Day 6: Boys Boatin' the Bosporus!
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The Boys rose early for their last day in the Turkish State. The Boys broke their fast in a very fancy Turkish Breakfast Buffet. With...... lotsa Shish Kebob! And, actually a lot of other very nice breakfast treats.
It was interesting to see the other guests come down dressed to the nines, in suits, ties, and dresses, while Mike and Bone were in jeans and tennis shoes!
So the Boys had to go the airport at midnight, plenty of time to check out more of Istanbul! They first dropped off their Rental Car, caught a taxi, (not driving into that mess!) into Balat, a very cool neighborhood that Khalid from the first evening in Istanbul mentioned.
Mike and Bone in the "Remnants of the Hagia Sophia": St Michaels
Balat is the traditional Jewish quarter in the Fatih district of Istanbul. It is located on the European side of Istanbul, in the old city on the historic peninsula, on the western bank of the Golden Horn. The first stop in Balat was the home of the Greek Orthodox Church!
The Glitzy Interior of St Michaels
The Church of St. George is the principal Eastern Orthodox cathedral. Since about 1600, it has been the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople whose leader is regarded as the primus inter pares (first among equals) in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and as the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. It is the Orthodox St. Peters in Rome!
The church, dedicated to the Christian martyr Saint George, is the site of numerous important services, and is where the patriarch will consecrate the chrism (Myron) on Holy and Great Thursday, when needed. For this reason, the church is also known as the "Patriarchal Church of the Great Myrrh". At one time, the patriarch would consecrate all of the chrism used throughout the entire Orthodox Church. However, now the heads of most of the autocephalous churches sanctify their own myrrh.
It is a relatively small church, especially so considering its status in world Christianity; this, however, can be explained by the Islamic laws of the Ottoman Empire that governed the rights of dhimmis, which stipulate that all non-Islamic buildings must be smaller and humbler than corresponding Islamic buildings such as mosques: prior to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, as the Boys learned earlier in the week, the church of the Patriarchate was the Hagia Sophia. Mike and Bone were able to take a look inside, see a service underway, and quietly, respectfully, sneak out.
Despite its smaller size, both Mike and Bone felt it had the same gravitas as St Peters! Next, the Boys headed into Balut to check out the Neighborhood and find where the Emperors were buried!
Checking out the cool neighborhood of Balut
Mike and Bone trudged up and down the hills of Balut through the little coffee and pastry shops, noticing the eclectic and eccentric along the way. As they moved closer to the Hagia Sophia, they noticed it became a lot more "Muslim" and less diverse. Finally the Boys came to then next objective of the morning, a subject of grave concern ..... or dead emperors!
Balut is also is where Constantine and most of the Byzantine Roman Emperors are buried at what is now the Fatih Cam Mosque (English: Mosque of the Conqueror) which was once called Church of the Holy Apostles. Bone had been using the Google to find Fatih Cam, and after a few Google mis-steps, found it on top of the hill!
Fatih Cam Mosque (on the site of the Church of the Holy Apostles)
Mike and Bone knew that the original church of the Holy Apostles was dedicated in about 330 by Constantine the Great, the founder of Constantinople, the new capital of the Roman Empire. The church was unfinished when Constantine died in 337, and it was brought to completion by his son and successor Constantius II, who buried his father's remains there. The church was dedicated to the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and it was the Emperor's intention to gather relics of all the Apostles in the church. For this undertaking, only relics of Saint Andrew, Saint Luke and Saint Timothy (the latter two not strictly apostles) were acquired, and in later centuries it came to be assumed that the church was dedicated to these three only.
For more than 700 years, the church of the Holy Apostles was the second-most important church in Constantinople, after that of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia). But whereas the church of the Holy Wisdom was in the city's oldest part, that of the Holy Apostles stood in the center of the newer part of the much expanded imperial capital, on the great thoroughfare called Mese Odós (English: Central Street), and was the city's busiest church. Most emperors and many patriarchs and bishops were buried in the church, and their relics were venerated by the faithful for centuries.
The church's most treasured possessions were the skulls of Saints Andrew, Luke and Timothy, but the church also held what was believed to be part of the "Column of Flagellation", to which Jesus had been bound and flogged. Its treasury also held relics of Saint John Chrysostom and other Church Fathers, saints and martyrs. Over the years the church acquired huge amounts of gold, silver and gems donated by the faithful. The basilica was looted by the Catholics during the Fourth Crusade in 1204. The historian Nicetas Choniates records that the Crusaders plundered the imperial tombs and robbed them of gold and gems. Not even Justinian's tomb was spared. The tomb of Emperor Heraclius was opened and his golden crown was stolen along with the late Emperor's hairs still attached on it. Some of these treasures were taken to Venice, where they can still be seen in St Mark's Basilica, while the body of St. Gregory was brought to Rome.
When Michael VIII Palaeologus the Byzantine Emperor, recaptured the city from the Catholic Crusaders, he erected a statue of the Archangel Michael at the church to commemorate the event, and himself. The church was partially restored again by Andronicus II Palaeologus in the early 14th century, but thereafter fell into disrepair as the Empire declined and Constantinople's population fell. The Florentine Cristoforo Buondelmonti saw the dilapidated church in 1420. It was this dilapidated graveyard that the emperors were buried.
Not quite what you would see in Rome!
When in 1453 Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks, the Sultan built Fatih Cami Mosque, which houses Mehmed's tomb in much more splendor that the emperors! Next the Boys were gonna head back across the Golden Horn near the Hotel for a tour of the Bosporus!
The Very Voluminous Valens Roman Aqueduct!
The Turks went out of their way to remove much of the Roman buildings in Constantinople, however the Roman Aqueduct is every bit as iconic as anything found in Italy or France, Mike and Bone got to check it out while caught in a traffic jam on their way to the docks. The Boys made it to the Docks with 2 minutes to go. Just in time for the Boys to buy a couple of waters and Bone to gorge himself on an ear (or two!) of barbequed corn!
The boarding starting as Bone wiped the salt and kernels from his dripping beard, and the Boys were among the last a board, but Mike and Bone were now doing the Bosporus!
Mike on Bosporus!
he Turks went out of their way to remove much of the Roman buildings in Constantinople, however the Roman Aqueduct is every bit as iconic as anything found in Italy or France, Mike and Bone got to check it out while caught in a traffic jam on their way to the docks. The Boys made it to the Docks with 2 minutes to go. Just in time for the Boys to buy a couple of waters and Bone to gorge himself on an ear (or two!) of barbequed corn!
The boarding starting as Bone wiped the salt and kernels from his dripping beard, and the Boys were among the last a board, but Mike and Bone were now doing the Bosporus!
The boarding starting as Bone wiped the salt and kernels from his dripping beard, and the Boys were among the last a board, but Mike and Bone were now doing the Bosporus!
The Boys were actual on the Bosporus Straight, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara., Since it connects Asia and Europe it is a very strategic waterway, maybe the most important in the world. It was a river in the valley during the Ice Age, which was drowned by the Mediterranean at the end of this period, when it dug its current 20 miles long channel.
Bosporus comes from a Thracian word which means "passage of the cow", deriving from the legend of Io who was one of many lovers of Zeus. When Hera, Zeus' wife, suspected her husband being involved in a love affair with Io, Zeus converted Io in a small cow and tried to send her away from Hera's rage. She (the cow) swam across the strait but Hera discovered it and she sent big flies after the cow to bite and disturb her all the time, ending Io in the Aegean Sea (thus named Ionian sea).
The Old Ottoman Sultans Palace!
Since the ancient times it held always an important role because of its strategic location, being the only passage from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean, along with the Dardanelles strait. Especially during the Cold War, the straits were crucial for Soviet navy.
Bosporus is a very busy waterway with many ships and oil tankers going through it, as well as local fishing and ferries go to the Asian side back and forth. Around 48.000 ships pass through this strait annually, three times denser than the Suez Canal traffic and four times denser than the Panama Canal. Every day Mike and Bone were in Istanbul the shipping traffic was going 24/7!
Bosporus Boatin' Mike and Bone!
Mike and Bone thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It was very nice on the water, with a great sea breeze keeping it comfortable as they toured up about 10 miles of the Straight.
Cousin Castles on the Bosporus!
Mike and Bone thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It was very nice on the water, with a great sea breeze keeping it comfortable as they toured up about 10 miles of the Straight. While on the water the Boys were pointed to the reason the Ottoman Turks kept the Straight, with Castles on both sides.
Rumelihisarı (also known as Rumelian Castle) is a medieval fortress located in Istanbul, Turkey, on a series of hills on the European banks of the Bosporus. The fortress also lends its name to the immediate neighborhood around it in the city's Sarıyer district.
Rumelihisan Castle on the European Side
Conceived and built between 1451 and 1452 on the orders of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, the complex was commissioned in preparation for a planned Ottoman siege on the then-Byzantine city of Constantinople, with the goal of cutting off maritime military and logistical relief that could potentially come to the Byzantines' aid by way of the Bosporus Strait, hence the fortress's alternative name, "Boğazkesen", i.e. "Strait-cutter" Castle.
Its older sister structure, Anadoluhisari ("Anatolian Fortress"), sits on the opposite banks of the Bosporus, and the two fortresses worked in tandem during the final siege to throttle all naval traffic along the Bosporus, thus helping the Ottomans achieve their goal of making the city of Constantinople their new imperial capital in 1453.
The Anatolian Fortress on the Asian Side
After the Ottoman conquest of the city, Rumelihisarı served as a customs checkpoint and occasional prison, notably for the embassies of states that were at war with the Empire. After suffering extensive damage in the Great Earthquake of 1509, the structure was repaired, and was used continuously until the late 19th century.
Today, the fortress is a popular museum open to the public, and further acts as an open-air venue for seasonal concerts, art festivals, and special events. The 1 hour tour up and down was just the respite the Boys needed from the mid-day heat and when they docked they decided to take look at the Grand Bazaar next to the Hagia Sophia, but before the Bazaar, the Boys had a bizarre ride with a Turkish Taxi!
A Turkish Taxi Incident!
The Boys were warned on the first day that the Turkish taxi drivers were scammers extraordinaire, but the driver that took the Boys over to the Golden Horn had bazongas the size of New Jersey!! The taxi's will charge based on traffic and demand. Typically a ride across the river had been about 30 lira or 12 bucks. This afternoon there was a big Soccer Match in town, so the Taxi Driver extorted double or 60 lira before he took the Boys fare. Mike and Bone accepted it with a shrug, it was the last day, so what the heck.
Once they got across the River into the Golden Horn, Bone handed him three 20 lira bills. The Taxi driver started to bitch that the edges of the lira were too tattered and the Boys should replacement with 60 Euro's. This almost started an international incident where Bone was not gonna give him what would have been 72 dollars (in Euro conversion) for a 24 dollar ride (or 60 lira). Plus there was not a damned thing wrong with the currency provided. After a few more heated moments the Taxi Doofus realized the Boys were on to his scam, took the 60 lira and left in a huff and Mike and Bone were glad the trip was almost over!!
Next stop was to visit the Grand Bazaar, but first! Where the heck was it?! After 15 minutes of wandering around in a crowd they stumbled upon the entrance!
A Bizarre End in the Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı, meaning ‘Covered Market) in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops, attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was listed No.1 among the world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazaar at Istanbul is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world.
The Grand Bazaar is located inside the Walled city of Istanbul, in the district of Fatih and in the neighborhood bearing the same name (Kapalıçarşı).
The construction of the future Grand Bazaar's core started during the winter of 1455, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople and was part of a broader initiative to stimulate economic prosperity in Istanbul. Sultan Mehmet II had an edifice erected devoted to the trading of textiles and jewels near his palace in Constantinople.
Mike and Bone, Bazaaring in a Grand Way!
Recurrent calamities, fires and earthquakes have hit the Grand Bazaar. The first fire occurred in 1515; another in 1548. Other fires ravaged the complex in 1588, 1618 (when the Bit Pazari was destroyed), 1645, 1652, 1658, 1660 (on that occasion the whole city was devastated), 1687, 1688 1695, and 1701. The fire of 1701 was particularly fierce, forcing Grand Vizier Nevşehirli Damad Ibrahim Pasha to rebuild several parts of the complex in 1730–1731. The last major catastrophe happened in 1894: a strong earthquake that rocked Istanbul. It was very cool for the Boys walking around what was in its time the grand super market for the known world! Goods from China mixed with foods from Africa and linens from Paris, all sold in the Ottoman's Grand Bazaar!
After buying a few souvenirs, the Boys headed out to see a bit more of the old part of town, in the City Walls.
Mike and Bone, Wandering in Constantinople, Again!
Sometimes, when you are on a trip, you will wish you just spent a little more time in one place. That is how Mike and Bone felt so they did a double take on the Roman area of Constantinople's Walled City, especially for their final outdoors shish kebab of the trip!
After buying some tourist trinkits for friends and Family, the Boys exited the Grand Bazaar right outside the Hagia Sophia. There, the Boys found a quaint little outdoor restaurant with awesome shish kebabs. After they sated their hunger they headed back to check out the Roman Hippodrome and Constantine's Column.
The Hippodrome was built for chariot races by Emperor Septimius Severus in the early 3rd century and restored and enlarged by Constantine 100 years later—without realizing it. Today, all the seats and most of the structures are long-gone. The only hint you have that the site once was a stadium able to hold 100,000 spectators is in the shape and dimensions of Sultanahmet Square, which more or less follows the lines of the ancient circus. (Just as Piazza Navona in Rome today has the same shape as Domitian’s first-century Circus Agonalis). Unfortunately both Mike and Bone have seen the Roman Hippodrome in Rome, there ain't much left!
However, Constantine's presence is still there!
Constantine's Column
When Constantine was still in Rome he commissioned a 55 meter column to Apollo which was erected in the Forum of Constantine. As a sign of how “Rome” had moved, Constantine had the column moved from Rome to Constantinople
Thanks a Milion!
The Million Stone was meant to signify that the Roman Empire now emanated from Constantinople. It was the starting point of all roads reach to Constantinople and the origin point used for the calculation of distances to other cities. There are still Roman mile markers throughout the former Empire. It is similar to Mile 0 in Key West!
It had the same function as the Milliarium Aureum moment in Rome Italy. After checking out the Milion Stone, Mike and Bone checked out a lot of stones, in the Wall!
"All in All, many Bricks in the Wall!"
Pink Floyd
