We woke up to a hearty breakfast which helped to placate the painfully early morning call (5.30am), which was necessary to beat the morning traffic in Istanbul.

 

 

We set off for the district while the sky was still dusty, catching the sunrise on the coach.

 

 

Our first stop was to Blue Mosque, named for the predominant blue tiles that cover the walls of the interior.

 

Built in the 17^th century, Sultan Ahmet I had envisioned for it to outshine the neighbouring Hagia Sophia in grandeur.

 

 

The six towering minarets and cascading domes were easily spotted from afar. There is an interesting story behind the six minarets in which the architect had misheard the sultan’s instructions to build altin (gold) minarets as alti (six) minarets.

 

The construction of six minarets provoked hostility for the feature was reserved for the Prophet’s Mosque in Mecca. A tacky situation that was resolved with the simplest of solution: the sultan paid for 7th minaret to be constructed for the Prophet’s Mosque.

 

 

The interior of the mosque is not as vast as expected. It is only about 100 metres from the entrance to the exit. To the right is an area cordoned off for prayer sessions so there isn’t much space to wander about.

 

 

Nevertheless, within the small confines, there are many beautiful sights: the red-blue-gold dome motifs, bright red carpets, massive lowing hanging chandeliers, flamboyant stained glass windows and exquisite calligraphy of Qur’an verses.

 

 

Apparently, ostrich eggs were once placed on the chandeliers to repel spiders and hence prevent cobwebs in the mosque. We didn’t managed to spot any though.

 

 

Our next destination was the Topkapi Palace which was the Istana or White House of the Ottoman sultans.

 

The entrance to the palace, known as the Imperial Gate, is uniquely clad in a tapestry of bricks, stones and marble.

 

 

Going past the Imperial Gate, we reached the first of four courtyards. The First Courtyard was like a vast park lined with many tall trees, most of them barren as it was winter.

 

 

In Turkey, stray dogs are required by law to be sterilised and vaccinated. These dogs are tagged with an electronic ear tag.

 

 

We walked along a path that leads to the Gate of Salutation which was the entrance to the Second Courtyard. The facade looks just like a Lego castle with the twin octagonal capped tower and the Turkish flag mounted on the battlements.

 

 

Leading up to the gate, on the right laid a fountain which was claimed to the washing point of the executioner and hence called the Fountain of the Executioner.

 

 

In the Second courtyard, we toured the outer treasury which displays a collection of historical armor and weapons as well as the palace kitchens displays a wide range of intricate china and kitchenware, many of which are of Chinese or Japanese origins.

 

 

Breaking into the Third Courtyard made us feel like paparazzi for it used to be the private domains of the Sultans. But instead of snooping around, we were allowed to tour the many rooms where a plethora of treasures were on display. Amongst the collections of ceremonial costumes, weapons and china adorned with precious stones, we were most impressed with the bling bling, which consist of red rubies and green emeralds (Sonic the Hedgehog) and the not-to-be-missed 86-carat Spoon Maker's Diamond.

 

 

Having read about the spectacular views that the Fourth Courtyard offers, we reserved some time to bask in the panoramic sights of the Sea of Maramara and the Asian coast.

 

 

The last stop for the day was the Hagia Sofia, which was a church-turned-mosque-turned-museum, which now retains of the unorthodox allure of both Christianity and Islamic features.

 

 

As mentioned above, the construction of the blue mosque was an attempt to dwarf the beauty of the Hagia Sofia. While some may claim that it was a success on the exterior, the interior of Hagia Sopia is way more elegant.

 

 

The dome rests on the perimeters on the building, rendering an unobstructed view of the interior in its magnificence (as opposed to the numerous huge pillars in the Blue Mosque). Sadly, as forewarned by travel guides that the building is in perennial restoration, our promised views were broken by vast scaffolds.

 

 

In addition to the giant medallions bearing unmistakable Islamic calligraphy hung on the giant columns, surviving traces of Christianity were observable in the form of mosaics.

 

 

At the entrance, a mosaic depicts Emperor Leo the Wise kneeling before Christ. According to the guide, the emperor was seeking permission to marry a third wife having been widowed twice and childless at 33. At that time, taking a third wife was considered a sin and was illegal.

 

 

We ascended to the second storey through the dimly lit stone paths where there were more surviving mosaics.

 

 

As the clock ticked down to our gathering time, we scampered to search for the legendary Column of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus or the ‘weeping column’. There is an obvious indentation in the bronze section of the column from which water droplets supposedly seep out.

 

Because of that, the column has then been associated with miracles and it is believed that by placing the thumb in the depression and making a complete turn over your head, one would be granted with a wish.

 

 

The current Hagia Sophia is the third installation with the first two being destroyed by fires. Some of the marble remains of the 2nd church can be spotted in the courtyard.

 

 

As we headed for lunch, we crossed the Sultan Ahmet Square marked by the towering Obelisk of Theodosius and Wall Obelisk. Several ruin fragments including the Serpent Column hint of its Byzantine past as the Hippodrome of Constantinople where it served as a sporting and social arena.

 

 

Lunch wasn’t all that bad with rice accompanied by a few chunks of kebab chicken. We also got to try the Turkish Lavash, a fuffly flatbread with sesame sprinkled on top.

 

 

After lunch was the first of the many long distance coach rides as we headed for Canakkale. Along the way, we stopped at various kiosks for pee and tea breaks. *Hey, it rhymes!*

 

 

We tasted Turkish tea, which was one of the famous things about Turkey. Well, I thought it tasted the same as “Teh-O” and the only thing unique about it was the tulip-shaped glass that was used to serve the tea.

 

 

The coach mounted a ferry at Gallipoli where we crossed over to the Asia side of Turkey, docking at Canakkale.

 

 

Dinner @ Iris Hotel. In case you are wondering, the first plate belongs to the missus.