Old cameras at the hotel. Nothing special, Arca Swiss LF camera, and no exotics to nick.

Last night in Istanbul

11 September 2009:
Arrived back in Istanbul from Adana around 1600hrs today. From sunny Adana, I came back to a cloudy Istanbul. I have Kodachrome loaded in my Leica ready to shoot but it was never meant to be. By the time I got to the hotel, it was starting to drizzle a little, the sky grey as usual. News on the way indicated heavy flooding in parts of Istanbul, not in old town for sure. But I’m happy enough to have almost two weeks of sun, so this last day of less than perfect light is not going to be an issue.

On the last day I have here, it will be used to explore places I left out in the first few days. First off, to Eminonu docks to have a fish sandwich. I didn’t really miss this one earlier, if you recall, but the fish sandwich is so good here, I will need to have one last one before I leave. Recognised this time, the fish in question is Mackerel, so this is not for the people who hate fishy smell. It’s basically pan fried mackerel with salad in bread. Simple and good. Then its off by bus to Balat as I still have some more credit left in my transport key fob. Walking around and shooting the other side of the Golden Horn, this place looks a lot quieter than Eminonu or Sultanahmet. Right after, at Ayvansaray Iskelesi, a ferry took me back to Eminonu before sun was down. Originally I had plans to go back to Harem to take another set of sunset photos but cloud cover was so thick it was going from light to dark without the amber transition in the sky, so plan scrapped and decided to spend some time at Rustem Pasa Mosque.

On the way to Eminonu...

Bosphorus Car Ferry

No, not the fish sandwich I'm after...

Locals (I guess) looking at a passenger Bosphorus ferry, Galata tower in the far background...

Ayvansaray Ferry Terminal in Balat

Lone boat, Halic (Golden Horn) Bridge in the background. In Balat.

Ayvansaray Ferry Station waiting room

The ferries that ply the Golden horn arrive head-first and passengers board from the front tip.

One colour shot of the golden horn ferry interior... Obviously this is the open air part of the deck

View of old Istanbul from the golden horn ferry. I believe it is close to Balat in the foreground.

Fellow passengers.

And soon I'm back at Eminonu...

Dodgy pier-side cafe...

Rustem Pasa Mosque dome!

Along with plenty of old Iznik tiles in this mosque...

This mosque is just filled with beautiful Iznik quartz tiles...

But Rustem Pasa is also a fully working mosque...

But I believe high contrast scenes like this looks better with black and white film...

Exteriors of Rustem Pasa is equally mesmerizing.

At night the fish sandwich shops come alive. The kitchen is on the rocking boat on the right, and the patrons on the left on terra firma.

Yeni Mosque at Eminonu

Zenep Sultan Mosque not too far from Aya Sofia, at night of course.

And blue mosque in Sultanahmet Square

Hmmm... desserts

Kybele Hotel room

Hotel Lobby...

12 September 2009:

And on the last day, a trip to the Grand Bazaar in the center of town is in order. What a better thing to do than to visit the bazaar before it is really open and tourists visit. 7am is a good time. And just to make things interesting, today is exclusively film only. And here are the photos:

Istanbul's Grand Bazaar early in the morning...

... which features many of these squares in the maze of shops, I believe this is part of a caravanserai for the ancient merchants to rest...

... corridors, I really wish I remember where this was, but it is terribly easy to get lost...

... but no doubt I'm at the bazaar...

And not to be mistaken, some merchants do start early!

And a few more of downtown Sultanahmet before heading off to the airport…

I was so tired after two weeks I could have followed this guy.

On second thoughts, I wouldn't want to wake up to pigeon droppings...

And one last picture of the Blue Mosque before rewinding...

Goodbye Turkey, hello Singapore...

*The End*

Sun setting over the Galata Tower

Hanging chandelier at ground floor of Aya Sofia

1 September 2009:
Today is a mixture of sightseeing and chores. One of the plan of this trip was to switch hotels in Istanbul. The idea is not to experience all the hotels in the vicinity of Sultanahmet, but rather, to move around to get a different vantage point of all the landmarks of the city. It is possible, within some tolerance, to determine if a hotel terrace has a good view in Google Earth. Sometimes it works, sometimes there is a building in the way. So it only makes sense that I stay in 3-4 hotels during this trip. The next two days I will be taking day trips out of Istanbul, so it is only making sense that I move to a hotel that allows me to move around to the otogar or the ferry pier easily early in the morning.

0852hrs: Paid 170TL for the hotel and on my way to Aya Sofia for this morning’s trip. It is starting to rain so it is no fun. It did rain overnight, wet roads and all visible this morning. My window was opened all night long and I was lucky not to drench out the whole room. Woke up early in the morning by the morning Fajr prayer calls from countless mosques in the area. In my state of early morning concussion, I was still able to find my audio recorder in the darkness and recorder the prayer wars between mosques. I wouldn’t politically call it ‘fighting’ but it does seem like there is a small element of rivalry there. But overall the plan for this trip to Istanbul has turned out well, walked the city when the weather was fine in the last few days and just as the weather turned bad, I’ve only got the interiors of Aya Sofia left to go through today. Plus some time wasting walkabouts this afternoon.

0901hrs: Queue for Aya Sofia is already relatively long despite the rain, and mainly made up of private tour groups with special tickets ready. On the way in the entrance is strewn (not exactly true, there are some elements of orderly arrangement) with pieces of the old building that was supposed to be here before the current one was build. I spent a little more time than the tour groups checking all the pieces out , architecturally it seems rather roman, carved marble slabs, columns and arches are all over the place. But if the previous temple was all stone, I wonder how it got burnt down.

Aya Sofia Garden: Garden of pillars

Aya Sofia Garden: Greek writing on some of the remains

Aya Sofia Garden: Possible style of the old structure that used to stand here

Aya Sofia Garden: How do they know? I wonder....

Aya Sofia Garden: It is strange for me to see all these historical leftovers as garden ornaments. Better than having it plundered, possibly.

Ah, at least I know I'm visiting the right building!

I don’t think I have to mention everything that is inside Aya Sofia, every book out there describes it in much more detail than I could in a single post. One thing is for sure, this is one big, elaborate and impressive building. The marbles look as though they have been chosen for their pattern, and they are arranged so that the patterns repeat somewhat, done by cutting it into two and putting the two newly exposed surfaces next to each other, so they look like mirror reflections. Very nicely done if I may. First time I’ve seen it arranged like this.

Some of the arches and column dont look very even, appparently due to a rush job while fitting out the building. Columns are not mathematically straight either. But it’s good timing as I happen to watch a Discovery Channel documentary on the building the night I was supposed to leave for Istanbul!

Grand as it is, Aya Sofia is also under renovation, with 13 storey scaffolding right under the main dome obscuring the size of the place. I’d say that the Ottomans were lucky that the church was built in an orientation that approximates the direction of Mecca, so that the devotees only have to skew it a few positive degrees, not more. Or else the interiors would have been a mess.

Aya Sofia: Inside the Main Entrance

Aya Sofia: Muslim Calligraphy adorn the gallery

Aya Sofia: No part of the building is not decorated

Aya Sofia: Who sent the fish in here?

Aya Sofia: This is the first batch of tourists at around 9am! The pattern on the floor is the actual marble patterns, not moire patterns off my camera...

Aya Sofia: Guessing this gold thingy points torwards Mecca. notice how it is offset just a little bit from the direction the original church was made to face.

Aya Sofia: Urn from Pergamon. I've made many shots of this area, and somehow this shot with Kodak Tri-X looks better than any colour alternative.

Aya Sofia: Omphalion, where emperors are... ah well, read the damn signpost!

Aya Sofia: Staircase to the second floor gallery

Aya Sofia: Proof that the ancients are also into graffiti...

Aya Sofia: View from the gallery on the second floor. All recent photos of the interior of this place always features the scaffolding - feels like it is a permanent part of the building now.

Aya Sofia: I love all these Islamic art motifs.

Aya Sofia: Base of the Mimbar, from which the Imams would preach (on top of this, of course)

Aya Sofia: On an outcast day black and white shows this mosaic in its best light... On the second floor gallery.

Aya Sofia: I love the old chandeliers. One last one to bring us out...

1116hrs: Out of Aya Sofia. Spent a reasonably good amount of time looking closely at just about everything while trying to avoid the rude tour groups trying to do a rush job of visiting the venue and steam rolling everyone down. It is still drizzling but I will have to switch hotel at noon.

1315hrs: At the train track going to Sirkeci, hoping to scout the vicinity of Galata bridge and see if there is a late cruise trip. If it is not available, then it will be walking Beyoglu for the afternoon. We’ll see how things goes, no real plan except to roam the areas of the Halic for the rest of the day.

1340hrs: At Enimonu docks looking at Beyoglu and the Bosphorus ferries. This is a busy place. Once the ferry leaves another one arrives to take its place. Not all are full to the brim like sardine cans, but still busy nonetheless. Each pier is its own little terminal. Tickets is by the usual Jeton token. 1 token will get you across the Bosphorus. But I will not go yet at this moment. Continued walking towards the Galata bridge, having a 4TL fish sandwish along the way. The sandwich is tasty good stuff but I think I got part of the gills of the mackerel fillet along with all the bones that are clearly not for consumption. As Turkey is not a clean place, I guess it is possible to just throw away fish bones anywhere on the street.

TCCD Train at Sirkeci Station

One of the ferry landing points at Eminonu

Another view of Galata with the Tower in the background

It may look standard, but bread, mackerel, onions, lettuce make for very very good lunch...

This is one of the Bosphorus ferry that goes to the Asian shores

More fishing

Galata Bridge

Yup, and more fishing...

Galata Bridge: what can I say. Was expecting something like the Tower bridge in London or one of the elaborate bridges across the Seine, at least Bir Hakeim, but no, this is as boring as it gets. Causeway style most of the way with restaurants lodged between the water and road deck and a little bridge in the middle for low river boats to pass. Above on the road deck, anglers line the bridge with their wooden contraption to keep the rods held and locked to the railing.

View of Galata from Eminonu

Walked across to Beyoglu end of Galata Bridge, and time for a little snack. Fish soup, bread and some more of the Turkish Tea should complete my tea time meal. There is an area selling hardware and tools and that is where I find this small shop selling soup.

Market for Hardware Tools in Beyoglu

Areas for quiet reflection are all over Istanbul, if you look hard enough...

Fish soup restaurant

Best break ever: Fish soup, bread and a cup of Turkish tea

1612hrs: Managed to find my way up to Galata tower by the furnicular tram and then short 100m walk downhill. The walk passes through small cobblestoned streets with many music shops. Now sitting by the tower while my Garmin is having much difficulty locking onto satellite signals. No photo opportunities here as the light is coming from the wrong angles. Time to go back down to the waterfront and walk across Ataturk Bridge back to Eminonu to catch a ferry to Asia.

To Galata Tower

Furnicular Tram up the hill...

Blah... too close!

On the way down from Galata Tower to the waterfront

1804hrs: After a long walk back, now at Eminonu-Karakoy pier. Wanted to go to Uskudar but got on the wrong ferry instead, but not an issue, there is a nice view of mosques at Sultanahmet here. The ferry stops at Haydarpasa, where there is a train station before hitting Kadikoy. However, here in Kadikoy I realised the line of sight to the sun setting is not too ideal for a sunset photo. Not too much time left, and I will have to quickly look for a bus to Uskudar. The timetable at the pier seems to suggest that ferries run till close to midnight so I should be safe as far as the idea of getting stuck in Asia is concerned. Good that I managed to get an Akbil stored value key fob today. Allows me to travel without the need to dish out coins or look for a token booth.

On Ataturk Bridge

Suleymaniye Mosque from Ataturk Bridge

Skyline of minarets is what makes Istanbul unique...

More street scenes

Ferry to Karakoy

Haydarpasa Train Station on the Asian shore

Finally: Karakoy ferry station in Asia

The bus slowly meanders its way all the way to Uskudar next to the ferry docks. After checking the pier timetable to be sure there is a boat back after my photoshoot, its time to fast walk the coastline all the way towards Harem till I find the best spot for the shoot. Did what a lazy photographer would do, sitting down on a bench while shooting. For this session, a tripod will be required, which I deployed while homeless kids asking for money, thinking all asian looking people are rich Japanese. They don’t understand English, so its time to practice my insults on them. Didn’t work so I tried the cock-stare, as Singaporeans call it. That worked.

Sun set view over Suleymaniye Mosque from Uskudar

Who says you can't do sunset with black and white film?

The sun sets behind Galata tower, was hoping for it to go behind the tower but it seems to miss it by just a bit. Suleymaniye Camii is on the left, not as nice as the Galata tower as it is too far from the setting sun, but still a good shoot. Met a local photographer during the shoot. We talked photography while waiting between sun setting and the dusk glow setting in.

Entrance to ferry station at Uskudar

Boat rides don't get more exciting than crossing the Bosphorus from Asia back to Europe at night...

2054hrs: On board the SH Fatih on the way back to Golden Horn and eventually back to the hotel. Been a long day today, pretty eventful, no mosques, but more of a landscaping day. Sitting on the deck on the right side to have a nice view of European side of Istanbul. The boat is not too full on the way back. Very tired by now, and tomorrow a day trip to Edirne.

One final picture to take us out: Sun set on Day 3...

Continue to Edirne…

*end*

Turkish Flag at Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

The Bosphorus and Anatolia from Topkapi Palace

30 August 2009:
Had running nose a few days before the trip and on the verge of getting fever. Not such a good idea in this day and age. However, I was recommended a a lifesaver tablet – Actifed to handle the runny nose, with a pleasant side effect where it knocks you out cold. Took it 30mins before the flight and I was sleeping all the way. Had to wake up in Dubai, thanks to the landing, but was asleep again once we took off.

0805hrs: Arrived at Istanbul IST, early in the morning. As I was able to sleep all the way, even with the time difference, I was all full of energy and can’t wait to start the day. I’ve got a small little backpack in the cargo hold, so waiting at the conveyor belt number 3 for my lone backpack to emerge. Not too much time to take in whatever atmosphere is here at the airport, I’m just thinking about checking into a hotel, get a nice shower and then start wandering around Sultanahmet.

0839hrs: Arranged for a hotel pickup since I’m not in the mood to take a taxi. While waiting for the car to arrive, was able to chat with the caretaker over a cup of tea. This is my first cup of authentic Turkish tea made by a Turk, and it tastes like any ol standard Lipton tea left to brew for a long time so that it is thick.

On Kennedy Ave next to the sea of Marmara

The trip from the airport to Sultanahmet is quite scenic in itself. I have been going through the satellite maps of the route a few times, and I could tell which road the driver was taking. The view over the Sea of Marmara with what looks like oil tankers from the Balkans are just confirmation that I’m finally here. I don’t get to see too many large ULCCs here, perhaps because it has to squeeze through the small-ish Bosphorus straits.

The first thing one does in old Istanbul is to stumble upon a park between the mosque and Aya Sofia. This one looks towards the mosque.

Sultanahmet Mosque from the park

Detailed look at Sultanahmet Mosque

Aya Sofia from the park

This guy looks like thug-ish enough to have me use up a frame of film on him. Around Sultanahmet/Blue Mosque.

Unrelated street shot in the touristy part of Istanbul, but since this was taken on the same day, it justifies it's right to be on this page.

1113hrs: I have been out of the hotel for some time now, and having tea with Cengiz the carpet seller. Quite obvious he is taking his time to gain my trust and sell me a carpet or two. I was not too glad to have to oblige. If I’m short of time, I’d rather spend it moving around the city rather than chat about life, China, and women. While in there, I dreamt up my solution in the future: I will stick in my ipod ear buds so that I can ignore future carpet sellers without offending them. Anyway, if that is the sale tactic, I don’t think they would be offended.

Once out of the shop, I have to quickly parse together all the parameters for the day, what to do now and what to put off to another day. The sun is out, the sky is blue, and eventually the plan on day 1 would be to handle Topkapi Palace first and after that Sultanahmet Mosque next. The Aya Sofia can wait for another day, where I plan to spend at least half a day. As it is indoor (i.e. large building) I can do it even when the weather is not that great.

Entrance to Topkapi Palace

1152hrs: Strolling into Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi). Entrance fee is  20TL. I have no idea how much that is, and it feels cheap as the number is small. But I am aware that the new Turkish Lira is very very close to the US Dollar. Even small bottles of mineral water here feels cheap at 1TL at tourist areas, and 0.5TL in more conventional shops.

There are so much detail inside the palace, I'm just going to call this Interior Shot 1, and so on... No way I could remember where they were shot.

Interior Shot 2: At least I remember this one was shot at the Harem part of the palace

Interior Shot 3: So is this one

Interior Shot 4

More interior of the Harem section of the palace

Some parts of the palace can get dark and narrow. I doubt the Sultans ever venture here...

First stop at the palace is the Harem. An additional ticket is required. The Courtyard of the Harem Eunuchs is quite interesting. Blue tiles from Iznik are everywhere and Islamic calligraphy surround the courtyard. Apparently this place was renovated in 1665 after a fire.

Didn’t know that the main entrance of the Harem started inside the building. It opens into a courtyard, with a modern fire hydrant in the middle. Makes sense that the eunuchs live outside the Harem! Then again, if the eunuchs were castrated, then there is no harm that they hang around the harem! Anyway, the entrance is small, enough for a double door and greeted by two large mirrors.

Interesting ceiling design...

Like in China, guards here are quite laid back...

Interior Shot 5: Ceiling portholes for the skylight

Interior Shot 6: This has to be a major Sultan chillout or audience room, again at the Harem

After a few alleyways, you notice that this harem is lighted not with lamps, even with all the small dark alleyways. There are light shafts in the shape of hexagons topped with glass providing natural lighting. Again, all walls lined with motif tiles, I need to get one of those Iznik tiles for souvenir. They look nice in vibrant blue. The Queen Mother’s room has a nice dome covered in motifs, and chandelier hanging down from it. Some dodgy mannequins complete the look. They look like they used to adorn the display of a departmental store.

I’ve never intended to turn this blog into a page out of a Lonely Planet guide, so I shall refrain from describing every single second, if I can help it. But it is not everyday someone has a mobile phone blogging away while in the midst of visiting a historical place.

1316hrs: Resting after going through half of the Harem. This place is huge and plenty of rooms to go through if you take your time. While at the courtyard of the Sultan’s Favourites (wondering favourite what), the noontime prayer is in full swing. Here, part of the Bosphorus and Anatolia is visible, and so are the sounds coming from all the mosques in the city. Good that I have my audio recorder with me, and I’m recording it right now, while checking out the details that are all around me.

Details from the Courtyard of the Harem

This palace is just filled with tiles from Iznik...

... and very quickly I lose track of the number of designs that are in this single courtyard...

... and another, notice they're all in shades of cobalt blue...

...and just to break the flow, here's a little detail of the ceiling of the courtyard roofing

More from the courtyard

One final one, everything here is amazingly detailed

Looking out onto the courtyard

1358hrs: At the Topkapi Palace treasury after visiting the Sultan’s clothes. There are a couple of museums in the palace ground. Most are worth the entrance ticket itself. The current one is where the display of the royal wardrobe are kept. They are mostly still in very good condition, with the usual intricate patterns and stitching. The other worthwhile museum is the one where the religious relics from Mecca is kept. There are relics of items that I would never have thought existed: Moses’ walking stick, Prophet Muhammad’s sword, beard, tooth and so on. I’ve not really listed down everything in there, not when google will tell you. While in there, a live quran reading session was going on. While recording it up, a security guard came over to check what I had with me. Obviously they have never seen a recording device so large with a twin big condenser microphone, but after checking it, I was cleared to record the ambient sound in the museum. I find the style of background music here interesting.

Cameras are not allowed in the wardrobe museum. I wonder how this shot came about...

Pavillion overlooking the Bosphorus

Cafe inside the palace grounds close to Mediciye Pavillion

Galata Tower from Topkapi Palace

The Terrace Kiosk

During Ramadan, TV crews set up live stage to broadcast live programs before breaking of fast. Being an engineer, the equipment fascinates me more than the set.

Inside courtyard of the palace

1628hrs: I have spent almost the whole day at the Palace so far. Since the day is still bright, I’ll do Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) next. Good that I was there right at the time of a prayer session, and right before that, they had regular public sermon and Quran recital, mainly because of the current Ramadan season. This Mosque looks very impressive. No issue hanging around the inside of the mosque and resting. I like the idea of mosques where anyone can enter and take refuge from the hot weather outside. Ottoman mosque architectures have large main halls with minimal columns, so it is not only cool inside, but also airy. And this is the first time I heard of the architect Mimar Sinan. Little did I know, I’ll get to see a lot more of his work in the days and weeks to come.

Get ready for a barrage of pictures of the Blue Mosque aka Sultanahmet Mosque

Blue Mosque from Sultanahmet Square

Entrance to the mosque

Interior of the Blue Mosque. Is there a fish in here?

Prayer time about to start...

1715hrs: Ok, last stop for today, the Basillica Cistern. Summary: Septic Tank. Ok, a more accurate summary: underground water tank. A LARGE water tank. Stairs will bring you down underground to the cavern proper. The interior of the cistern is huge, but to keep the cozy atmosphere, they turn off the lights (I’m sure they have large floodlights for the maintenance crews) and have red accent lights on instead along with ambient music in the background. Its damp in here, and you can feel it. This is one of those times where I wish I had a Nikon D3. To shoot the interiors hand held, ISO3200 would be require, at least. Maybe more. The railings are not too stable to shoot a second or so in shutter speed. There are water in there, not too deep it seems, and wooden walking path leading (after a long walk) to a dry area where carved column of  2 Medusa’s head can be found.  Guide books will mention this for sure, since everyone knows to walk over here. Very nice cistern. I like.

But it is close to closing time when I’m done with this place. Time to look for dinner and recover for the next day.

Sun setting over Istanbul Day 1

Aya Sofia at dusk

During the month of Ramadan, there is always something to do, with all the night markets and entertainment all over old Istanbul

Centre of old Istanbul on a Ramadan night (Flares look nice here)

Corn on the cob. 1TL but tastes like overcooked corn.

Continue to Day 2…

*end*