November 30: The Blue Mosque & Grand Bazaar

It’s been a full 7 days since I’ve had bread or beer.  Don’t really miss the beer that much here but that’s probably because it’s not comparable to a Treehouse.  Bread, on the other hand, is incredible here in Turkey and I’ve missed it, especially during breakfast.  

After a hellish ride to move our car from a spot close to the hotel to an Otopark several miles away, we visited Sultan Ahmet Park and got to see two incredible religious buildings -- the Sultan Ahmed (Blue Mosque) and Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.  According to Wikipedia, “Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii), also known as the Blue Mosque, is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. A functioning mosque, it also attracts large numbers of tourist visitors. It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I.  Hagia Sophia is a Late Antique place of worship in Istanbul, designed by the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. Built in 537 as the patriarchal cathedral of the imperial capital of Constantinople, it was the largest Christian church of the eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire) and the Eastern Orthodox Church, except during the Latin Empire from 1204 to 1261, when it became the city's Latin Catholic cathedral. In 1453, after the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into a mosque. In 1935, under the direction of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the secular Republic of Turkey established it as a museum. In 2020, under the direction of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it re-opened as a mosque.”

Unfortunately, the Blue Mosque was closed for renovations but we had the pleasure of strolling around the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.. We had to take off our shoes as we admired the vastness and aesthetic beauty of this spiritual place of worship.  We were hardly alone as many other tourists took videos and pictures of this memorable and impactful spot.  

Next, it was off to the Grand Bazaar.  Holy cow -- you can find everything here from shoes, to athletic wear, jewelry, Louis Vuitton bags, rugs, and a ton of places to exchange money.  We saw wide variability in the exchange rate from US dollars to the Turkish lira.  Kimchi ended up exchanging $50 at a rate of $1 US for 13.005 Turkish lira.  I get the feeling that the rate will continue to climb.  I couldn’t believe the number of people working and shopping in the middle of the day on a Tuesday -- it had the feel of a weekend.

Finally, we walked around the Spice Bazaar, which was also packed with even more people.  It was a sea of beautiful colors and tasty treats.  Venders lured us in with free samples, and then tried to sell us spices, tea, dried fruits, and sweet treats.  We enjoyed free tea and sweets galore.  We eventually bought a bunch of delicious snacks at one market as Kimchi continued to taste more than our salesman wanted to give to us.  

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped off at a cafe for ice cream. I also had the most amazing caffe latte -- the best coffee that I’ve had so far on our trip.  

Accommodations: D+ (Xanadu Hotel)

Despite getting a new sheet for the bed and towels,  the bathroom still has a foul odor.  Even with several rounds of spraying air freshener, the smell could not be defeated.

On a positive note,  our laundry came back clean and folded for only 170 Turkish lira ($15)

Food: B- (Otanik Cafe 8 Restaurant)

We had a rather expensive, at least for Turkey standards, lunch as we devoured most of a grilled plate that included chicken shish, lamb chops, chicken wings, eggplant and potatoes.  We were given a complimentary glass of apple tea that was absolutely yummy.  Food was good but not worth the price.