R WE MAD?: 14 September

Being the only city to straddle two continents, Istanbul became the centre of the Ottoman Empire. Its long history has given it a depth of culture. Europe and Asia seem to blend into one.

If ancient buildings’ are a gauge of wealth, the Sultans that ruled must have been fabulously rich. Aptly, the Egyptian Obelisk being the oldest monument in Istanbul was our first stop. This pink granite obelisk erected in 390AD in the Hippodrome, was originally carved and erected in Egypt (ca 1549-1503BC). The plinth on which it stands depicts the mammoth task of erecting this massive chunk of rock.

But for me the Sultanahmet or Blue Mosque was the iconic symbol I had dreamed of seeing. The exterior is not blue at all, its more of a grey colour, however the interior is adorned with 40000 Isnik blue tiles that give it its popular name.

Built in 1606, the 14 year old Sultan Ahmet I ordered that the mosque was to have minarets of gold. However, gold and six sounds very similar in Arabic, hence six minarets were built. The number of minarets is governed by the standing of the person who builds it and its importance, six being the number reserved for only one, the Grand Mosque of Mecca. Solution, the young Sultan paid for a seventh to be built in Mecca.

I waited for the evocative first call of the muezzin before photographing the mosque, which for me has a similar aura to that of the Taj Mahal. Not only is that when the sky is washed in soft pinks but it is the only time when you get a chance to enjoy the place in relative quiet. Turkey’s 35 million tourists mean these places are constantly filled with a seething mass of humanity.

View of Aya Sofya from the gates of the Blue Mosque

Heading up the square, the 1500 year old Aya Sofya rendered in pinks and ochre stands proud. This huge domed roof building started life as a Greek Orthodox Church.

Later when it was converted into a mosque four minarets were added and the wall frescos were covered with plaster, as no human forms are allowed in a mosque (Now I know why Persian carpets have only geometric designs).

Images that were plastered over when the church was converted to a mosque

As the sun started to set, we joined the many families, who come to the square to socialize, eat, play and soak up the atmosphere.

Day 2 saw us first in the queue to visit the Basilica Cistern which was built to store the cities water supply which was brought via an aqueduct from 19 kilometers away. 336 columns support the 138 vaulted roofs and the 3.5 meter thick walls have been coated with a special mortar to prevent water loss. The dimly lit interior resembles’ the set of the Phantom of the Opera and due to excellent acoustics is used for concerts today.

There are two columns that are supported by upside down Medusa heads, no one knows when or where they came from.

Sticking to the watery theme we took the jamb packed tram to the Eminonu ferry terminal. Here we embarked for a cruise on the Bosphorus, the narrow strip of water, which separates Europe from Asia. The Bosphorus Strait links the Mamara and Black Seas, which have a level difference of approximately 45 centimetres resulting in a strong current. Each year 300 cubic kilometres of water pours from the Black Sea through the Strait and into the Mamara.

The shores are lined with palaces and mansions of the rich.

Wherever you look the spires of mosques can seen, but then there are over 2000 mosques in Istanbul.

We disembarked at Anadolu Cavargi and took the very steep and hot trek to the hills above the village. From here we had a magnificent view of where the Black Sea meets the Bosphorus. This little port is popular among the locals for seafood, particularly mussels and in September, blue fish. We ate both in a little street side café, where the tables were perched at an angle, the chef shouted orders to the waiters and the cars literally had to drive around the tables.

Weary we returned to the square and ate salted corn on the cob. What is so noticeable is how openly affectionate the Turkish men are to their wives and children, something we had not expected in an Islamic country.

Once again I rose before dawn, a light shower had left the cobble streets as slippery as glass. One more masterpiece awaited us…..Topkapi Palace. Perched high on the cliffs above the Bosphorus, this magnificent palace has been converted into a museum. Paintings, the armoury, the harem, clothes, jewellery and clocks (Uli you would have enjoyed these) were amongst the items on display. But for me the sheer size and opulence of the palace made this a most worthwhile visit.

In the afternoon we walked through the Egyptian Spice Market on the waterfront.

Built in the 1600’s as part of the New Mosque complex to help pay for the upkeep of the mosque, this colourful, vibrant market has an amazing array of spices, dried fruit, nuts, legumes, olives, cheeses and Turkish delight.

Each shopkeeper vies for your attention, offering tasters in an attempt to make a sale. We ate our fill of Turkish delight tasters, which apparently contains no sugar, only honey is used to sweeten it. We found it rather chewy and not really to our taste. We definitely preferred the Baklava, which is sickly sweet, but oh so yummy.

We ate a delicious chicken shwarma in a crammed little place filled with locals. These sidewalk cafes have miniature stools and tables, reminiscent of nursery school, that spill out onto the sidewalk.