Istanbul

Our next port of call was Istanbul. We arrived early in the morning once again and had a day tour ahead of us. Most of the people on our tour were doing this excursion, so we needed 2 buses to get us all around.
Our German tour guide had ensured that his Turkish counterparts would show us the places of interest without the viewing of carpet making. Knowing how persuasive these people can be, both hubby and I were very grateful of this fact. Gerard is a salesman’s delight – he could be sold ice, in winter!!!


Istanbul has developed as a world metropolis because of it’s geopolitical location of the city. It is the only city in the world which is established on two continents.

The city consists of three parts in general. On the European side, the Historical Peninsula to the south of the Golden Horn and the Galata District to the north, and the New City on the Asian side.

Today, Istanbul is still a political and commercial center for the Balkan and Middle Eastern Countries and the Turkic Republics of Central Asia.

It was knows as Constantinople, the city of Emperor Constantine, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. It then became knows as Istanbul after the conquest of the ottomans and became one the biggest and most crowded city of Europe. The city is spread over an area of 7.500 square km, 150km long and 50 km wide.

There are an estimated 12 to 15 million people living in Istanbul and the population increases around half a million every year.


Our bus took off from the harbour area and drove through this very busy city with so many beautiful sights to be seen all around us.

We were taken to the Hippodrome which is the heart of the Old Town. The ancient works in the middle of this square and the structures arranged in a line around the square are the most spectacular historical remains of Istanbul.

In the Byzantine Period, the place had three functions. The first being Sport activities and art events. Horse races were an attractive sports event of those times. Other than these, gladiator fights used to be held here. The second function of the Hippodrome was that it was a political arena. In the Ottoman Period the Janissary Corps riots generally started here.

The third function of the square was the decorative purpose as an open air museum by being embellished richly by the Byzantine Emperors. The spina in the middle displayed, columns, statues, sun clocks, obelisks and monuments brought here from all over the world.

The obelisk is Istanbul’s oldest monument. It is dated as 15th century BC, that is to say, this obelisk is 3.500 years old. The Pharaoh had it built for the memory of his victory.

We were then taken into the Blue Mosque which is the greatest and most splendid mosque of Istanbul. It is the only mosque with 6 minarets in Istanbul and in Turkey which makes it matchless among other Ottoman Mosques. The mosque is one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has become one of the greatest tourist attractions of Istanbul.

Because I had chosen to wear shorts that day, I had to cover my legs with a drape/skirt that I was given. We all had to take our shoes off and put them in packets which we carried. It really was a magnificent building, inside and out.