Have a nargylah, have a nargylah, have a nargylah...
So! I've had my first nargylah. Apple. Pretty interesting. We were so 'in', so hip. Sitting at one of the cafes in the "cool" street, drinking the local aguardiente (firewater) and turkish tea, with the sweet smell of apple in the air. Now, both of us have burnt the back of our throats. All a part of the Turkish experience.
Ok, on to the travel story. We went to the Topkapi Palace, absolutely ridiculously grand. The Sultans really knew how to spend their money. There was also a tooth and hair from a beard and lock of hair, supposedly from the Prophet Muhammed. More impressing, I thought, was a couple of rain gutters, a door and locks from the Kaaba in Mecca! One of the sultans asked for it to be brought back when he was funding the restoration of the mosque.
The treasury had one of the largest diamonds in the world, 86 karats, found on a rubbish dump and traded for 3 spoons. When the reigning sultan heard of this, of course he claimed ownership and had his jewelry makers make him a ring. Pretty impressive ring, that!
Then we went to the Grand Bazar. That was a very interesting experience. It's absolutely enormous! We found ourselves in the "womanclothes" section of the market, lots of make-your-daughter-look-like-a-pile-of-crispy-pink-froth-dresses. The salespeople tried to sell me a few but I was disinclined to acquiesce to their request. We then made our way to the kitchen appliance section of the bazar and from there to the spices! Aaaaah... the smell! All the tea and spices! It was soooo tempting to buy just everything! But I resisted, with the help of the Abdul. Oh, yesterday he was asked if he was Pakistani. I found it pretty funny.
Today we went to the Aya Sofia, what an amazing place! Mosaics from around 1500 A.D. The Aya Sofia has an interesting history. It was a christian church, built by Romans. Burned down. Built again as a christian church, burned down again. Reconstructed in a christian form around 537 A.D. and then overtaken by the Turks and turned into a Mosque. Today it's a museum. It was pretty amazing to run my fingers across Roman columns that are as old as mud!
We wandered back to the bazar and bought some spices. Then we went back to The Square and watched the whirling derwishes. They are the guys in white coats with tall hats, whirling away in religious bliss. Very cool to watch.
It's late again, I'm getting a nice tan but still get stares from men and women all around. My theory is because everyone thinks I am a lesbian. You know the formula, woman with short hair = raging lessa. Never mind the man holding her. He's just a lessa-hag.
Ok, somebody waiting to get on the internet. Hope you are all well.
Ok, on to the travel story. We went to the Topkapi Palace, absolutely ridiculously grand. The Sultans really knew how to spend their money. There was also a tooth and hair from a beard and lock of hair, supposedly from the Prophet Muhammed. More impressing, I thought, was a couple of rain gutters, a door and locks from the Kaaba in Mecca! One of the sultans asked for it to be brought back when he was funding the restoration of the mosque.
The treasury had one of the largest diamonds in the world, 86 karats, found on a rubbish dump and traded for 3 spoons. When the reigning sultan heard of this, of course he claimed ownership and had his jewelry makers make him a ring. Pretty impressive ring, that!
Then we went to the Grand Bazar. That was a very interesting experience. It's absolutely enormous! We found ourselves in the "womanclothes" section of the market, lots of make-your-daughter-look-like-a-pile-of-crispy-pink-froth-dresses. The salespeople tried to sell me a few but I was disinclined to acquiesce to their request. We then made our way to the kitchen appliance section of the bazar and from there to the spices! Aaaaah... the smell! All the tea and spices! It was soooo tempting to buy just everything! But I resisted, with the help of the Abdul. Oh, yesterday he was asked if he was Pakistani. I found it pretty funny.
Today we went to the Aya Sofia, what an amazing place! Mosaics from around 1500 A.D. The Aya Sofia has an interesting history. It was a christian church, built by Romans. Burned down. Built again as a christian church, burned down again. Reconstructed in a christian form around 537 A.D. and then overtaken by the Turks and turned into a Mosque. Today it's a museum. It was pretty amazing to run my fingers across Roman columns that are as old as mud!
We wandered back to the bazar and bought some spices. Then we went back to The Square and watched the whirling derwishes. They are the guys in white coats with tall hats, whirling away in religious bliss. Very cool to watch.
It's late again, I'm getting a nice tan but still get stares from men and women all around. My theory is because everyone thinks I am a lesbian. You know the formula, woman with short hair = raging lessa. Never mind the man holding her. He's just a lessa-hag.
Ok, somebody waiting to get on the internet. Hope you are all well.
posted by Björg at 4:25 f.h.
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