Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK whY

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

Some great memories in that lot! Looking forward to the rooftop drinkies

I scoped out the rooftop bar, but didn't partake. Yes, I'm a complete loser in that regard. (Actually I can't remember why not ... I think it was too hot up there, after a long day's walking the sights. G&T in the lobby bar was cooler.)

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

OK, continuing with my long exploration of the west of the city. Thankfully that came to an end with the Suleymaniye Mosque, but its a beauty. Its the largest in the city and dominates most views of the skyline. Built in the mid 1500s, and, as usual damaged by earthquakes and fires but its basically the original structure.

Inside its 59x58 metres square and undoubtedly 'vast'. Usual very intricate decorations and geometry.




but its outside that this one excels. Prettily set in gardens ...




... and there is a terrace with magnificent views over Istanbul and the Bosphorus waterway. That's where I was headed for.




So leaving the mosque, and descending stairs to the waterfront, and some rather pretty outside shop decorations.




I reached the waterfront at about noon (yep, all the above in a morning!!); unfortunately the main cruise didn't depart until 2:30pm. I was pretty stuffed, and there was weather threatening in the late afternoon (the cruise takes 2 hours). So I decided to take a much smaller cruise vessel, departing at 12:30. The one in the top pic is the one I didn't take!! No pic of the one I rode on, but it was considerably smaller. I think it was TL12 (A$6) - excellent value. The bigger cruiser was a couple of dollars more.

We pushed off late as they waited for a trickle of late-comers. When we were just offshore, the call to prayer started. WOW! Call to prayer in quadraphonic, or more likely octophonic from a multitude of mosques and minarets all around the inner harbour! A very loud wall of surround sound (if that's possible). Views to the New mosque and the Topkapi Palace to start with.

 

[sergeyvzn]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

Loving your trip report! We are booked to go to Turkey in Jan 17, my partner has never been, I was there once ages ago (in 1991 in fact) but all these pictures you took are bringing most wonderful memories! The security situation is a big concern though

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

I'd go back to Istanbul in a heartbeat. The odds of any harm are so small that its not worth being even a little concerned. More risk in the traffic there I reckon!

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

The LH pic below gives you an idea of the cruise boat (upper deck). Quite big enough but unfortunately not big enough to get away from some really annoying fellow passengers (more on them next post). RH pic is the Galata Tower and surrounds.




LH pic is the Istanbul Modern (gallery). RH: By the late 19th century the Sultans apparently got sick of their old, classically built palaces and fancied a spread (or three) by the water. Hence the Bosphorus shores are lined with a number of rather nice palaces and houses. RH pic may be the Four Seasons Bosphorus .




LH pic is the Dolmabahçe Palace, centre of Ottoman administration from the mid 1800s. It has It has an area of 45,000 m[SUP]2[/SUP] and contains 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 baths and 68 toilets. A little further along, under the shadow of the Bosphorus bridge is the Ortakoy mosque, quite the bijou, but its modern - opened in 1973.




LH is looking back at the Bosphorus Bridge, RH is looking forward to the Sultan Mehmet bridge, the cruise turn-around point (I think for all cruises).




Just before the Sultan Mehmet bridge, on the European side is the Rumeli Hisari or 'Fortress of Europe'. Mehmet built the fortress in the mid 1400s as a prelude to his (successful) siege of Istanbul. RH pic a scene from the Asian shore - you can imagine that these places are like places with Sydney harbour views.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

Awful news this morning re attack at Ataturk Airport. My advice would be for that not deter you from visiting Turkey. Statistics are heavily on your side.

Anyway, in a similar downbeat mood, let me introduce you to some of my fellow passengers on the Bosphorus cruise. What's Turkish for 'bogan'?

About 8 of us were sitting on the rear deck and with the delay in departure had started chatting amongst ourselves. Then, this lot of 6 (locals) boarded and then began 3/4 hour - I do not exaggerate - of boorish behaviour, mostly involving 'selfies' and the loathed 'selfie stick'. Completely oblivious to the passengers around them, the selfie stick ended up in peoples faces, they were jumping up and down off the seats etc. I don't know how many pictures of themselves they took, but it must have been a hundred or so. Just how narcissistic can you get?








Anyway, after 3/4 hour they finally got sick of photographing themselves and retreated to the bar downstairs. Some more of the very enjoyable scenery on the return leg of the cruise.




The RH pic is the 'Maiden's tower' (what else) - a small tower and lighthouse where the Bosphorus Straight joins the Marmara Sea, which is joined to the Aegean Sea by the Dardanelles that flows past Gallipoli to the SW.

 

[Pushka]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

The Bosporous Cruises are good - apart from the bogan brigade.

 

[sergeyvzn]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

Not sure what seems to be more dangerous - the threat of a terror attach or the Turkish bogans -)
really enjoying your report!
we are currently only booked to fly in and out of Ataturk in Jan 17, nothing booked in between the dates (03 to 12 Jan), my partner is very keen on going to the ancient Efesus, we were thinking dividing our time between Istanbul and there but now might actually spend less time in Istanbul as it's probably safer elsewhere in the country

 

[amaroo]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

LH pic is the Istanbul Modern (gallery). RH: By the late 19th century the Sultans apparently got sick of their old, classically built palaces and fancied a spread (or three) by the water. Hence the Bosphorus shores are lined with a number of rather nice palaces and houses. RH pic may be the Four Seasons Bosphorus .

View attachment 73960

Enjoying your report! All looks a bit dull for the FS..

 

[VPS]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

glad to hear you're safe

 

[irv]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

Awful news this morning re attack at Ataturk Airport. My advice would be for that not deter you from visiting Turkey. Statistics are heavily on your side.

Unfortunately that is partly their aim, to instil fear into people. Good to hear you are safe

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

Not sure what seems to be more dangerous - the threat of a terror attach or the Turkish bogans -)
really enjoying your report!
we are currently only booked to fly in and out of Ataturk in Jan 17, nothing booked in between the dates (03 to 12 Jan), my partner is very keen on going to the ancient Efesus, we were thinking dividing our time between Istanbul and there but now might actually spend less time in Istanbul as it's probably safer elsewhere in the country

Ephesus and surrounds, plus Cappadocia to come in this TR

glad to hear you're safe

Unfortunately that is partly their aim, to instil fear into people. Good to hear you are safe

Thanks for the thoughts - but I've been home for a couple of weeks

 

[Simo]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

Great to read your TR... Simo

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

Enjoying your report! All looks a bit dull for the FS..

View attachment 74009

Ah, right. Here is the Four Seasons Bosphorus (it even says so )

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

After the cruise I hauled myself up the hill back to the sanctuary of the Four Seasons and the bliss of an (expensive) G&T.

Dinner. Gotta get out of the hotel, but still very tired. Concierge recommended Khorasani, not far away, the other side of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. To be honest, I went too early to do it justice (still tired). The food (in this case effectively a mixed grill, with their Special Kebab' sausage-thing added) was nice enough but the service sucked. On the bright side, I discovered Efes beer. My lifeblood for the rest of the trip; I found the wines too expensive for any decent quality. This was the house red and it tasted like .. well, you can imagine.



The walk back was great though - amazing what you can do with some coloured lights!!



The Blue Mosque



Same on the left, Hagia Sophia on the right.



And the bliss of the Four Seasons. I was asleep in about 5 minutes from this point.

 

[amaroo]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

After the cruise I hauled myself up the hill back to the sanctuary of the Four Seasons and the bliss of an (expensive) G&T.

Dinner. Gotta get out of the hotel, but still very tired. Concierge recommended Khorasani, not far away, the other side of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. To be honest, I went too early to do it justice (still tired). The food (in this case effectively a mixed grill, with their Special Kebab' sausage-thing added) was nice enough but the service sucked. On the bright side, I discovered Efes beer. My lifeblood for the rest of the trip; I found the wines too expensive for any decent quality. This was the house red and it tasted like .. well, you can imagine.

View attachment 74080

The walk back was great though - amazing what you can do with some coloured lights!!

View attachment 74079

The Blue Mosque

View attachment 74078

Same on the left, Hagia Sophia on the right.

View attachment 74077

And the bliss of the Four Seasons. I was asleep in about 5 minutes from this point.

View attachment 74076

Lovely memories! Food, Scenery, Hotel, Drinks... Love it!

 

[Bindibuys]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

We are booked into the Khorasani, hope they pick up their act.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

I'm sure they will be OK ... I was a party of 1, in early. Few places show their best in circumstances like that.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

Second full day started with the Topkapi palace. It was started in the 15th century and added to through the years to serve as the Sultan's palace, with attendant harem, eunuchs, treasury and so on. Its hard to convey it in a few pictures - it's sprawling rather than ostentatious outside; many court yards, pavilions and other structures here and there. A tip - go early! I was there right on opening and I was able to go through the complex with only a couple of others. When I made my way out, it was very busy (even with tourists ~50% down at the time) and lots of tour groups.

Second court yard (deserted!) and the Third Court with the Audience Chamber




Nice views out over the Bosphorus from a blindingly white terrace




A restored state chamber within the harem complex. There is a lot of restoration going on and about half of it was not accessible. Separate ticket required to enter (included in your Istanbul Museum Card).




More gardens and entrance to a pavilion




One of the highlights, the Imperial Treasury was also being renovated :evil: . Couple of the highlights were not on show, but the jewels were (see next post!). The palace shop had a Big Offer, apparently.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Historic Turkey (and 5 airports!), finishing in Muscat,Oman. QF, QR and WY J, TK

Who doesn't enjoy a good collection of rocks?

Spoonmaker's diamond, 86 carats, surrounded by 49 others



Topkapi dagger (in its scabbard) - with three big chunky emeralds



Just a bucket of stones ...



Yet more sparklies ..