat, destruction, deprivation, melancholy, and poverty, the Bosphorus sings of life, pleasure, and happiness.' Orhan Pamuk

SH and I bought some stamps at Istanbul main post office. Then we headed down to the ferry dock at Eminonu for the 10:30 cruise up the Bosphorus towards the Black Sea, for the village of Anadolu Kavagi. It was a pleasant boat trip through the city. Our boat sailed under several large bridges, passed by a number of luxury riverside communities, as well as poor neighborhoods. The boat stopped by a number of ferry docks in the city. The countryside and fishing villages gradually took over.

The scenery of the Bosphorus reminds me of the scenes in Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Distant. Especially the last scene when the protagonist sits by the Bosphorus along and watches the ships go by. During the boat trip, we didn't have the chance to contemplate the distant water traffic and indulged in solitude. We did manage to witness how busy the Bosphorus is, including some really large ships.

'To be traveling through the middle of a city as great, historic, and forlorn as Istanbul, and yet to feel the freedom of the open sea - that is the thrill of a trip along the Bosphorus. Pushed along by its strong currents, invigorated by the sea air that bears no trace of the dirt, smoke, and noise of the crowded city that surrounds it, the traveler begins to feel that, in spite of everything, this is still a place in which he can enjoy solitude and find freedom.' Orhan Pamuk

2006.05.02_Beyazid II Külliye

Photo: Road to Beyazid II Külliye, Across the river from Beyazid II Külliye, Arriving at Beyazid II Külliye, Forecourt arcade, Local Woman.

After the mosques, we ventured to a Roman / Byzantine fortress tower. The security guard was kind enough to show us around. When we were done, he suggested we should take a short walk to visit the Beyazid II Külliye.

We followed his instruction, exited the old city, walked on a road for a kilometer or two, before seeing our destination standing beyond a river where a father and son sat under a tree shadow with two fishing poles in hands. A shepherd dog appeared from under the bridge, looked at us at a distance, and ran away. Two men who sat on a pile of dirt at the back of the tractor waved at us as they drove by. The scene was picturesque and romantic. Farmlands, white clouds, and blue sky at the background. The Beyazid II Külliye majestically stood in front of the horizon.

The Beyazid II Külliye was a unique complex consisted of a mosque, a health university, and a hospital in the Ottoman era. Nowadays, part of the hospital complex is turned into a museum where visitors can learn about Ottoman medicine, their health treatment and long-term health facilities. This complex was once a hospital that treat a wide range of health problems, from eye disease to mental illness. It was one of the first example of mental hospital that treated patients with music, sound of water, and scents.

We stayed for quite a while until late afternoon. We hopped onto a minibus that passed by the kulliye to return to the city otogar for our return ride to Istanbul. In Istanbul, we discovered a local eatery at Aksaray called Nederi Urfa. We had some lentil soup, meat kebabs, pizzas, and some dessert, for only 9 TYL each. Pretty good price.

2006.05.02_Mosques of Edirne

Photos: Ucserefei Camii ceiling, Eski Camii ceiling, Selimiye Camii ceiling, Interiors of Selimiye Camii.

A primary reason of coming to Edirne was to see its architecture. In a few hours we managed to visited three unique mosques and the Bayezid II Külliye Health Museum. We first visited the Ueserefei Camii and Eski Camii, two modest-size mosques with beautiful interior decorations. Mosques are often decorated with abstract patterns and Scripture from the Qu'ran in vivid. It was forbidden to depict realistic portraits of people and animals in a mosque. The carpet floor of the mosques are often made up with many pieces of small carpets put together. Each small carpet is richly decorated with the same pattern, and each is designated for one prayer.

The third mosque we visited was Selimiye Camii, designed by Mimar Sinan in the 16th century. With its 70m minarets, fine interior arrangement, and magnificent tile decorations, the Selimiye is one of the most famous Islamic architecture in Turkey, if not in the entire Muslim world. Sinan himself considered the Selimiye his best work.

Mimar Sinan is often referred to as the most famous architect in the Ottoman Empire. As the chief royal architect for three sultans, his works ranged from mosques to many institutional buildings in the 16th century. Sinan experimented with various configuration of domes, semi-domes and galleries to form a unified dome interior lit with natural light. He also arranged the mosque and other buildings into large complexes known as külliye.

2006.05.02_Edirne

Photos: Minaret of Selimiye Camii, Byzantine architecture (former Roman baths), Timber house with tin cladding, Little fruit vendor, Streetscape

In the morning, we took the tram and then underground to the main otogar, a large transportation hub where one can get on a coach and go to any destination in Turkey, and even to neighbouring countries. We picked one company (worth the time and effort to check out the options) for Edirne. Bus companies in Turkey come in various price and quality levels. In general, the buses are clean and pleasant, somewhat better than the greyhound coaches in North America.

Edirne is a relaxed city located near the Greek and Bulgarian border. Often regard as the gateway of Turkey, Edirne was once a crucial destination in between Europe and Istanbul. In the 14th and 15 centuries, it even served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire. Significant buildings and mosques dotted all over the old city. We came mainly to see the magnificent Ottoman architecture.

Laid-back, pleasant, some street live but not crowded. Despite its great Ottoman architecture, Edirne felt like an entirely different world than Istanbul.

2006.05.02_Black and White City, Istanbul

In City of Black-and-White, every speck of grime on the timber sidings of an old house calls on memories of transient splendors of a great city. Filled with houses whose wooden facades have never been painted for decades, contemporary urban landscape becomes a series of age-old postcards, monotonous and serene. Here humble architecture stands unchanged beyond generations.

Morning smoke from the chimney reveals that the crooked timber house is still occupied. Since an earthquake in the 16th century and until the fall of the Ottoman Empire, timber was the primary construction material for vernacular architecture in Istanbul. This house is probably built in the 19th century when influx of refugee flocked to the ancient Ottoman capital, raising the demand for narrower and smaller dwellings in densely populated areas. The cantilever bay on the upper floor, a common architectural feature during that time, reflects the needs to maximize living space and to shelter the pedestrians on the street below. Despite being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985, Istanbul’s historical areas are continuously facing the threats from urban transformations. Efforts have been made to maintain this historical urban fabric, a provocative setting of melancholy that reminds people of the bygone eras of the empire. Yet, in a city of 11 million inhabitants, Istanbul’s urban evolution has no turning back. Just as one of the locals commented while I was taking the photo, ‘This house will be gone in 2 years. Look at it, it’s crooked! No one wants to live in it.’

2006.05.01_Grand Bazaar, Cemberlitas Hammam, Istanbul

On our way down the hill we passed by an area full of hardware shops, and then toy shops. Then we found ourselves arrived at the famous Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. We spent over an hour in this gigantic covered market (over 50 covered shopping streets), selling mainly tacky souvenirs, t-shirts, pottery, not-sure-if-they-are-real jeweleries, etc. It was interesting, definitely predated all shopping malls for a few hundred years. Less romantic than the Parisian arcades, but more colourful and lively, if you don't mind the overwhelming touristic atmosphere. Similar to most tourist shopping areas in the world, it was next to impossible to find one-of-a-kind merchandise here. We left the bazaar empty handed.

We took some rest at the hostel after a full day of walking. In the evening, we walked along the main street where the tram ran, and picked a domestic-looking eatery for dinner. Some meat, some Turkish pizza, some plates of salad that half of us didn't try. I guess we worried about the water that they used to clean the vegetables. I guess I had a little.

After dinner, we walked over to Cemberlitas Hammam for a Turkish bath. It's not bad. Each of us spent 25 Turkish TYL for a service that included a sort-of-private change room (one for HC, SH and me, and another one for the 3 girls), self-serve shower (which we skipped entirely because we had no idea where to begin), body scrub, foam clean, and then short massage. In the change room on the 2nd level, we took off our clothes, wrapped a towel, and walked downstairs into the male shower room. We walked right into the steamy dome-ceiling male bathing hall. It was full of bathers. Some were being served by the staff at the central marble platform, while many sat aside at the individual cleaning niche with a small bucket in hand, soaping and rinsing and chatting. There were also more private washing chambers but we didn't bother to go in. We did what the others were doing, rinsing ourselves with hot and cold water at the perimeter of the big circular dome-ceiling bathing hall. After a while, we felt it was time and one by one we lay down on the central marble platform, awaiting for our turn for the staff to "clean" our bodies. HC was the first to be served, and then SH, and I was the last. Each of us was served by a different staff. They told me that mine was the "best". I wasn't sure, but I was pretty happy about what he had done to my body. Basically I was scrubbed with a rough towel, then rubbed with a soap, then came some massage, punches, pulls, hands and feet, arms and legs, so on and so forth. When we were done, we went back upstairs to get change, and went downstairs to the lobby to wait for our female buddies. At the lobby, each of us was served with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. A nice closure to a exhausting day. As we strolled back to our hostel, I could sense my muscles relaxed, and skin smoothed. I could truly feel the gentle night breezes touched upon my skin. Quite a sensational feeling.

2006.05.01_Rustern Pasa, Suleymaniye, Istanbul

Photos: Rustern Pasa, Suleymaniye exterior, Suleymaniye interior, View of the Distant Bosphorus, University Students at Suleymaniye

After lunch, we found our way to visit a small mosque called Rustern Pasa Camii, and a larger Suleymaniye Camii, which is located on a hill. At the back courtyard, there was a really nice view overlooking down to the Bosphorus. Two young guys, handsome looking, came over to us and practiced their English with MC, and then with all of us. Really nice guys, cheerful, a little shy and brave at the same time.

2006.05.01_Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

At 09:00, we arrived at Topkapi Palace. We began our visit from the Harem, and then the Palace Courtyards, and finally the Treasury. By the time we reached the Treasury, the Palace was packed with tourists. The Treasury contains some really interesting artifacts, including the sword of Prophet Mohammad.

For several centuries the Topkapi had been the royal palace for the Ottoman Empire. Today it's a World Heritage site and a magnificent example of Ottoman architecture. The history of the Ottomans has always fascinated me. From a groups of nomadic tribes (突厥) who dominated the Central Asian Steppes, migrated west to the Islamic Empire and became Islamic warlords of the Near East, and then established their own empire and culture somewhere between Europe and Asia. Their culture was a true fusion.


We had lunch at a restaurant called Hamdi Et Lokantasi, located on the rooftop of a century old building. We had some "authentic" Turkish food, such as Turkish pizza and eggplant kebab. The eggplant with mince lamb meat, grilled to charcoal black. The taste wasn't bad, it's just something I can't have everyday.

2006.04.30_Beyoglu, Istanbul

Photos: Taksim Square, Police at Taksim Square, Fish Market near Galata Bridge, Fish Market from Galata Bridge, Whirl Dance

We passed by the Galata Tower, continued walking north until we reached Taksim Square. We chose a cafe, climbed up to the rooftop patio, relaxed ourselves, each with a cup of coffee in hand, took some photos, and watched the pedestrian flows on the square for quite some time. Noisy and colourful, this area is one of the busiest shopping district in the city. In the evening, we bought Wednesday's bus tickets for Izmir, and had a fishy dinner at Rekes Restaurant near the Taksim. After dinner, we passed by a fish market by the water. Business was still strong, under the illumination from the bright bulbs that reminded me of the similar light fixtures, sometimes with plastic red covers, that was pretty common at every street market in Hong Kong when I was a little kid. It wasn't bedtime yet when we arrived back in Suleymaniye. We ended up going to the nearby Cafe Mesale, a place near our hostel that constantly advertised on their whirling dervish dance performance. Not until we sat down that we realized the dance was only performed by a single dancer, kind of amateurish, on a portable stage in the middle of an outdoor terrace, around which dozens of tables were filled with tourists, all hidden in some sort of fruity smoke. We picked our table, selected our favorite fruit favour, pulled out the individually packaged mouth piece, and took our turn to experience shisha. When did the dancer finish his dervish dance performance? I don't recall anyone noticed. Though I remember seeing him spending most of his time sitting at the edge of the stage, talking and laughing loudly with the musicians. He had his fun. And so did all of us, and all the tourists surrounding us.