July 30 Back in Istanbul

It  is wonderful being back in Istanbul again. Today we simply wandered. It was not without purpose however because we were wanting to get information about visiting the Black Sea, but we poked our noses into old and new places. As we have a number of times before, we ended up at the harbour and had a fish sandwich on the Galata Bridge.  I love the energy of the whole waterfront area plus the New Mosque and Misir Carsisi, the Egyptian (spice) Bazaar. We explored both before heading off to see the old train station, Sirkeci Terminal.

The queue to get into the Basilica Cistern snaked around the corner - fortunately we saw it in 2018

Water fountains dot the streets but I'm not game to drink the water.

Eating fish sandwiches on Galata Bridge looking towards the new 'fishing boat' restaurants

This is how we bought fish sandwiches in 1984 - from the real fishing boats.

People crowd to the waterfront

Huge shopping arcade in the underground passage from the harbour /Galata Bridge to the New Mosque

Entrance to the shopping-mall passage

Misir Carsisi, the Egyptian bazaar which was opened in 1664. Delicious aromas

The New Mosque was finished in 1663. No wonder that step is so worn (red circle)

The New Mosque is vast inside and the people very welcoming

The old steam train - the Orient Express perhaps

Sirkeci Terminal opened in 1890

Sirkeci Terminal was the end of the line for the Orient Express which started from Paris in 1883 with forty passengers on board (before this station had been completed) - the round trip lasted seven days. The kids and I arrived at this station from Venice in 1984 and simply walked up the hill to our hotel. The last time Lindsay and I were in Istanbul in 2018  the station was closed for long distance trains so we had to be bussed out of Istanbul to catch the train to Bucharest.  

Today the terminal bustling modern train station

The trams take up the entire road here. You have to keep your ears and eyes open.

You never know what lies behind high walls! We peered through a grill because I am ever curious

Behind this plaque and wall was the Aydinglu Dervish Convent  built 1509

Wandering back to our hotel I found an opening in a high wall and looked through. Voila! It was the site of the Aydinglu Dervish Convent built in 1509. It was demolished in 1958 and today houses a shrine, fountain and sepulchre. A tranquil little spot on a very busy road. 

Old Istanbul is a place to wander - quite exciting in so many ways. And we happened on a travel agent and popped in to ask about going to the Black Sea.  We had hoped to get to the Black Sea via the Bospherus but ended up booked into a bus tour which would take us overland through some of the Asian part of Turkey. We were happy with that. PLUS we booked a tour to Gallipoli something we had not planned to do but something drew us to it this time. We arrived back at our hotel feeling quite pleased with our plans.