Cruise across the Mediterranean - Athens to Malaga, via Valletta

[RooFlyer]

Next stop is Şehzade Mosque Of course there are thousands of mosques in Istanbul, and the grandest are not on my itinerary this time. And, to be honest, the mosques here can get a bit ho-hum, being much the same basic plan. But I'm visiting a few and this one is very nice.

Sinan, the greatest Ottoman architect, built this mosque between 1543 and 1548 for Süleyman the Magnificent, in memory of his son Prince Mehmed, who died young. Sinan later called it his "apprentice work". Its symmetrical design, with a central dome supported by four half-domes, was an experiment at the time that he refined in later great works.






Tomb of the Prince, and others.



Inside. The first pic gives some perspective = the great dome at the top.



Somewhat skewed





Continuing my walk takes me past many wrecked buildings, many almost wrecked but habitable and a few old gems like this



I might say here that today, and tomorrow, I saw very few western-looking tourists. I walked a lot of grotty neighbourhoods (never felt unsafe) but even in the places like the next one, it was mostly locals.

'Vefa bozacisi'. (Vefa district) Since 1876 and said to have been a favourite of Ataturk. Wiki:

Boza is a fermented beverage originating from Central Asia. It is one of the oldest Turkic beverages . It is made in Turkey, Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, the Volga region, the Caucasus, and North Africa. It is a malt drink made by fermenting various grains: millet, wheat (or bulgur) and maize (corn) in Turkey. It has a thick consistency, a low alcohol content (around 1%), and a slightly acidic sweet flavor.



Cinnamon on top and roasted chickpeas. You can see it has a very thick consistency, and is served at room temperature. It was OK, but won't become a favourite of mine.



My host:

 

[ellen10]

There doesn't seem to be many people out and around @RooFlyer

 

[Pushka]

Are you going down into the Cisterns?

 

[RooFlyer]

There doesn't seem to be many people out and around @RooFlyer

For the most part, these are just regular neighbourhoods. They’re not tourist areas at all.

But I do use the iPhone ‘clean-up’ function to eliminate some unwanted intruders in particular shots

Are you going down into the Cisterns?

I’ve been to the Basilica cistern before. Yesterday I went to another large one, which is actually near the hotel, and I’ll mention that in a future post.

 

[Happy Dude]

Hi @RooFlyer what's the plan for Algiers? Are you able to wonder about yourself?

 

[RooFlyer]

Hi @RooFlyer what's the plan for Algiers? Are you able to wonder about yourself?

A cruise tour at each location. No, you can't go off by yourself - its a 'cruise visa' which means you have to be part of the cruise group at all times.

Next, Claude led me further south-east of the Movenpick and initially through some particularly grotty neighbourhoods. Looking back; that's the Fatih mosque in the background which I'll get to later.



Vefa Mosque.
This was a Byzantine church from around the fourteenth century. Its walls alternate bands of brick and stone, giving it a striped look typical of the late empire. After 1453 it became a mosque, associated with Molla Gürani, a tutor of Mehmed II. The surrounding Vefa neighbourhood is old Istanbul at its most local, with wooden houses and small shops - and pretty run down. This was a disappointment - interesting for the Byzantine church to mosque history, but not able to be entered and surrounded by junk.







That said, at this point I was directly 'under' the grand Suleymaniye Mosque and the university, both of which I visit later.



Proceeding up the hill, there is some urban renewal in an area more up-market than behind me, towards the hotel.




Kalenderhane Mosque
Another small mosque, tucked away such that you'd never see it, let alone visit it without being led there. This building is believed to have been a Byzantine church dedicated to the Theotokos Kyriotissa in the twelfth century, built over an earlier Roman bath. Excavations in the 1960s revealed thirteenth-century frescoes of the life of St Francis of Assisi, which date from the Latin occupation after 1204 and are among the earliest depictions of Francis in the eastern Mediterranean. The Kalenderi dervish order later used the building, giving iit its name.





Under renovations and I discovered to my detriment that the carpet had just been wet cleaned, soaking my socks.





The aqueduct nearby



The walk so far - although Google goes the long way round in a number of cases. Main tourist area off to the right - about 35 min walk from the Movenpick.

 

[bPeteb]

I mentioned how the change of plane and re-seating caused an issue. Just got settled in 3K (window RH side) when the bloke behind me started complaining to his partner across the aisle. When FA came round, he really started complaining - was told they'd be together, but they aren't (are across the aisle). Guy got mildly aggressive; QR (female FA) said can't change unilaterally, perhaps someone can change seats. Guy basically said to effect - 'go off and do your job'. Amazingly, the FA gently pushed back. He just got more rude. FA went off and the guy started calling the FA a 'bi**h' etc to his partner. A few other choice words, clearly audible.

I went and found the the CSM and reported the guy. CSM came and spoke to the guy, who continued his complaint. A bit of time elapsed and I was pretty disappointed to discover that they found someone to move so he could move beside partner, fortunately on the other row from me. I got hold of the CSAM and said I'd support the FA if any complaint was raised, and I thought it was a pity that they guy won. In Australia it would be borderline for him to be offloaded. The guy opposite me, other side of the aisle then backed me up and said he'd also support the FA if a complaint.

Of course, whenever I was standing and looked into their conjoined 'suite', they weren't conversing, just with their own headphones on etc.

Just a Richard Cranium. I'm going to send feedback to QR about him and praising the crew.

Just out of interest Roo what nationality?

 

[RooFlyer]

Just out of interest Roo what nationality?

Sounded like a Brit. 30-ish.

 

[bPeteb]

Sounded like a Brit. 30-ish.

As I thought

 

[RooFlyer]

Continuing to the Süleymaniye Mosque, one of Istanbul's great mosques, on top of a prominent hill. It was completed in 1557 for Süleyman the Magnificent. Its main dome rises about 53 metres, supported by half-domes, and four minarets mark Süleyman as the fourth Ottoman sultan to rule Istanbul. Around the mosque were a hospital, schools, a bathhouse and a caravanserai. In the garden behind it stand the tombs of Süleyman and his wife Hürrem. What I hadn't noticed before were flying buttresses supporting the main dome.



Fossils!



The tomb of Süleyman and family, with siome lovely tilework









There are wonderful views of Istanbul from the gardens, and this reminded me that I visited this mosque on a previous visit.



Galata tower over there











Inside all is serene as you would expect with an exceptional dome and supporting sub-domes.

 

[Pushka]

On of our memories of the Mosque was a Collingwood supporter wearing their jail bars sleeveless jersey while we women were scrutinised within an inch of our skin.

Those wet socks though - uggggh.

 

[RooFlyer]

At this point, I abandoned my planned walk onto the Grand Bazaar, as it meant walking downhill, therefore uphill again to get back to the hotel. I was pretty stuffed by this point, so turned back.






Typical of the old neighbourhoods





Close to the hotel, on busy Ataturk Bvd





And this intriguing sight. I visited later - a cistern, but the outer part, taken down for building of the highway.



Back through the market







And finally, the aqueduct again.



Not bad for ridding the cobwebs and some jetlag.

 

[VPS]

At this point, I abandoned my planned walk onto the Grand Bazaar, as it meant walking downhill, therefore uphill again to get back to the hotel. I was pretty stuffed by this point, so turned back.


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Typical of the old neighbourhoods

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Close to the hotel, on busy Ataturk Bvd

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And this intriguing sight. I visited later - a cistern, but the outer part, taken down for building of the highway.

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Back through the market

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And finally, the aqueduct again.

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Not bad for ridding the cobwebs and some jetlag.

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I love seeing some of the older run down places that you don't see on the main tourist drags

 

[RooFlyer]

Later that afternoon, I had a hammam at the place behind the hotel. I love hammams, and I'll do another at a very old, traditional place that I've gone to before, in a few days,

Home Page - Zeyrek Çinili Hamam

zeyrekcinilihamam.com

Its newly renovated and has a museum attached. My only pic of the entrance where you relax before and after the treatment



Inside (web pic). You relax for 15 mins in the side alcove (sauna), then get washed, move to the central marble slab to get scrubbed and then foam massage, then rinsed off; final rinse is cold. All the surfaces are warm to hot and its a sauna like atmosphere.

​

The museum - artefacts and carvings of galleons in one of the cisterns.



The 'slippers' used in former days










When I emerged, a thunderstorm was in progress, and stayed for the rest of the evening, so I ate at the Movenpick. Only so-so. A mixed grill.

 

[RooFlyer]

The next day I set off to complete yesterday's planned walk, to the east of the hotel. A 30 min walk to the Süleymaniye Mosque atop the hill, and next to it is the main university.

I tried to enter into the university grounds by 2 entrances and was turned away, but at the third, no problem. Some lovely park grounds.


This is the monumental main gate of Istanbul University, facing Beyazıt Square. The gate belongs to a nineteenth-century Ottoman building that first served as the War Ministry before the university took it over. The square in front sits on the site of the ancient Forum of Theodosius, one of Constantinople's grandest public spaces, so you end up almost where the aqueduct's water once arrived. The gate itself is richly carved.



Then, explaining the next monument, within the University grounds, Beyazit Tower




Then to the Grand Bazaar. Visited twice before, but always worth a squiz. Begun under Mehmed II soon after the 1453 conquest, this is one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets, with more than 60 streets and some 4,000 shops. It grew from the original Bedesten, a vaulted stone hall for valuable goods that still stands at its core.





The gold 'souq'







It was raining on and off, so I headed back to the hotel.

 

[RooFlyer]

After lunch, I headed out for a circuit north-west of the hotel. First stop, the Fatih mosque, on the hilltop to the west of the hotel. It honours Sultan Mehmed II, "the Conqueror," who took Istanbul in 1453. He built it in the 1460s on the site of the Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles, a sacred burial place of emperors. That building was one of Constantinople's grandest, and Mehmed chose the spot partly to show that the new Ottoman capital would outshine the old. Mehmed's mosque was designed by Atik Sinan, and it was one of the largest in the empire. A major earthquake in 1766 brought it down, and Sultan Mustafa III rebuilt it by 1771. The current structure has a central dome supported by four semi-domes and a spacious courtyard. Mehmed's own tomb stands behind the mosque, in a garden you can enter. Around the complex were originally eight madrasas, a hospital, a library, a caravanserai and kitchens. That made it practically a university city. The surrounding Fatih district remains one of the city's most devout and traditional neighbourhoods.

I didn't go in as prayers were on.









Outside there was the Wednesday bazaar.