We got a break from classroom work and remained out shooting all day. Our first stop was at an ancient Roman site, Basilica Cistern, which was basically a giant water tank. It is all below ground, with giant pillars holding up a roof made of mini domes. In Roman times, water was collected miles away and piped to this location where it was held until needed. The lighting is very dramatic with spa type music being piped in to add to the bath like atmosphere. There are two Medusa heads that look like they were just filling in as a column bases since one is upside down and the other sideways. The lighting for taking pictures is terrible down here, but it was good practice for us.
Our next stop was lunch at Hamdi which is on the square by the Spice Market. We were offered Turkish delights including a spicy meat kebab and, of course, baklava. As soon as we were finished eating, we were turned loose to wonder the aisles of the Spice Market. The name is a little misleading since they sell much more than spices at this bustling marketplace. Stall owners call out to the shoppers, enticing them with samples of cheese, nuts, dried fruits, you name it, they have it. The further you roamed from the center hall the cheaper the prices. In addition to food, housewares and clothing were also abundant. There was great energy here which translated into great photos.
Also on the square is The New Mosque (Yeni Camii) which is open to the public. All around the outside of the mosque are basins with faucets so that the worshipers can clean their feet and hands before entering to pray. Before entering, you must remove your shoes (plastic storage bags were available at the door) and women must put on headscarves. Forgot yours? The mosque happily provides you with a lovely blue one. Inside, the back portion of the giant domed room is reserved for the Muslim women with the middle section open to tourists. Past a short wooden rail, the men are allowed in for their prayers. The prayers themselves were sung much like you might hear at a Synagogue. There was much standing, kneeling and bowing to touch the forehead to the to the carpet. Very fascinating.
The Bospherus River runs through the middle of Istanbul serving to separate the European side from the Asian side. We boarded a boat to take a tour past the two bridges that span the two continents. Part tour boat, part ferry, we glided past mansions built on the water with high rises in the distance. As interesting as the sites were our fellow passengers. One couple was obviously very much in love with the woman having very expressive eyes that conveyed her amour. Another family had a budding photographer in a pink coated girl happy to take one of the adult's cell phones as her camera. It was very breezy during our ride so we were all happy to go ashore and warm up.
Tonight, several of us signed up to visit a Turkish Bath, or Hammam, to get a real native experience. The one we visited (several signs boasted that it's listed in A Thousand Places to Visit Before You Die) appeared to date back perhaps a century or more. We made our treatment selection at the door then were escorted into a room with dressing rooms on the perimeter. We disrobed and wrapped ourselves in Turkish towels which are thin cotton (think table cloth weight). We were also given wooden shoes that looked like they have been here since the beginning and were quite awkward. We made our way back into the treatment room together.
This is where the real fun begins. We were each shown to a marble step where we were disrobed by our treatment specialist and told to splash ourselves with water from the big marble basins filled with water beside us. In the center of the room is a large (7 foot + sides) heated octagonal marble slab where our human car wash would soon begin. The architecture of the treatment room is stunning with a marble dome unlike anything I've viewed before, but we were unable to take photos so you'll just have to use your imagination (or Wikipedia) to get a
full sense of the place.Our treatment specialist then disrobed in front of us, washed herself completely then pulled on a black swimsuit that looked like it was from an early silent movie with short type legs and a full coverage top. We were helped to our piece of the slab (yes, we were all together in the treatment room) and told to lie on our backs. During the hour plus treatment we were scrubbed, washed, soaped, washed, soaped again, washed, massaged, washed, shampooed, washed and then helped back to our changing room. We were definitely 'glowing' after our treatments! I would highly recommend anyone visiting give this a go as it is definitely different than any spa visit I've ever had in the states.
Our next stop was lunch at Hamdi which is on the square by the Spice Market. We were offered Turkish delights including a spicy meat kebab and, of course, baklava. As soon as we were finished eating, we were turned loose to wonder the aisles of the Spice Market. The name is a little misleading since they sell much more than spices at this bustling marketplace. Stall owners call out to the shoppers, enticing them with samples of cheese, nuts, dried fruits, you name it, they have it. The further you roamed from the center hall the cheaper the prices. In addition to food, housewares and clothing were also abundant. There was great energy here which translated into great photos.
Also on the square is The New Mosque (Yeni Camii) which is open to the public. All around the outside of the mosque are basins with faucets so that the worshipers can clean their feet and hands before entering to pray. Before entering, you must remove your shoes (plastic storage bags were available at the door) and women must put on headscarves. Forgot yours? The mosque happily provides you with a lovely blue one. Inside, the back portion of the giant domed room is reserved for the Muslim women with the middle section open to tourists. Past a short wooden rail, the men are allowed in for their prayers. The prayers themselves were sung much like you might hear at a Synagogue. There was much standing, kneeling and bowing to touch the forehead to the to the carpet. Very fascinating.
The Bospherus River runs through the middle of Istanbul serving to separate the European side from the Asian side. We boarded a boat to take a tour past the two bridges that span the two continents. Part tour boat, part ferry, we glided past mansions built on the water with high rises in the distance. As interesting as the sites were our fellow passengers. One couple was obviously very much in love with the woman having very expressive eyes that conveyed her amour. Another family had a budding photographer in a pink coated girl happy to take one of the adult's cell phones as her camera. It was very breezy during our ride so we were all happy to go ashore and warm up.
Tonight, several of us signed up to visit a Turkish Bath, or Hammam, to get a real native experience. The one we visited (several signs boasted that it's listed in A Thousand Places to Visit Before You Die) appeared to date back perhaps a century or more. We made our treatment selection at the door then were escorted into a room with dressing rooms on the perimeter. We disrobed and wrapped ourselves in Turkish towels which are thin cotton (think table cloth weight). We were also given wooden shoes that looked like they have been here since the beginning and were quite awkward. We made our way back into the treatment room together.
This is where the real fun begins. We were each shown to a marble step where we were disrobed by our treatment specialist and told to splash ourselves with water from the big marble basins filled with water beside us. In the center of the room is a large (7 foot + sides) heated octagonal marble slab where our human car wash would soon begin. The architecture of the treatment room is stunning with a marble dome unlike anything I've viewed before, but we were unable to take photos so you'll just have to use your imagination (or Wikipedia) to get a
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