How Bazaar

Let me start by ranting about how the terrorists semi-ruined my trip to Istanbul.  I’ve heard such glorious things from so many friends about Istanbul and was ecstatic when I got the contract this summer.  We were originally scheduled to have double overnights in the city.  The itinerary was set as an overnight at the end of one cruise and beginning of another spending 3 days and 2 nights docked.  However after bombings at the US consulate and shootings in the city, Celebrity had to pull us off the itinerary putting us at sea on two of those days only allowing one afternoon in port for debarkation and embarkation of new guests.  The decision was made suddenly and for a while we weren’t even sure they were going to let crew off the boat at all.

We ended up getting out into the city for a short period of the embarkation day so my heart was not completely broken.  My teammate Tom had been there many times and offered to be my tour guide and consequently my personal bodyguard for the day.  He asked me what it was that I wanted to see the most in Istanbul and I answered: The Grand Bazaar.  It is grand and it’s also bizarre.  A 30 minute walk from our ship across town, crossing bridges and getting some great views on the waterfront.  

We then have to pass through an outer shopping district.  I find the child manikins incredibly creepy but the clothing hilarious and over the top.  The stores around the bazaar do have some sort of organization or order.  For instance the kitchenware and restaurant supply stores are grouped together and the clothing stores are together and the beading and fabric supply places are also together.  But it’s crowded as hell and ultimate chaos of wonderfulness.  I love markets because you see the odd, you see the everyday and you see the city come alive.  Next to the Grand Bazaar is the spice bazaar.  Many of the stores selling the same array of products like dried fruits, teas and coffee, spices, and Turkish delights!  I had no idea they made so many kinds of Turkish delights and not just the gross powdery ones.  Those made it into my suitcase.

I bought two of these and some coffee to bring back to the states!

Continuing on to the Grand Bazaar, Tom and I found lots of lighting shops; a big attraction for Tom who creates a lot of luminous art.  The bazaar is full of ornate and extravagant jewelry, leathers, home décor, scarves, traditional clothing, and souvenirs, laid out in a massive indoor grid of a building.  I took so many pictures because there is so much to see your mind goes into overload.  We enjoyed an amazing lunch just outside of the market where I got meat and eggplant skewers and some apple tea.  We told everyone who asked that we were from Toronto.  It’s always safer to be Canadian.  Though most foreigners try to speak to me in Spanish.  Clearly my tan is looking too good.  I just stare back at them like a deer in the headlights not being able to respond back after ¿Cómo estás?  

Tommy Boy!

On a side note I’d like to inform you that I have taken on a small project and created a photo album I like to call “The Sleeping Dogs of Turkey”.  So yeah basically I’m just snapping pictures of homeless dogs passed out on the street.  Why?! Because I feel badly for them and I feel someone needs to give them some recognition.  Most of them have an ear tag.  Most of them don’t want to be bothered by you and have serious fleas.  But the store owners put out water dishes and kibble.  Don’t get me wrong there are even more homeless cats than dogs like this precious little nugget in a pile of bread.  Le sigh…my heart goes out to all of them.

Again being left in the dark about whether or not we were returning to Istanbul as scheduled weeks later I was super relieved and pleased to find that we would have another day in the city.  My friend Joey had heard about a cistern nearby but underneath some of the famous mosques with cool Medusa carvings.  We cabbed it over and enjoyed the sunshine and some picture taking of the mosques before heading underground.  The Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque face each other in a beautiful square full of tourists from around the world. The lines to get in compare to the Vatican for sure.  I did not go in either because as a feminist I struggle with Muslim culture and will not cover myself or support segregated buildings.  We appreciated them from the outside and were there to witness the call to prayer from 3 mosques in the same area at the same time- really confusing.  

Hagia Sophia

Blue Mosque

Joey and I headed down into the cistern with an eerie but equally awesome vibe.  The basilica cistern was built during the 6^th century and is one of the few early architectural examples from the Roman age.  Its total area is 9,800 sq meters and showcases 336 marble columns.  Each column is 9 meters high and majority of them are in the iconic and Corinthian style.

Two columns in the northwest corner of the cistern have carved medusa heads as the base.  No one knows exactly why there were brought here but it is certain that they were placed very deliberately.  One is placed with her head upside down and the other on its side.  It’s said that perhaps the people of Turkey did not believe in the story of Medusa and did not want to place these antique carvings from the Roman period right side up acknowledging her power.  Whatever.  They looked cool in any direction.  The cistern is full of big ugly fish and places to throw in a coin and make a wish.  I was sure to use Lira so that it would come true.

To our surprise after our original all aboard time of 4:30pm, we conducted our pre-departure passenger safety drill and then we were allowed back out again until 10:00pm!  So I was super thankful to get to see some of the buildings lit up at night.  A group of us just went out for an evening stroll in a trendy little tourist neighborhood called Taksim Square.  I had to laugh at this cat with the paintings.  I talked a bit about homeless animals previously but on this street there was a cat that belonged to EVERY shop and vendor along the way.  There were food bowls and cat beds in the stores.  I wonder if the cats chose their home or the locals chose their cat?  Anyhow, I bet this cat went to art school.

And on our walk back as we stopped for some amazing street food, Tom though he saw one of the pavement stones moving.  But no- it was this teeny tiny kitten.  I abducted him for about 20 minutes while he squirmed for me to put him down.  And I contemplated all of the possible ways to smuggle him back to my cabin.  No officer, that is not a kitten skeleton in the x-ray machine.