Istanbul 25-29 August 2010
Day two already and we are feeling at home with a ticket ın our pocket which will take us to Edirne on Monday for the vast sum of 10TL each - divide by two and you have Euros, pounds are a little more difficult so is this keyboard with two sorts of i. We made it to the bus station by means of a tram to Aksaray a 200 metre walk west to the metro station and the new light rail metro to Otogar on it's way to the airport. Plastic jetons for a tram journey for two cost 3TL and it can be 30 mins from end to end dependıng on the length of your journey, similar jetons get you the tram to the airport if you want to go that far. The outside of the bus station is a great oblong square if you will forgive the imagery. Instead of shops there are bus company shops vying for trade so go into each of the fifty and ask for timing and cost to Erdine! Luckily we went to an expensive one fırst 16TL, but were offered 10TL in the one recommended at the hotel - so our search ended there. The best bit is to recall that in order to buy a ticket it was necessary to have a passport and by luck I was carryıng my neck wallet since I had been to an a ATM earlıer that day.
Back in Istanbul Old Town Sultanahmet we search for an early dinner and this tıme taking a leaf out of Jean Grıffıths book and ordered two different plates of starters including caviar with many other savouries and a lot of stuffed vegetables, that plus a large bottle of cold water was just the ticket. Joan had liked the idea the night before but by then we had already eaten a huge Turkısh meal selecting from trays of ready cooked different dishes in a shop window. Another success meant we expect to be well fed on less than 50TL for two once we get out of the tourist area, that is out of the old city.
But it was on the way back to the hotel Hotel Sultan's Inn that we had our most pleasant surprise. Thıs of course is Ramadan so they fast throughout the day until sunset, walking back through the parks around the Blue Mosque we were delighted to see the lawns spread with family picnics, a few of the larger parties had even laid out tables for more formal meals. I took out the camera in an attempt to get some of the atmosphere and so a took a picture of one group. We walked on, then recognising three obelisks we retraced our steps and that same family recognised us again and waved us over, so we went over and were invited to sıt down and have a little snack.
Waitıng for the Blue Mosque to open at 2pm a girl canvasser approached us with her questionnaıre attemptıng to elicit how much we had been influenced by the fact that this year Istanbul is the European Capıtal of Culture. The answer was zilch, we hadn't known pre-arrival, though it is well advertised here and hopefully there is extra restoration on their fıne hıstorıal heritage as a result. Whatever the reasons our first impressions of Istanbul are of a calm, friendly, interesting city to rival the best in Europe proper. Most of Turkey is east of the Bosphorus and therefore considered to be in Asıa.
The first day we visited Aya Sofia and the Basilica Cistern, only a short walk from the hotel. Today, we went to the Blue Mosque at 12am just as it was about to close for a long Friday service, hence the pleasant wait ın the shade and a visit to a second mausoleum. Everything here is impressively dıfferent thanks the Muslim influence. Waitıng and slow travel are two of our hallmarks, sitting ın the shade on a hot sunny day thinking of England is an almost sexual pleasure for we left London dull in the rain with almost zero visibility.
Count the i's and remember that almost all have been double typed when editing back home for most will have originally been ı's, and ı does not mean i or 1 !!!
Hotel prices are all over the shop here, even through Expedia we paid almost double the price for the fırst night as for each of the next three, but on asking here for another night found the price again different for the fırst and second day. Asking for an explanation we were told they vary the price from day to day to reflect the number of vacancies - the airline seat model writ large!
Our room is very small, the twin beds very narrow 2ft 6 perhaps but the room and adjoining shower and toilet are well fıtted and the water is kept cold by a fridge and the room at night is almost too cold, a good fault here.
Breakfast buffet is served on the roof terrace with views of the boats on the Bosphorus to the west and the Blue Mosque to the East. There is a fabulous selection of black green and brown olives, superb fresh yoghurt and honey, breads and pastries, local cheeses, cooked spicy sausage and sautee potato, cereals of course but we never eat them anyway, fresh water-melon, dried fruit raisins and apricots, home made jams, lovely tomatoes and cucumber, hard boiled eggs, juices and tea or coffee and always something sweet to finish with. That's enough though I will have missed a lot - we are not going to starve at breakfast.
Day 3 we did little but visit the Topkapi Palace, it was Saturday of a long weekend and the crowds were immense, though to be fair the dominant voices were German, French and Italian with some Spanish. Today we realised why, for there were three enormous multi-decked cruise liners in the bay. I ran short of energy and enthusiasm for tourist crowds though Joan was more determined' but in the end we were defeated by the clock and have to return at the end of our holiday to see the harem. We ate at the same Cosy Bar since Joan fancied to repeat the multi-dish starter.
Lots of splendour, lots of expensive artifacts on display in what is in effect to a museum of trophies and costumes and religious relics from across the great days of the Ottoman empire. Wonderful views across the Bosphorus, blue sky as usual unsullied by cloud of any sort, a little too hot but lots of activity on the water to amuse me with ships of all sizes going or coming from the Black Sea.
Sunday Day 4 we had elected for a trip on the Bosphorus at 13.30 which was excellent, though the 1.5 hour trip was insufficient to get to the Black Sea 32 km away but only to the second mighty bridge joining Europe and Asia 1.5 km in a single span.The trip included 2 fine mosques, the first an unusually small one built by Mimar Sinan but featuring tiles from Iznik very famous for its use of blue and white - how often that occurs. The second known as the New Mosque, though built ın 1600, is notable as the last mosque built using decorated by wall tiles rather than the much cheaper painted ones.
Earlier that day we had visited a Mosaic Museum nearby for 8 TL each. My immediate impression is what have we come here for, Joan as usual was enthusiastic, then slowly it dawned that we were looking down on the original Grand Palace floorıng with wonderful scenes of animals, animals fighting, life and sports from around 300BC, an American visiting at the same time said his speciality was Roman so this was like looking at modern art for him. He was able to shed a great deal of light on some of the scenes, in particular a race between men each pushing with shafts two heavy stone wheels around a series of posts round, a 360 turn was executed at each.
Another feature reminiscent of Mexico was of an eagle killing a large snake by attempting to crush him - such a scene was said to have caused peoples moving south to founded Mexico City on a lake.
Each part of the excellent mosaics was solid marble or limestone and they were lifted from the site in large pieces by attaching them to a transparent mat with a reversible glue. They were put down in an underground museum specially created nearby a on a mortar bed after cleaning them with a powdered limestone slurry to show the true colour of the stones . Reminding us of wonderful mosaics revealed at Palestrina near Rome after a world war two air raid, and similar flooring at Agricento ın Sicily
Today the Referendum reaches full pitch. You are either for (Evet) or Yes or against (Hayir) or No the law made by Ataturk between the wars when setting up the modern secular state of Turkey. He had forbidden the wearing of head scarves whilst on official 'State' duty as say a school child, a teacher a doctor. The current Prime Minister wants to change the law, the army set up by Ataturk said he had no right, the Civil Rights ruling was also against him so now he is about to test current public opinion directly. Strange that Turkey and France are going in the opposite direction about headscarfs.
We have changed room for our extra nıght and now have a double bed and a small verandah overlookıng the quiet street, it looks a little bigger but sınce there is no built ın wardrobe this is in some ways illusory, though it is more pleasant.
Erdine 30 Aug to 1 Sept
Monday 30 August we took a taxi from the rank just outside the hotel to the Otogar (which we now know means Bus Station) for 25 TL but an extra 7 was charged for entrance to the Otogar itself. Once again we were amazed at the quality of long distance buses in other countries, this one by Metro was a double decker and we had the front seats on the upper deck. Under three hours later we were in Edirne Otogar wonderıng what to do next but in the next bay was a smaller single deck Metro and a duty soldier with excellent English told us it was goıng to the famous mosque some 10km away in the centre of Edirne. We got the last two seats and the driver set us down near the centre. Lookıng lost again a waiting youth looking to earn a Euro or two guided us to the tourıst offıce which we already knew from the guide book (LP again) was near a concentration of hotels, he got his Euro. The man at the offıce could not have been more hopeful I asked for a map of town but also was given two excellent books of information of what is a very interesting town of great strategic ımportance because it forms the North West border with so many European States. To the West Is Macedonia, Yunanistan (Greece), and to the north Bulgaristan, at times in the past Erdine has been more important than Istanbul.
We both knew this had to be one of our destinations, Joan rememberıng the praise from Michael Palin me from a South Bank Show of Mervyn Bragg. It lives fully up to the accolades, it is truly beautiful, with a large pedestrian area mainly of cobbled streets, the most famous mosque ın Turkey by the famous architect Mimar Sınan with over 50 such mosques to his name plus famous Hamans (baths) and stone bridges and not a western European tourist ın sight.
We have a lovely hotel EFE the number one choice on Tripadvisor.com with a bed to soothe all our aches and pains - there is no doubt that my body takes a hammerıng from being on our feet for hours every day and neither Joan or I started off in good condition, she having unusual back problems and me unable to sleep on my normally good left side so the rıght hip was getting more troublesome. We leave three days later here believing that we are over the worst. It has helped that the temperature has moderated from 35C, though that often means overcast rather than clear blue skies.
Writing after leaving we are convinced that will prove the best most comfortable hotel bargain of the holiday, if the lounge is rather dark and equipped like an antique shop with ancient cameras, irons, comptometers etc. Downstairs is The English Pub which seems to be used only as a breakfast room (excellent Turkish buffet breakfast) but decorated with memorabilia. Vitreous enamel London street signs from Oxford Street, Notting Hill, Portobello Road, Westminster Bridge, cuttings from the London Herald in 1966 of Bobby Moore with the World Cup, a team photo plus cuttings celebrating Man Utd triple at the Nou Camp (Barcelona) in 1999. The piece de resistance was a red number seven shirt worn by David Beckham in the 2008 international with France. There was also an area devoted to Hollywood, Munroe, James Dean, Brando, Michael Jackson, woman star as Polly Golightly and adverts for Jack Daniel, Jameson etc.
The rest of the first day we spent getting our bearings around the pedestrian area and resting with a quick pizza for evening meal after trying some bakery products. The next day we went straight to the mosque where we spent two or three hours of perfect peace and stayed throughout a period of prayer which was an experience in itself. I lay down on the carpet to get a perfect vıew of the huge dome (over 30 metres dıameter and over 40 metres high). Although forbidden I couldn't resist taking four photos, many Turks were flashing away. Just as we were about to leave a young student came over to talk, he was science student with only two years English who proudly showed us his new University İD card for which he had paid 100TL. In a months time he would be startıng at the university here which has as well over 10,000 students it is a state university and therefore cheap, even so he has to pay 170 TL per semester of which there are only two per year. His course will last 4 years. At this time he was looking for a student house and hoping to get accepted for one of the 28 places in a house for policemen's sons. He explained that all school students had to take two university entrance exams in addition to school exams.We learned later that day that 90% of students try but many fail to make the grade. University is seen as the best way to a good job but just like Britain at present there is a shortage of work for graduates.
After leaving the mosque we walked south to see some of the wonderful stone road bridges in a town with two rivers Meric and it's tributary Tunca, where there is a restaurant with a fıne vıewof the mosque at night. The bridge was not only built of stone but the carriage way was also of stone paving stones, though it had been partially rebuilt following floods. We stopped at the restaurant for a cold drink of soda and got talking to the man at the next table who spoke fluent English. Cöhan (C is pronounced J ın Turkısh). He told us a great deal more about university and we were able to get a good comparison with the British system - here the best universities are private and very expensive and students get places only after two years study at preparatory schools, Alice will be doing similar this September in France.
Conversation soon became much more varied and we felt we had made good friends by the time he left. He laughed at my attempt to pronounce liver ın Turkish, the local delicacy. Ciger is lambs liver but it is pronounced jigger, it is basted in flour then fried till crisp, on the table will be the fried crisp chillies with which it is eaten and a plate of sliced raw onion, yoghurt may be included but may have to be ordered separately. Incidentally the soda here is naturally sparkling mineral. We had already observed about 10 restaurants serving it in town but having set out to try the restaurant which had given me a taste of Liver the other evening right round the corner from our hotel was the new Cıgercı recommended by the LP and all the tables but one were occupied inside or on the street, so we went no further. Dates, olives and cucumber slices were on a plate of starters, the liver was good so were the onions but the chillies were too hot for Joan. The yoghurt was superb, there was a basket of bread we hardly touched, plus two bottles of cold water for 22TL.
Following Cöhan's advice we went in search next day of the Health Museum in another famous mosque this time just over another stone bridge to the west of town, but first we went to the tourist office in search of the times of the buses to Gelibolu on the coast. There were just two one at night the other 9.45am. She told us to go to the nearby Metro office to buy tickets, 30TL each, rather than go out to the out of town Otogar.
We drew money from an ATM, which are to be found everywhere. A 20minute walk later we reached the Health Museum, famous because of it's age, founded just prior to 1500 but also because it became world famous for treating mental problems with music, a ten piece orchestra played for 32 non paying inpatients who were said to be drawn from the poor.
In the1950's it was in ruins but in 1997 it was taken over by a university which immediately started on restoration, it's now a prize winning museum whose visitors now top 130,000 per annum. Just one more piece to the jigsaw intended to make Edirne the tourıst destination it deserves to be. We count ourselves very lucky to have been before the rush, currently there is a very special feel to this town. We are very much of the opinion that to become a World Herıtage Site is the kiss of death.
Buket smiled at us twice then started to talk to me, English was not her forte but we had an interesting chat until her grandmother, who was bored by the place, dragged her away. Having completed 2 years of her medical training, with another four to go, she was as delighted with the place as we were. It is not just the exhibits which are fine but a little heavy to read but the outside architecture of the complex is simply superb. After a bottle of soda at the cafe we walked round to the mosque where the external entrance courtyard which was in the final stages of restoration most of the structure and the decoration being complete, so work was now concentrated on the floor. Then we entered the mosque which seemed to be shut when we saw a large number of women come out underneath the scaffold.
The inside had been fully restored, there was another large dome but unusually there were no pillars interrupting the floor space, it was just one vast carpeted space.
After several hours at the complex we walked back to the bridge, then decided to walk south along the river and the turn east later into the town centre on the road that ran past the tourist office. Up to date again with the blog, but with much I should not have omitted.
Wednesday 1 September
We caught the bus from the Otogar (oto means motor oto mobile is car etc ) not having found the Metro mini we boarded a crowded local bus to the bus station. Bus fares appear to be a standard 1TL regardless of how far you travel, we now know to pay the driver on entrance but he does not issue tickets or receipts.
İn fact we were almost an hour early but buses came in and out so quickly that one had to pay attention. Ours was going to İzmir, with no mention of Gelibolu where the bus took the ferry to cross the Dardenelles by ferry.
Gelibolu, 2-4 September
We were dropped at the Ottogar in Gelibolu and started to walk to town when I decided to ask a woman if she knew the hotel we had decided to look at first, no she didn't know it but looking in my LP she spotted the Tel number which she immediately dialled, on getting no reply she phoned one she knew and they came to pick us up in a taxi. Just before which a man approached to ask if he could help, he had previously worked for Saga ın Asian Turkey and was totally fluent as you might expect. He said he was always around this place so to come for help if we needed it.
The Otel Dilmac was in the central shopping street not far from the port. The room we were shown could not have been different to say İstanbul for this one had three single beds and a double plus dining table in a family room, all very basic but clean. The people seemed very friendly so we stayed for 80TL a night. That afternoon we did look around looking for softer beds but found none except in Otel Deniz which looked better value at 75TL, and better quality too, but in fact after a good nıght sleep we decided to stay put, a good choice as you will see later.
Gelıbolu is a lovely town with a harbour full of small fishing boats and even two men making nets, the nearly full circle of the harbour is surrounded by fısh restaurants which we immediately started to case. We decided that for once the LP was right in selecting Ilhan where we ate well last night 37TL for two and will return tonight but eat more fısh and less starters. All restaurants offer the choice of Red Mullet and Sardines very fresh, but also locally caught Bream, Sea Bass, Turbot, Mackerel and Horse Mackerel, and Bonito. Portions were priced at between 10 and 20 TL - we shared one portion but had three starters as well.
In the afternoon Joan was particularly fascinated by the constant activity of the car, bus, lorry ferries which which were coming and going. The ferries first stopped at one pier and discharged their cargo, then reversed to the other side of the short pier to wait their turn to pick up a new load. Finally backing again to the other side and replacing a departing boat and picking up a new load. Many of them were obviously going to Lapseki but others to different destinations probably including Cannakale and Eceabat further west.
I joined in the fascination over dinner for we were on a pontoon over the sea from where we could watch the continual motion and the equal activity of the local Pilot boat, which cut through the water so easily at high speed and rolled so much when stationary by the pier. Not until midnight does the activity and noise cease, there is an beautıful inner harbour of stone just adjacent to the remains of the castle. Lovely eating in such a place ın shirt sleeves, in fact the temperature moderated yesterday to 22C just right for us.
Our Otel has two aspects for on the side of the shopping street it is a bakery, but to the rear street it appears as a hotel but one story higher. Breakfast was served in the bakery shop and consisted of our choice of the bakery, a lovely slice dripping with cheese, fılo pastry with meat and onion fillıng, interesting rolls plus a plate of tomatoes and long green pepper plus tea. I had taken down my Turkish Language book and got constant instruction from the son of the house 23 year old N Mart and his two younger sisters in the reading and pronouncing Turkish.
Thus C is a j sound but C cedilla is ch
S is s but with a cedilla ıs sh
G ıs gg and not j, but ğ merely lengthens the preceding vowel
İ ıs ee but the other ı is uh
U is oo, but Ü ıs ew
Ö is ur
İ hope İ have them right.
Learning the correct pronunciation of vital words like Gelibolu and street or Cadde, (Caddessi if this street) requires attention.
We asked Mart how to get to the sights mentioned ın the LP for they had not provided a street map and he offered to show us. Gradually we made better and better contact as his English, never very strong, slowly improved assisted a great deal by Joan's intuition for instance in asking the word Hadj. In this way we learnt things we would never have understood from the written LP instructions alone.
The simple grave like memorial to Ahmed-i Bican Effendi, famous for producing many copıes of the Quran, which is of course written in Arabic, the more spectacular tomb of his brother Mehmed-i Bican Effendi who wrote an important commentary on the Quran, Hallac-i Nansur Türbesi a celebrated military man. Walking then out to the headland past the memorial covered in Turkish flags of warrior Bayraku Baba Turbesi, who rather than surrender his flag ate it piece by piece then to convince his captors of the truth he cut open his own stomach to provide the evidence.
From this point you can look down on the resort beach of Gelibolu, and see on the right Azebler Namazgar a single outdoor mosque built in 1407. Turnıng back notice the tall white tower a memorial to the French dead from the Crimean War 1853-56, plus the grave of 14 Sengelese at Gallipoli (50km from here) who were buried in 1919-23.
It's nearly 4pm and the heat of the day passed we will leave this air conditioned Internet 'Cafe', with around 30 computers, and go back out to the lovely afternoon and another fısh dinner. Tomorrow 4 September we will rest again avoiding Cannankale on Saturday before heading there by minibus over the ferry and west. Then perhaps a visit to Troy before turning south once more down the Aegean Coast.
Sitting in the hotel room yesterday evening, window wide open letting in a nice breeze and all the noise of the street, there is always a lot of chatter and the sound of someone drumming a totally repetitive rhythm but one full of motion like the rhythm of an old fashioned train passing over the breaks in the rails and the sound of someone practising jazz trumpet again a repetitive riff when another instrument starts to join in. Our room is over the shop and we look out on a main shopping street, this side not the hotel side as I said earlier is one flight higher.
Interesting to remember that it was the incessant sound of jazz musıc from the window of our room in Edirne, that was not quite perfect enough to be a recording so it was likely to be from a music school. So modern jazzy music will always remind one of European Turkey.
The other sound that frightened us every night at eight was a real gunshot, declaring the time to break-fast for sundown had arrived. This was the time we took dinner but the restaurant was always full of diners by the time we arrived, it seems Orhan Pamuk was correct in his assertion that few of the bourgeoisie fast and that they consider religion is something for the poor, contrast however the crowds picnicing in the parks of Edirne. I must say thanks to Barbara Ellis for persuading to pack his book on İstanbul for it is wide ranging, as befits their major novelist, and provides many incites into Turkish life and history.
For the third night running we went to the same Ilhan fish restaurant and this time was perfectıon, mixed salad (not on the menu) and yoghurt with smoked aubergine and pickled red peppers (in our opinion the only really good starter, 6 Red Mullets and a Bream plus a 1.5 lıtre bottle of water (standard issue here, though a tiny number drink Rakı (Raku to you - for once the wrong ı is correct!) for just less than 20 pounds. Then a visit to the still open Balaclava a restaurant to take away four sweet cakes for a late night snack in our bedroom - makes a change from slicing up one or two large ripe peaches purchased for a pittance from the street cart of a fruit seller. Keep threatening to change to fıgs, which are in equally plentiful supply, so are plums and pears.
FINAL RETURN TO ISTANBUL 26, 27 and 28th of September making seven days altogether in Istanbul
Writing from home 2 October 2010
We had to catch the 10am bus in Bartin and there was a Dolmus leaving Amasra at 9am for Bartin which would take around 30 mins. We thought the dolmus would take us to the Bartin otogar but in fact it dropped us at the Metro bus office where a Metro Service Mini was about to complete the journey. In fact it arrived at the otogar just on time, though I doubt we should have been worried for they would probably have waited for the connection which was for the Ankara and Istanbul buses both of which were scheduled to leave at 10am.
This was the final long distance bus of the holiday and at 7 hours one of the longest, but his time getting to the same Sultanamet is easy once you know how - straight onto the metro tram to its destination at Aksaray and then a 10TL taxi to the Hotel Sultan's Inn. They had saved one of the best rooms for us, number 30, which is light, comfortable and with a small balcony overlooking a quiet back street. Within minutes we went out for a meal at the nearby Sunrise Hotel and sat next to two French Canadians, the woman from Montreal and the man from Quebec City, I knew there was something strange about their French accent and asked where they were from as they got up to go leading to a pleasant conversation about the old days in Canada in the 50's.
Next morning it was dull and had even been been raining so we decided to spend the morning at the Topkapi Palace in as Joan was keen to visit again to see the Harem. The moment I saw the queue for entry I freaked out and since Joan was still very tired from the previous day's journey - we have had better relations let's leave it at that for this has been a marvellous holiday for us both. I was not impressed by our earlier visit because the crowds stopped any chance to reflect on anything and you could scarcely move for photographers - 'No Camera' signs are everywhere no longer have any impact anywhere, even in mosques, they just can't be enforced in the day's of the mobile phone, so no-one tries. On top of which Topkapi Palace as far as I am concerned is a hotch potch without any architectural control each sultan has added something to commemorate his term, yes they have the world's biggest diamond and yes there are many items of real beauty, some of the tilework, an odd stained glass window or a wooden doors inlaid with mother of pearl - but never space or time for reflection.
That afternoon we went to Beyoglu across the Golden Horn to the vibrant shopping and entertainment centre of modern Istanbul with three aims, exploration, to find one of the high rated restaurants, but above all to see Galatasaray tower which from the other side of the river appeared to be at the high point. After some difficulty, because they have changed the street names to avoid duplication, we located the first of the restaurants the Haci Abdullah, a young man I asked for directions was surprised because it was a Kosher restaurant which did not serve alcohol either. For the record the street is now renamed Yilmaz Caddessi, not far down the main street from where the funicular railway terminates and not Saligaci Caddessi which is full of very lively Meyhanes (pubs). The tower we discovered was still1km further downhill the thought of retracing our steps was just too much so we dived into a tea and cake shop where the well heeled young met after work and order a jug for four of fresh home-made Lemonade, since they were out of this we settled for the alternative a jug of Blackberry, it was delicious with a stronger richer taste than our blackberry, which Joan thought was probably Mulberry.
The main street is differentiated because there are tram lines but there appeared to be no trams, otherwise we would have gone down to the tower. But whilst we drinking (our blackberry drink) Joan suddenly got up and gesticulated at the window overlooking the tramway, look there is an ancient tram and it is being pushed downhill by small boys. Ancient tram it was but when it returned half an hour later we realised it could never have been powered by young boys but indeed had a single pick up to the overhead electric line, boys there were but they were hanging on the tram for a free ride paid for by all the tourists photographing madly on-board. Humour improved, by the long sit down, the re-hydration and the excitement we went back to the restaurant which according to the LP is one of 'the essential gastronomic stops you should make when in town'.
It is a good restaurant with a small menu of Turkish and international dishes, we selected Turkish starters (aubergine and yoghurt of course but this time with plenty of chilli) but could not the pass over eating real meat for almost the first time on the trip. Joan was defeated by her steak which was tasty and tender but just too big - for her, I was less impressed by the lamb shank though the potato/tomato/chilli accompaniment was tasty. I couldn't but help noticing that the customers were Americans, though the table next to us ate entirely vegetarian from a variety of different dishes, which seemed like the OK option. At 90TL it was amongst the most expensive but it certainly was good quality. Turkish food, which is essentially meat, is not very inspiring, Pide which is a cheap alternative to pizza, Kofte or meat balls, and kebabs of chicken or lamb or beef which are usually made from minced meat, or Donna Kebabs of lamb or chicken which are an excellent alternative to burgers. When it comes to fish the verdict is quite different - wonderful fresh fish is one of our main memories, and by our standards it was cheap.
Next day buoyed by memories of a good meal and a good night's sleep we decided to take the nearby ferry across the Sea of Marmaris to Yalova. The hotel reception tried to convince us it was a bad option since we did not have tickets, so did the expensive taxi driver (no meter since it was an airport taxi) so with baited breath we went in search of a ticket office at the large terminal. We got tickets, as I hoped the problem except at peak times was for vehicles, and we got tickets for the last ferry back at 7.30pm. Shades of the last day as in Santiago Chile, destroyed some of the gloss for I was deliberately given 33TL change for my 100TL note (four 14 TL tickets make 56 TL, so the change should have been 44TL). I left the change on the counter whilst she served the next in the queue when she put the coins right making it 34TL but when it became clear that I was not going to budge and when she realised I could count in Turkish she changed the 10TL note for a 20TL. She knew exactly what she was doing and hadn't the grace to even say sorry. What would today's kids without mental arithmetic have done - not even have known they were being cheated?
Secretly, without saying a word to each other, we were both hoping that we had the time for the hour long trip to Iznik, the traditional centre of the Turkish tile industry. We thought we would have to go to the out of town otogar for a bus but on looking for a dolmus to the otogar we found one direct to Iznik so on we jumped and waited 10 mins or so until it was full. On enquiring of the driver after getting-off he gave me a time schedule of the dolmus for go and return and pointed to the bus stop over the road for the return journey. Dolmus are an unknown quantity, in theory they run when full but in practice many run a scheduled service but how to tell the difference is difficult for a non Turkish speaker. Armed with a return in time to catch our return ferry we knew we had over 3 hours to spend so we went in search of the newly reviving tile industry.
The LP gives three choices
The Iznik Foundation which is at the heart of the revival and we did not in fact visit.
Suleyman Pasa Medresesi (madrasa) where there were 8 tile workshops in a single courtyard which turned out to be nothing more than 8 shops selling tiles etc from all over, admittedly there were a few tables outside with trainee girls painting the biscuit pottery
The third option 'the small workshops down Salim Demircan Sokak' which turned out to have only one workshop Iznik Kuvars Cini (www.iznikkuvarscini.com) which was run by Emine Sargin but was very obviously genuine. The girl painting tiles in the workshop went to fetch Emine who explained the set up. She apparently had worked in the Iznik Foundation for eight years before deciding to start up her own production business, she took us through the process starting with the cutting and finishing the quartz base for the tiles, the essential feature of Iznik tiles, indeed we had been told earlier that its demise was due to running out of quartz. Then on to the painting and finally to the firing in a brand new electric kiln.
All the tiles on sale had been made there and the rest of the workshop was full of tiles in various stages of manufacture. Joan said she really liked one a traditional pattern of blue and white as found in the very old mosques and had chosen the most expensive tile on display 200TL or around 80 pounds, next to it was a 'second' with a couple of hair line cracks from the firing at half the price, she said the good tile would sell for 1000TL in Istanbul. Joan would have bought the perfect one had she had any use in mind, it was beautiful (Tokapi eat your heart out), but Emine showed no surprise when we purchased nothing, she said the business was very successful which made us very happy.
There was insufficient time left to go in search of the Iznik Foundation on the outskirts of a fascinating town so we went into the Yesil Cami (mosque) which was being restored from the ruin it had become and with weather proofing from a new roof and windows protecting the openings in the walls it was already open as a museum in the centre of town. Iznik town is well worth a visit.
But the day was not finished for we found we had been allocated seats on the ferry facing Oznur (a nurse) and Ramadas another young couple who had been away for a short break since Ramadas was to start his National Service as a driver in the army next day. They had both completed University training and he hoped to work in PR. More to the point both spoke good English, though understandably uncertain at first. We got on really well, better perhaps than with Ozan and Ezgi at Amasra, and the conversation ran wide during the hour crossing. On the question of membership of the EU they gave the same answer as everyone else, the EU needs us because our young population would help to support the much older populations Western Europe. We need to understand what's in it for us.This was consistently the answer, one we had not expected, far removed than our perception that France in particular doesn't want to invite a large Muslim population into the EU.
We again exchanged email addresses and they asked how we were getting back to Sultanamet (by taxi) but they said they would put on a bus to take us within easy walking distance. On not finding the bus they needed they changed their own plans to take us to the nearest tram stop which suited us both (Askaray again) and with their travel cards they insisted on paying for us on the bus and clicked us onto the tram as well. What a wonderful last memory, people have been universally friendly but it reaches its peak when you can talk freely as well - we are so lucky to have English as our native tongue.
Next day we were flying home but not until 7pm so we paid the hotel bill and organised transport with them to Ataturk Airport at 4.30pm. That morning we went back for another look at the Blue Mosque there were crowds there too but it is overwhelmingly magnificent, like the exceptional mosque at Edirne where additionally I was able to lay back on the carpet and gaze at the ceiling. In the afternoon we went to Eminou (the port where the ferries leave and they are famous for their freshly fried fish burgers) probably on route to find the Galata Tower on the opposite bank but we were distracted by the possibility of another 90min boat trip on the Bosphorus. With ten minutes to spare we were back at the hotel ready for the transfer to the airport.
Day two already and we are feeling at home with a ticket ın our pocket which will take us to Edirne on Monday for the vast sum of 10TL each - divide by two and you have Euros, pounds are a little more difficult so is this keyboard with two sorts of i. We made it to the bus station by means of a tram to Aksaray a 200 metre walk west to the metro station and the new light rail metro to Otogar on it's way to the airport. Plastic jetons for a tram journey for two cost 3TL and it can be 30 mins from end to end dependıng on the length of your journey, similar jetons get you the tram to the airport if you want to go that far. The outside of the bus station is a great oblong square if you will forgive the imagery. Instead of shops there are bus company shops vying for trade so go into each of the fifty and ask for timing and cost to Erdine! Luckily we went to an expensive one fırst 16TL, but were offered 10TL in the one recommended at the hotel - so our search ended there. The best bit is to recall that in order to buy a ticket it was necessary to have a passport and by luck I was carryıng my neck wallet since I had been to an a ATM earlıer that day.
Back in Istanbul Old Town Sultanahmet we search for an early dinner and this tıme taking a leaf out of Jean Grıffıths book and ordered two different plates of starters including caviar with many other savouries and a lot of stuffed vegetables, that plus a large bottle of cold water was just the ticket. Joan had liked the idea the night before but by then we had already eaten a huge Turkısh meal selecting from trays of ready cooked different dishes in a shop window. Another success meant we expect to be well fed on less than 50TL for two once we get out of the tourist area, that is out of the old city.
But it was on the way back to the hotel Hotel Sultan's Inn that we had our most pleasant surprise. Thıs of course is Ramadan so they fast throughout the day until sunset, walking back through the parks around the Blue Mosque we were delighted to see the lawns spread with family picnics, a few of the larger parties had even laid out tables for more formal meals. I took out the camera in an attempt to get some of the atmosphere and so a took a picture of one group. We walked on, then recognising three obelisks we retraced our steps and that same family recognised us again and waved us over, so we went over and were invited to sıt down and have a little snack.
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| Ramadan, evening in park |
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| Aya Sofya |
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| Aya Sofya |
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| Basilica Cistern |
Hotel prices are all over the shop here, even through Expedia we paid almost double the price for the fırst night as for each of the next three, but on asking here for another night found the price again different for the fırst and second day. Asking for an explanation we were told they vary the price from day to day to reflect the number of vacancies - the airline seat model writ large!
Our room is very small, the twin beds very narrow 2ft 6 perhaps but the room and adjoining shower and toilet are well fıtted and the water is kept cold by a fridge and the room at night is almost too cold, a good fault here.
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| View from roof balcony of Sultan's Inn |
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| View west from Sultan's Inn roof |
Day 3 we did little but visit the Topkapi Palace, it was Saturday of a long weekend and the crowds were immense, though to be fair the dominant voices were German, French and Italian with some Spanish. Today we realised why, for there were three enormous multi-decked cruise liners in the bay. I ran short of energy and enthusiasm for tourist crowds though Joan was more determined' but in the end we were defeated by the clock and have to return at the end of our holiday to see the harem. We ate at the same Cosy Bar since Joan fancied to repeat the multi-dish starter.
Lots of splendour, lots of expensive artifacts on display in what is in effect to a museum of trophies and costumes and religious relics from across the great days of the Ottoman empire. Wonderful views across the Bosphorus, blue sky as usual unsullied by cloud of any sort, a little too hot but lots of activity on the water to amuse me with ships of all sizes going or coming from the Black Sea.
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| Topkapi Palace |
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| Cruise Liners en masse |
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| View on the Bosphorus Cruise |
Another feature reminiscent of Mexico was of an eagle killing a large snake by attempting to crush him - such a scene was said to have caused peoples moving south to founded Mexico City on a lake.
Each part of the excellent mosaics was solid marble or limestone and they were lifted from the site in large pieces by attaching them to a transparent mat with a reversible glue. They were put down in an underground museum specially created nearby a on a mortar bed after cleaning them with a powdered limestone slurry to show the true colour of the stones . Reminding us of wonderful mosaics revealed at Palestrina near Rome after a world war two air raid, and similar flooring at Agricento ın Sicily
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| Mosaic Museum floor |
We have changed room for our extra nıght and now have a double bed and a small verandah overlookıng the quiet street, it looks a little bigger but sınce there is no built ın wardrobe this is in some ways illusory, though it is more pleasant.
Erdine 30 Aug to 1 Sept
Monday 30 August we took a taxi from the rank just outside the hotel to the Otogar (which we now know means Bus Station) for 25 TL but an extra 7 was charged for entrance to the Otogar itself. Once again we were amazed at the quality of long distance buses in other countries, this one by Metro was a double decker and we had the front seats on the upper deck. Under three hours later we were in Edirne Otogar wonderıng what to do next but in the next bay was a smaller single deck Metro and a duty soldier with excellent English told us it was goıng to the famous mosque some 10km away in the centre of Edirne. We got the last two seats and the driver set us down near the centre. Lookıng lost again a waiting youth looking to earn a Euro or two guided us to the tourıst offıce which we already knew from the guide book (LP again) was near a concentration of hotels, he got his Euro. The man at the offıce could not have been more hopeful I asked for a map of town but also was given two excellent books of information of what is a very interesting town of great strategic ımportance because it forms the North West border with so many European States. To the West Is Macedonia, Yunanistan (Greece), and to the north Bulgaristan, at times in the past Erdine has been more important than Istanbul.
We both knew this had to be one of our destinations, Joan rememberıng the praise from Michael Palin me from a South Bank Show of Mervyn Bragg. It lives fully up to the accolades, it is truly beautiful, with a large pedestrian area mainly of cobbled streets, the most famous mosque ın Turkey by the famous architect Mimar Sınan with over 50 such mosques to his name plus famous Hamans (baths) and stone bridges and not a western European tourist ın sight.
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| Selimiye Mosque, Mimar Sinan's masterpiece |
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| Selimiye Mosque, Mimar Sinan's masterpiece |
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| Main Street |
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| Edirne town at night |
Writing after leaving we are convinced that will prove the best most comfortable hotel bargain of the holiday, if the lounge is rather dark and equipped like an antique shop with ancient cameras, irons, comptometers etc. Downstairs is The English Pub which seems to be used only as a breakfast room (excellent Turkish buffet breakfast) but decorated with memorabilia. Vitreous enamel London street signs from Oxford Street, Notting Hill, Portobello Road, Westminster Bridge, cuttings from the London Herald in 1966 of Bobby Moore with the World Cup, a team photo plus cuttings celebrating Man Utd triple at the Nou Camp (Barcelona) in 1999. The piece de resistance was a red number seven shirt worn by David Beckham in the 2008 international with France. There was also an area devoted to Hollywood, Munroe, James Dean, Brando, Michael Jackson, woman star as Polly Golightly and adverts for Jack Daniel, Jameson etc.
The rest of the first day we spent getting our bearings around the pedestrian area and resting with a quick pizza for evening meal after trying some bakery products. The next day we went straight to the mosque where we spent two or three hours of perfect peace and stayed throughout a period of prayer which was an experience in itself. I lay down on the carpet to get a perfect vıew of the huge dome (over 30 metres dıameter and over 40 metres high). Although forbidden I couldn't resist taking four photos, many Turks were flashing away. Just as we were about to leave a young student came over to talk, he was science student with only two years English who proudly showed us his new University İD card for which he had paid 100TL. In a months time he would be startıng at the university here which has as well over 10,000 students it is a state university and therefore cheap, even so he has to pay 170 TL per semester of which there are only two per year. His course will last 4 years. At this time he was looking for a student house and hoping to get accepted for one of the 28 places in a house for policemen's sons. He explained that all school students had to take two university entrance exams in addition to school exams.We learned later that day that 90% of students try but many fail to make the grade. University is seen as the best way to a good job but just like Britain at present there is a shortage of work for graduates.
After leaving the mosque we walked south to see some of the wonderful stone road bridges in a town with two rivers Meric and it's tributary Tunca, where there is a restaurant with a fıne vıewof the mosque at night. The bridge was not only built of stone but the carriage way was also of stone paving stones, though it had been partially rebuilt following floods. We stopped at the restaurant for a cold drink of soda and got talking to the man at the next table who spoke fluent English. Cöhan (C is pronounced J ın Turkısh). He told us a great deal more about university and we were able to get a good comparison with the British system - here the best universities are private and very expensive and students get places only after two years study at preparatory schools, Alice will be doing similar this September in France.
Conversation soon became much more varied and we felt we had made good friends by the time he left. He laughed at my attempt to pronounce liver ın Turkish, the local delicacy. Ciger is lambs liver but it is pronounced jigger, it is basted in flour then fried till crisp, on the table will be the fried crisp chillies with which it is eaten and a plate of sliced raw onion, yoghurt may be included but may have to be ordered separately. Incidentally the soda here is naturally sparkling mineral. We had already observed about 10 restaurants serving it in town but having set out to try the restaurant which had given me a taste of Liver the other evening right round the corner from our hotel was the new Cıgercı recommended by the LP and all the tables but one were occupied inside or on the street, so we went no further. Dates, olives and cucumber slices were on a plate of starters, the liver was good so were the onions but the chillies were too hot for Joan. The yoghurt was superb, there was a basket of bread we hardly touched, plus two bottles of cold water for 22TL.
Following Cöhan's advice we went in search next day of the Health Museum in another famous mosque this time just over another stone bridge to the west of town, but first we went to the tourist office in search of the times of the buses to Gelibolu on the coast. There were just two one at night the other 9.45am. She told us to go to the nearby Metro office to buy tickets, 30TL each, rather than go out to the out of town Otogar.
We drew money from an ATM, which are to be found everywhere. A 20minute walk later we reached the Health Museum, famous because of it's age, founded just prior to 1500 but also because it became world famous for treating mental problems with music, a ten piece orchestra played for 32 non paying inpatients who were said to be drawn from the poor.
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| Museum of Health, Sultan Bayezid mosque complex |
In the1950's it was in ruins but in 1997 it was taken over by a university which immediately started on restoration, it's now a prize winning museum whose visitors now top 130,000 per annum. Just one more piece to the jigsaw intended to make Edirne the tourıst destination it deserves to be. We count ourselves very lucky to have been before the rush, currently there is a very special feel to this town. We are very much of the opinion that to become a World Herıtage Site is the kiss of death.
Buket smiled at us twice then started to talk to me, English was not her forte but we had an interesting chat until her grandmother, who was bored by the place, dragged her away. Having completed 2 years of her medical training, with another four to go, she was as delighted with the place as we were. It is not just the exhibits which are fine but a little heavy to read but the outside architecture of the complex is simply superb. After a bottle of soda at the cafe we walked round to the mosque where the external entrance courtyard which was in the final stages of restoration most of the structure and the decoration being complete, so work was now concentrated on the floor. Then we entered the mosque which seemed to be shut when we saw a large number of women come out underneath the scaffold.
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| Sultan Bayezid mosque |
The inside had been fully restored, there was another large dome but unusually there were no pillars interrupting the floor space, it was just one vast carpeted space.
After several hours at the complex we walked back to the bridge, then decided to walk south along the river and the turn east later into the town centre on the road that ran past the tourist office. Up to date again with the blog, but with much I should not have omitted.
Wednesday 1 September
We caught the bus from the Otogar (oto means motor oto mobile is car etc ) not having found the Metro mini we boarded a crowded local bus to the bus station. Bus fares appear to be a standard 1TL regardless of how far you travel, we now know to pay the driver on entrance but he does not issue tickets or receipts.
İn fact we were almost an hour early but buses came in and out so quickly that one had to pay attention. Ours was going to İzmir, with no mention of Gelibolu where the bus took the ferry to cross the Dardenelles by ferry.
Gelibolu, 2-4 September
We were dropped at the Ottogar in Gelibolu and started to walk to town when I decided to ask a woman if she knew the hotel we had decided to look at first, no she didn't know it but looking in my LP she spotted the Tel number which she immediately dialled, on getting no reply she phoned one she knew and they came to pick us up in a taxi. Just before which a man approached to ask if he could help, he had previously worked for Saga ın Asian Turkey and was totally fluent as you might expect. He said he was always around this place so to come for help if we needed it.
The Otel Dilmac was in the central shopping street not far from the port. The room we were shown could not have been different to say İstanbul for this one had three single beds and a double plus dining table in a family room, all very basic but clean. The people seemed very friendly so we stayed for 80TL a night. That afternoon we did look around looking for softer beds but found none except in Otel Deniz which looked better value at 75TL, and better quality too, but in fact after a good nıght sleep we decided to stay put, a good choice as you will see later.
Gelıbolu is a lovely town with a harbour full of small fishing boats and even two men making nets, the nearly full circle of the harbour is surrounded by fısh restaurants which we immediately started to case. We decided that for once the LP was right in selecting Ilhan where we ate well last night 37TL for two and will return tonight but eat more fısh and less starters. All restaurants offer the choice of Red Mullet and Sardines very fresh, but also locally caught Bream, Sea Bass, Turbot, Mackerel and Horse Mackerel, and Bonito. Portions were priced at between 10 and 20 TL - we shared one portion but had three starters as well.
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| Gelıbolu |
I joined in the fascination over dinner for we were on a pontoon over the sea from where we could watch the continual motion and the equal activity of the local Pilot boat, which cut through the water so easily at high speed and rolled so much when stationary by the pier. Not until midnight does the activity and noise cease, there is an beautıful inner harbour of stone just adjacent to the remains of the castle. Lovely eating in such a place ın shirt sleeves, in fact the temperature moderated yesterday to 22C just right for us.
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| View from Hotel |
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| Old wooden Ottoman House |
Our Otel has two aspects for on the side of the shopping street it is a bakery, but to the rear street it appears as a hotel but one story higher. Breakfast was served in the bakery shop and consisted of our choice of the bakery, a lovely slice dripping with cheese, fılo pastry with meat and onion fillıng, interesting rolls plus a plate of tomatoes and long green pepper plus tea. I had taken down my Turkish Language book and got constant instruction from the son of the house 23 year old N Mart and his two younger sisters in the reading and pronouncing Turkish.
Thus C is a j sound but C cedilla is ch
S is s but with a cedilla ıs sh
G ıs gg and not j, but ğ merely lengthens the preceding vowel
İ ıs ee but the other ı is uh
U is oo, but Ü ıs ew
Ö is ur
İ hope İ have them right.
Learning the correct pronunciation of vital words like Gelibolu and street or Cadde, (Caddessi if this street) requires attention.
We asked Mart how to get to the sights mentioned ın the LP for they had not provided a street map and he offered to show us. Gradually we made better and better contact as his English, never very strong, slowly improved assisted a great deal by Joan's intuition for instance in asking the word Hadj. In this way we learnt things we would never have understood from the written LP instructions alone.
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| Mart with Joan at viewpoint overlooking bay |
The simple grave like memorial to Ahmed-i Bican Effendi, famous for producing many copıes of the Quran, which is of course written in Arabic, the more spectacular tomb of his brother Mehmed-i Bican Effendi who wrote an important commentary on the Quran, Hallac-i Nansur Türbesi a celebrated military man. Walking then out to the headland past the memorial covered in Turkish flags of warrior Bayraku Baba Turbesi, who rather than surrender his flag ate it piece by piece then to convince his captors of the truth he cut open his own stomach to provide the evidence.
From this point you can look down on the resort beach of Gelibolu, and see on the right Azebler Namazgar a single outdoor mosque built in 1407. Turnıng back notice the tall white tower a memorial to the French dead from the Crimean War 1853-56, plus the grave of 14 Sengelese at Gallipoli (50km from here) who were buried in 1919-23.
It's nearly 4pm and the heat of the day passed we will leave this air conditioned Internet 'Cafe', with around 30 computers, and go back out to the lovely afternoon and another fısh dinner. Tomorrow 4 September we will rest again avoiding Cannankale on Saturday before heading there by minibus over the ferry and west. Then perhaps a visit to Troy before turning south once more down the Aegean Coast.
Sitting in the hotel room yesterday evening, window wide open letting in a nice breeze and all the noise of the street, there is always a lot of chatter and the sound of someone drumming a totally repetitive rhythm but one full of motion like the rhythm of an old fashioned train passing over the breaks in the rails and the sound of someone practising jazz trumpet again a repetitive riff when another instrument starts to join in. Our room is over the shop and we look out on a main shopping street, this side not the hotel side as I said earlier is one flight higher.
Interesting to remember that it was the incessant sound of jazz musıc from the window of our room in Edirne, that was not quite perfect enough to be a recording so it was likely to be from a music school. So modern jazzy music will always remind one of European Turkey.
The other sound that frightened us every night at eight was a real gunshot, declaring the time to break-fast for sundown had arrived. This was the time we took dinner but the restaurant was always full of diners by the time we arrived, it seems Orhan Pamuk was correct in his assertion that few of the bourgeoisie fast and that they consider religion is something for the poor, contrast however the crowds picnicing in the parks of Edirne. I must say thanks to Barbara Ellis for persuading to pack his book on İstanbul for it is wide ranging, as befits their major novelist, and provides many incites into Turkish life and history.
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| Ilhan Fish Restaurant |
FINAL RETURN TO ISTANBUL 26, 27 and 28th of September making seven days altogether in Istanbul
Writing from home 2 October 2010
We had to catch the 10am bus in Bartin and there was a Dolmus leaving Amasra at 9am for Bartin which would take around 30 mins. We thought the dolmus would take us to the Bartin otogar but in fact it dropped us at the Metro bus office where a Metro Service Mini was about to complete the journey. In fact it arrived at the otogar just on time, though I doubt we should have been worried for they would probably have waited for the connection which was for the Ankara and Istanbul buses both of which were scheduled to leave at 10am.
This was the final long distance bus of the holiday and at 7 hours one of the longest, but his time getting to the same Sultanamet is easy once you know how - straight onto the metro tram to its destination at Aksaray and then a 10TL taxi to the Hotel Sultan's Inn. They had saved one of the best rooms for us, number 30, which is light, comfortable and with a small balcony overlooking a quiet back street. Within minutes we went out for a meal at the nearby Sunrise Hotel and sat next to two French Canadians, the woman from Montreal and the man from Quebec City, I knew there was something strange about their French accent and asked where they were from as they got up to go leading to a pleasant conversation about the old days in Canada in the 50's.
Next morning it was dull and had even been been raining so we decided to spend the morning at the Topkapi Palace in as Joan was keen to visit again to see the Harem. The moment I saw the queue for entry I freaked out and since Joan was still very tired from the previous day's journey - we have had better relations let's leave it at that for this has been a marvellous holiday for us both. I was not impressed by our earlier visit because the crowds stopped any chance to reflect on anything and you could scarcely move for photographers - 'No Camera' signs are everywhere no longer have any impact anywhere, even in mosques, they just can't be enforced in the day's of the mobile phone, so no-one tries. On top of which Topkapi Palace as far as I am concerned is a hotch potch without any architectural control each sultan has added something to commemorate his term, yes they have the world's biggest diamond and yes there are many items of real beauty, some of the tilework, an odd stained glass window or a wooden doors inlaid with mother of pearl - but never space or time for reflection.
That afternoon we went to Beyoglu across the Golden Horn to the vibrant shopping and entertainment centre of modern Istanbul with three aims, exploration, to find one of the high rated restaurants, but above all to see Galatasaray tower which from the other side of the river appeared to be at the high point. After some difficulty, because they have changed the street names to avoid duplication, we located the first of the restaurants the Haci Abdullah, a young man I asked for directions was surprised because it was a Kosher restaurant which did not serve alcohol either. For the record the street is now renamed Yilmaz Caddessi, not far down the main street from where the funicular railway terminates and not Saligaci Caddessi which is full of very lively Meyhanes (pubs). The tower we discovered was still1km further downhill the thought of retracing our steps was just too much so we dived into a tea and cake shop where the well heeled young met after work and order a jug for four of fresh home-made Lemonade, since they were out of this we settled for the alternative a jug of Blackberry, it was delicious with a stronger richer taste than our blackberry, which Joan thought was probably Mulberry.
The main street is differentiated because there are tram lines but there appeared to be no trams, otherwise we would have gone down to the tower. But whilst we drinking (our blackberry drink) Joan suddenly got up and gesticulated at the window overlooking the tramway, look there is an ancient tram and it is being pushed downhill by small boys. Ancient tram it was but when it returned half an hour later we realised it could never have been powered by young boys but indeed had a single pick up to the overhead electric line, boys there were but they were hanging on the tram for a free ride paid for by all the tourists photographing madly on-board. Humour improved, by the long sit down, the re-hydration and the excitement we went back to the restaurant which according to the LP is one of 'the essential gastronomic stops you should make when in town'.
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| Old tram on special run in Beyoglu |
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| Haci Abdullah |
Secretly, without saying a word to each other, we were both hoping that we had the time for the hour long trip to Iznik, the traditional centre of the Turkish tile industry. We thought we would have to go to the out of town otogar for a bus but on looking for a dolmus to the otogar we found one direct to Iznik so on we jumped and waited 10 mins or so until it was full. On enquiring of the driver after getting-off he gave me a time schedule of the dolmus for go and return and pointed to the bus stop over the road for the return journey. Dolmus are an unknown quantity, in theory they run when full but in practice many run a scheduled service but how to tell the difference is difficult for a non Turkish speaker. Armed with a return in time to catch our return ferry we knew we had over 3 hours to spend so we went in search of the newly reviving tile industry.
The LP gives three choices
The Iznik Foundation which is at the heart of the revival and we did not in fact visit.
Suleyman Pasa Medresesi (madrasa) where there were 8 tile workshops in a single courtyard which turned out to be nothing more than 8 shops selling tiles etc from all over, admittedly there were a few tables outside with trainee girls painting the biscuit pottery
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| Suleyman Pasa Medresesi, Iznic |
The third option 'the small workshops down Salim Demircan Sokak' which turned out to have only one workshop Iznik Kuvars Cini (www.iznikkuvarscini.com) which was run by Emine Sargin but was very obviously genuine. The girl painting tiles in the workshop went to fetch Emine who explained the set up. She apparently had worked in the Iznik Foundation for eight years before deciding to start up her own production business, she took us through the process starting with the cutting and finishing the quartz base for the tiles, the essential feature of Iznik tiles, indeed we had been told earlier that its demise was due to running out of quartz. Then on to the painting and finally to the firing in a brand new electric kiln.
All the tiles on sale had been made there and the rest of the workshop was full of tiles in various stages of manufacture. Joan said she really liked one a traditional pattern of blue and white as found in the very old mosques and had chosen the most expensive tile on display 200TL or around 80 pounds, next to it was a 'second' with a couple of hair line cracks from the firing at half the price, she said the good tile would sell for 1000TL in Istanbul. Joan would have bought the perfect one had she had any use in mind, it was beautiful (Tokapi eat your heart out), but Emine showed no surprise when we purchased nothing, she said the business was very successful which made us very happy.
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| Iznik Kuvars Cini workshop |
There was insufficient time left to go in search of the Iznik Foundation on the outskirts of a fascinating town so we went into the Yesil Cami (mosque) which was being restored from the ruin it had become and with weather proofing from a new roof and windows protecting the openings in the walls it was already open as a museum in the centre of town. Iznik town is well worth a visit.
But the day was not finished for we found we had been allocated seats on the ferry facing Oznur (a nurse) and Ramadas another young couple who had been away for a short break since Ramadas was to start his National Service as a driver in the army next day. They had both completed University training and he hoped to work in PR. More to the point both spoke good English, though understandably uncertain at first. We got on really well, better perhaps than with Ozan and Ezgi at Amasra, and the conversation ran wide during the hour crossing. On the question of membership of the EU they gave the same answer as everyone else, the EU needs us because our young population would help to support the much older populations Western Europe. We need to understand what's in it for us.This was consistently the answer, one we had not expected, far removed than our perception that France in particular doesn't want to invite a large Muslim population into the EU.
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| Oznur (a nurse) and Ramadas |
Next day we were flying home but not until 7pm so we paid the hotel bill and organised transport with them to Ataturk Airport at 4.30pm. That morning we went back for another look at the Blue Mosque there were crowds there too but it is overwhelmingly magnificent, like the exceptional mosque at Edirne where additionally I was able to lay back on the carpet and gaze at the ceiling. In the afternoon we went to Eminou (the port where the ferries leave and they are famous for their freshly fried fish burgers) probably on route to find the Galata Tower on the opposite bank but we were distracted by the possibility of another 90min boat trip on the Bosphorus. With ten minutes to spare we were back at the hotel ready for the transfer to the airport.
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| Last hour on a Bosphorus ferry |
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