Caught in Costantinople
What is one to do with an 8 hour layover in Istanbul? Buy a Turkey Visa.
After three magical weeks in Italy last August, Ryan and I hopped on a plane back to Ethiopia where we found ourselves with another adventure ahead of us. It was an easy decision to get ourselves a visa and go explore a city I’ve been dreaming about since I learned of its existence back in middle school. So, we got our passports stamped, stored our bags at a luggage keep, and quickly jumped on the train to see as much as we possibly could. Our list consisted of: 1. Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) –Probably the most iconic landmark of Istanbul, the Blue Mosque was constructed between 1609 and 1616. It was simply magnificent and I could’ve easily spent our entire time in Istanbul admiring it. 2. Hagia Sophia –Translating to “Holy Wisdom,” this Byzantine giant was incredible. It was originally constructed in 537AD as a Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal basilica, but eventually transformed into an imperial mosque and now serves as an impressive museum. 3. Arasta Bazaar –One of the many bazaars found throughout the city, the Arasta Bazaar dazzled us with its plethora of beautiful fabrics, rich aromas of spices and teas and bright, bold colors. While I wanted to bring just about one of everything back to Ethiopia with me, Ryan and I only walked away with a box of ‘turkish delights’. 4. Obelisk of Theodosius –Roman Emperor Constantius II had it and one other obelisk transported along the river Nile to Alexandria to commemorate his ventennalia (his 20 year reign in 357AD). It remained there until 390AD when he had it moved to Constantinople where we were lucky enough to see it. Ironically enough, we saw its ‘brother,’ the Lateran Obelisk, in Rome only the day before. 5. Topkapi Palace –Starting in 1453, the Topkapi Palace was one of the major residences of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years and now serves as a fantastic museum; it actually houses Muhammad’s cloak and sword.
Even though our time was short, I am so grateful that I was able to experience such a small part of the amazing Constantinople before it became too unsafe to leave the airport. I just hope that one day I will be able to return.