Long day today, but a good one. We walked about 8 miles - probably more by the time I got back to my room. And it's warmer than we anticipated before we got here. Still very nice, but hot at tines as we walk around.
We started this morning at the Archaeological Museum. Thank God the entire "old" building was closed for renovations. I wandered through for floors of exhibits. SO MUCH STUFF! And it was a bit overwhelming without a little more context. Bottom line: Turkey and the surrounding region has a lot of ancient stuff. Wherever you might dig. The museum also had a very nice Tiled Kiosk Museum featuring Iznik tile. And there was a lot of ancient stuff just sitting around on the grounds.
After a very quick but yummy lunch of mezes, we toured the Topkapı Palace. So much to see - I toured the kitchens, harem, and innermost courtyard, but I missed the portrait gallery, weapons, clocks, and (most disappointingly) the vast collection of relics. Bottom line: It's good to be the king.
Next we saw Hagia Irene, a Byzantine era church (I think maybe the first in Constantinople) which the Ottomans used as an armory. It's in bad repair (after all these years), but it's used now for concerts - great acoustics!
We then dismissed the students (some went to the Blue Mosque) and my colleagues and I went to witness a ceremony of the Whirling Derviş. Very interesting and also quite soothing. After a day off walking around in the sun, some of us had a difficult time staying awake.
But or day was not over. Meghan, Melissa, and I took a trolley ride up Istiklal to Taksim Square, then walked back to the hotel. Along the way, we stopped in a few shops, enjoyed dinner while people-watching from our table overlooking the street, and got some baklava and ice cream.
I wasn't done yet - I ventured out for my first hammam experience. I walked down the hill to a local Turkish bath that apparently was built in the 1400s. I got the full package and spent a couple hours there just relaxing. I talked to a couple of Istanbulites for a while, so that was cool. I ended the evening with a couple beers at a nearby bar. I had hoped to patronize the hotel bar with amazing views of the Bosphorus, but that was already closed.
The dinner with students did not come to fruition, as the student who invited us never got back to us with a plan. Maybe dodged a bullet there... I'm occasionally not impressed with a few of our students. Some of them seem to have some issues related to privilege and entitlement. And alcohol.
The street seems oddly quiet. I guess I will go to sleep!
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| Meze lunch |
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| View from Topkapı Palace |
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| Whirling Derviş |
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| Istiklal Street Scene |
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