Istanbul: Day 1, part 2

Day 1: Part 2

Once we were finished lunch we walked a few blocks up the street and into the same plaza as Hagia Sophia. Right across from Hagia Sophia is the Blue Mosque. The Blue mosque was built in the 1600’s trying to mirror Hagia Sophia. Before we went inside we were required to take off our shoes and put them into a plastic bag. It was quite weird at first but I soon remembered their religious custom of going bear foot on holy grounds. Once we walked in we saw a large domed empty room with geometric patterns painted on every wall. It was pretty simple other than the large dome. I felt the architecture outside the mosque was a lot grander than inside the mosque. However, the experience was interesting since it was the first mosque I’ve ever been in. I do not believe I will be going into a mosque soon so it was well worth going in.  

When many people think about Istanbul they think about the Grand Bazaar. It is one of the world’s oldest and largest closed air markets. It was built in the late 400’s and 500’s by the Romans/Byzantines and has continued to be in use since. When we arrived at the Grand Bazaar we experienced much of what we saw at the spice market. However, this market was at least 20 times bigger than the spice market we saw earlier in the day. Throughout the Bazaar there are endless mazes of tunnels of stores/shops selling anything from food, electronics, to suitcases, suits, clothing etc. I believe anything can be bought at this bazaar if you know where to look and who to talk to. My experience in the bazaar was overwhelming due to its size and magnitude. Also, during our time we were constantly approached by merchants asking us if we wanted to buy certain items. Sometimes it felt like a plea for us to venture in their shops to buy something. However, I realized these people are some of the best barters I’ve ever seen and can be negotiated with. On some items I was able to negotiate 20 dollars less than the marked price before I walked away. My friend John was able to buy several items for at least 20 to 30 Turkish dollars cheaper than the price listed. I didn’t buy anything because I was planning on doing all my shopping the last day we were in the city. I think if anyone wants to do cheap shopping in Europe must come to Istanbul. It was 50% or more cheaper than everywhere else I’ve been so far. The best representation of the Grand Bazaar I can compare to in the states is the LA garment district. Although, the bazaar is covered unlike the LA garment district and has many more shops. I suggest everyone to stop here on their trip to Europe. It is quite the experience and you will not miss out!

For dinner that night I decided to have a lamb shish kebab with rice, vegetables, and bread. It was quite an awesome dish; the meat was so tender it melted in your mouth. The sides always go very well with the meat in Turkish cuisine because they compliment the meats with spice as well as adding a unique flavor blend.

What can I say; the first full day in Istanbul was awesome!  While it almost took me 2000 words to explain the day, it was quite fun reliving the experience through the words I typed! I am going to have cut this blog into a few sections due to the size. I will have another section coming out the day after I post this blog. I hope you enjoyed reading day 1 of my Istanbul blog! Check back soon, day 2 will be posted soon!