Sonuncu günleri: The last days

Even though Istanbul is bursting with people, action, commerce, and drama, I wanted to end these posts with images of calm. During our last full day, we pushed ourselves to shop, pack, and see a little of what we had missed in two months of living in Turkey. It was so hard to say goodbye to the city. We both wanted to revisit Rüstem Paşa Camii which we had seen in 1999. It is one of the smaller mosques designed by Mimar Sinan in the early 1560s. Alex remembered where it was, more or less. So, we walked in the general direction, took a few turns out of curiosity for other buildings and streets, and randomly ended on a downhill street. It was pretty narrow and crowded with merchants selling a variety of toys and plastic thingies. When we heard a police siren behind us, we backed up to the building to get out of the way. Then, we noticed everyone grabbing their stuff and scurrying behind doors (and we happened to be standing in front of a door, oops!) The police didn't stop or shout anything over the loudspeaker; they just drove slowly down the street. I guess they got the effect they wanted! As we approached the end of the street at the bottom of the hill, I glanced up to see the very mosque we had been looking for!
To get inside, we entered an arched stairwell that lead to a second floor courtyard above the market. Suddenly it was much calmer. In the courtyard, there was the guardian of the mosque and a couple of people who were leaving. Inside, we were the only people, and we sat there for a long time just to take in the beauty of the scene and the quiet of the place.

We knew we couldn't stay forever.

Katmerli tarih: Layered history

This building looks pretty old, right? Right, it was built in the 4th century AD. But more than that, it has served as a tomb, a church, a mosque, and now a church plus museum. Attached to the rotunda, you can see the apse with buttresses that were added in the Christian era.On the other side, there is a reconstructed minaret from the time it was converted to a mosque in 1590.

In the garden, there is the old ablutions fountain.

Inside, there is the altar of the current church.

Selanik'te: In Thessaloniki

After studying Turkish all summer, we spent the last long weekend in Greece! Well, why not... the city has played a major role in the history of Greece and Turkey.
It was so strange to rely on English all the time. Almost everyone could communicate in English... what a crazy world!
It was very quiet in the city. Very few people wanted to hang out in the oppressive heat. Also, Friday was a major religious holiday--the Assumption. So, the market was closed and some of the museums closed early. No problem... there was plenty to see anyway. Here are a few highlights from our visit to Thessaloniki:
The long walk along the sea. Can't you just see the heat?

A shrine for devotion on the go

Alexander the Great and his posse

The closed market

Music manuscripts in the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum


An out of use fountain from the Ottoman Empire

What's up in the city

Another mash-up of old and new

Hanging out near Aristotle Square

Dinner!

Dostluk - Filia ekspres treni: The Friendship Express Train

Every evening, there's a train leaving Istanbul for Thessaloniki and vice versa. The train schedule claims that it takes 12 hours, but that's not counting the three hours of passport control on both sides of the border. It's a fascinating trip to see the miles and miles of city slowly dwindle into countryside and build up to city again in the morning. Sleeping on the train is like trying to sleep on a roller coaster. I'm really glad we went, but next time I think we'll take the bus...
The view from the train

A cram session on Thessaloniki

A wee-bit weary and foot-sore

İkinci devre TÖMER'de: The second term at TOMER

It was a hard act to follow, and the second term just hasn't lived up to the first term at TOMER. A number of us continued in the second session together and a few people from other classes joined us. The new teacher has been pretty good but less patient unfortunately. In our first week, we did get some momentum as a group. Then, yesterday, we had yet another new teacher... hmmmm... without reason. She is plowing full steam ahead and leaving a lot of us in the dust! Her explanations are just as confusing as the original problem. During the middle break yesterday, two of my classmates left because they were so frustrated. I'll try to ask her to slow down today. We'll see what happens. (If nothing else, it is a lesson for me on how not to teach a beginning class!)

Yunanıstan'a da gidiyoruz: We're going to Greece, too

Yesterday I went to the Istanbul Gar (train station) and bought tickets for the overnight train to Thessaloniki! Alex has two days of exams, today and tomorrow, and on Wednesday, we'll store most of our luggage at the apartment and leave for three days in Greece. Thessaloniki was once part of the Ottoman Empire (but we don't need to remind them of that) and it has a lot of similar history and architecture that we've been focusing on in Istanbul. It will be very interesting to see how this history is presented in Greece. Also, we plan to go swimming at a beach on one of the peninsulas near the city :D
And, of course, our Turkish skills will not be useful in Greece... We're going to have a crash course in the Greek alphabet and key phrases during the train ride...
I can't believe that we're so close to the end of our summer! It doesn't feel like two months have passed, more like a few weeks. On one hand, I'm not quite ready to jump back into my other life in Tucson... on the other, I can't wait to see our cat, Athena, and have our own space again.
I'll write more as I can, depending on access to the internet, etc. There will definitely be more to report and pictures to post from our time in Greece, as well.
Görüşürüz ~ See you later ~ Hasta luego ~ Ciao ~ Até logo

Galata Kulesi: Galata Tower

Just 15 minutes away from our apartment, hiding in plain site, is the Galata Tower. It's old, it's iconic, and it's expensive. Nevertheless, we paid our dues to take the spiffy elevator up nearly 200 feet to see the panorama. It was originally built by the Genoese in 1348 as part of the fortifications of the Byzantine Empire. The plaque on the tower emphasizes the surrender of the tower in 1453 to Fatih Sultan Mehmet.

We took way too many photos from the balcony of the tower. Here are just a few...
A closeup of the old stone of the tower's balcony

In the foreground there is the Golden Horn (Haliç), Topkapı Sarayı is in the middle, the Sea of Mamara is just beyond and the shore of Asia is in the background.

Looking down from the tower to the south, there are the remains of the rest of the fortifications still standing in the neighborhood.

To the west, the city stretches on to the horizon (and beyond)!

To the northeast, there are the neighborhoods of Tophane, Cihangir, the Bosphorus, the first Bosphorus bridge, and the Asian side.

For the other 40 photos we took from the tower, see our Picasa site :)

Konsere gittik: We went to a concert.

Didem, one of the Boğazici Üniversitesi teaching assistants, knows the muscians in the bandCümbüş Cemaat. We saw them play on Thursday night at Araf, a bar on Istiklal Caddesi. The music was a great combination of Turkish, Roma, pop, and a dash of punk. Alex said that his favorite instrument in the band was the lead singer's mustache! The bar was packed with happy, happy dancers. Now, I am feeling very old because it's taken me two days to recover from being out until 2am...

Sinemaya gittim: I went to the movies

Everything has a backstory... Today, as I was packing my bag to go to class, I couldn't find my keys anywhere! I was getting pretty stressed when Alex called. Guess what! He had taken both sets of keys... ha ha ha ha... At least mine weren't lost! Since he wouldn't be back until late afternoon, I needed to find something to do after class. Plus, today was one of the hotter days we've had lately. Near my language school, on Istiklal Caddesi, there are several movie theaters. Some look inviting, others not so much. I asked a few of my classmates where I should go. I was advised to avoid one in particular because "it's really a brothel." Hmmmm... I went to a modern multiplex style theater and saw the "Batman" movie (with subtitles in Turkish). Honestly, I hated it, but it certainly kept me in a comfortable place for a few hours. A couple notes about the Turkish movie theater experience. One, there is assigned seating and an usher finds your place. I followed what others did, but later Alex told me that some people tip the usher. (They didn't this time.) There were the usual ads and previews and then the feature. In the middle of the film, I thought something had gone wrong with the projection. But, no, it was time for intermission! (Batman is long enough that a 10 minute break makes sense.) When the film finally ended, I checked my phone for messages. Alex had called me six times... apparently he hadn't gotten my text message that I was going to the movies. Oops. By this time, he was home, and let me back in the apartment ;)

Duvar yazısı her yerde: Graffiti is everywhere!

Paris, London, New York all have it... Why should Istanbul be different? Graffiti comes in all forms--scatalogical, artistic, political, personal, practical, and commercial. It's nothing new, for sure. All of the historical buildings have historical graffiti as well! Here is just a sampling:
At the bottom of the stairs that lead from our apartment building

Graffiti advertising on Istiklal Caddesi

Some practical and personal graffiti

More personal stuff


Not technically graffiti, but a curious placard on the disused fountain near the Galata Tower

And, of course, the graffiti in Aya Sofya

Here's a bonus... It's not in Istanbul, but in the Cappadocian underground city of Derinkoyu.

Mutlu Haberler: Happy News

Yesterday was much better... The camcı arrived and replaced the window in the bedroom door.

Also, Black September ate and drank a little after I temporarily removed the collar. She got a chance to groom herself, too. I had to watch her pretty closely so that she didn't get at her stitches. Of course, Alice thinks it's always playtime and her mother isn't up for that at all! Alice did finally settle down to be cozy...

Zor bir gün: A difficult day

It's not always tea and baklava in a cafe overlooking the Bosphorus, you know? So, the mother cat, Black September, yowled her way into a vet office to be spayed. She came home yesterday, poor thing. What a mess... disoriented, exhausted, and looking awful. In the meantime, the wind blew our bedroom door so hard that the glass shattered everywhere. Great. After I swept up the glass, I tried to contact the kapıcı (apartment maintenance /doorman) all afternoon. Not home. Finally, around 5:30pm, I made Alex go find him. He was there... and came up to see the damage. He helped get the rest of the glass out of the door, and has arranged for the camcı (glass repairer) to come Saturday afternoon to replace the glass. Now, for a minimum of privacy we have a lovely orange sheet covering the gaping hole. Of course, the kitten quickly figured out that she could jump in and out of the room at will, which she did all night long. We hope she doesn't smash the new window...
The poor cat... she has a protective collar, but I took it off for little so she could rest.

The wrecked window

The classy curtain solution

Benim kursam TÖMER'de: My class at TOMER

So today is the last day of the first 4 week course! It's hard to believe that so much time has passed. I'll take two more weeks of the next term... but then we have to go back to the U.S.! My Turkish class has been a lot of fun, and I think I've learned a lot. It's very different from Alex's program, which is more academic and heavily focused on reading and writing. Mine is general adult education with a primary emphasis on speaking and the secondary on grammar. I plan to enroll in a Turkish class at the University of Arizona for the fall term and keep the momentum going. Here are a few photos of my class:


The teacher, Sinan, who is patiently waiting to get the class started again...

Selim Sesler'in konseri: Selim Sesler's concert

Last night we went out to eat at this great little restaurant and then to a bar to hear Selim Sesler play. Don't ask me the name of the restaurant because it wasn't marked! But it was on the sixth floor of the Emir Han just off of Istiklal Caddesi... We went with Alex's konuşma (speaking) class led by the teaching assistant, who is a very friendly, generous person! (Are you reading this Didem?) The music was fantastic and I've included a little clip so you get an idea. Also you can get more information about him at http://profile.myspace.com/selimsesler


The group at the concert was much smaller... They don't know what they missed!!

Yağmur: Rain

Lately, we have enjoyed some rainy days. According to my Turkish teacher, Istanbul used to have one rainy day for every 10 sunny days. In the last two years, however, it has rained once every two months or so. The newspapers frequently have stories about drought conditions, disappearing reservoirs, and failing crops. So, people have been pretty happy about the rain despite the inconvenience of walking through rivers of trash. For your viewing pleasure, here are some rainy day scenes:



At least yesterday's rain cleared the air of humidity. The other times it just made the rest of the sunny day even more humid!