Istanbul, Down the rabbit hole..

“Alice came to a fork in the road. 'Which road do I take?' she asked.
'Where do you want to go?' responded the Cheshire Cat.
'I don't know,' Alice answered.
'Then,' said the Cat, 'it doesn't matter.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

City of Tulips

 A fork in the road does not just offer two paths, it also has the option of stopping. And so we did stop, to take pictures. In this city, where the Tulips first arrived  the morning comes alive in a splash of colour.
In a month all of them will be abloom, and Istanbul awash in reds, yellows and pinks.
The famed tulip gardens of Netherlands might coat themselves in flower glory, but here is where it all began. First cultivated by the Ottomans, the word Tulip comes from the Turkish word 'tulbent'  .
Time has a way of forgetting things, even some as beautiful as this flower and so somewhere this rich floral legacy faded away, only to see a revival recently. Istanbul, now has a bulb planting program taking it back to the days of the sultan when the Tulips adorned the palaces and the streets of this beautiful capital of the Ottomon empire.

Tulips planted along the city squares..

We laud ourselves on our choice of hotel.Staying in Sultanmhet means we are in the heart of the city.
We explore at will and relax when we please.  We have heard so much about the Blue mosque and The Hagia Sophia. But there is plenty to see as we stroll along this pretty part of the city on out way there. Trams glide gracefully across busy roads and the traffic seems unceasing.

The Obelisk of Theodosius

Our guide, is an encyclopedia of information. Our first stop is the Ancient Egyptian Obelisk of Pharaoh  Tutmoses iii, re -erected by the Roman emperor Theodosius in Constantinople(now Istanbul) and now called The Obelisk of Theodosius. Not so apparent until we are told is that the obelisk is made from red granite. What draws the eye to it are are beautiful carvings along the length of the obelisk, towering26m above us.

The Obelisk of Theodosius

The Blue Mosque

I am distracted by the sun, the luxurious feeling of warmth on my skin. It has been a long winter back home in London this year and this is such a welcome change. The square we are in is teeming with tourists. Like ants on a hot day we scurry about, almost in line behind our guide, loosing scent, scattering and forming ranks again :).

And so we get to the Blue Mosque, an exquisite structure with an underlying blue that shines through the stone, its minarates standing tall, towering into the skies above.  Built during the rule of the Sultan Ahmed I, during the period from 1606 to 1616, is is still being used as a mosque.

The entrance to the Blue mosque

We walk around the court yard and pass what looks like a row of ornate taps.
I marvel at how similar this is to the taps I have seen in some of the temples in the South of India from where I come. Before we enter the mosque, we are given plastic bags in which to put our shoes in. And Out of respect we cover our heads

Inside the Blue Mosque..

Stepping inside is an experience. I am struck by the sight of the beautiful stained glass windows, stacked neatly one above another encircling us , as we walk around the dome like structure.

The Stained glass windows in the Blue Mosque..

A different view., the prayer area and the main dome..

Let there be light..

We wander around the mosque. Women sit at the windows, heads covered praying. There is a sense of peace in the midst of all the noise. The pillars are entirely made of marble.

The ceramic tiles , inside the blue mosque..

The interior of the mosque is laid out with Ceramic tiles from the region Iznik. These blue tiles, with intricate designs of tulips are a beautiful foil to the stained glass windows through which light filters in.

View of the Blue mosque as we walk towards the hippodrome..

Our eyes quickly adjust to the sun as we step outside. At the entrance we throw away the plastic covers that held our foot wear and walk towards the hippodrome. It is from here that we get the best shots of the blue mosque.

Hagia Sophia

What do I say about Hagia Sophia, that hasn't already been said. It's a beautiful  fascinating place, an intersection of two great religions standing together side by side. Walking in I was struck by the atmospheric calm, the beautiful chandeliers hanging off the ceilings washed in gold, high windows and intricate paintings..

Chandileres indside Hagia Sophia..

Ceilings washed in gold..

We step into the interior and I am awestruck by the immense great hall, ending in stained glass windows with a beautiful painting of the Virgin Mary at the other end..
Hagia Sophia was once a church, an eastern Orthodox cathedral and the seat of the orthodox patriarchy in Constantinople  the ancient capital of Turkey.  When Constantinople was invaded by the Ottomon Turks in 1453 under Sultan Mehmed II, it was converted to a mosque.
Today it houses elements of both religions, something I have never seen before.

The chandeliers inside Hagia Sophia..

The Dome is magnificent, an example of the celebrated byzantine architecture of the era in which it was built. Our guide points out that others like the Blue Mosque that we first visited were actually built as replicas of Hagia Sophia..

The Dome..

At the far end of the hall and above the many stained glass windows is the mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. On both sides are circular discs in Green declaring the basic tenets of Islam, the names of Allah and the Prophet Mohammed.

The end of the hall, A painting of the Virgin Mary right on top, with circular discs declaring important people of the Islamic faith

This is a fascinating, fascinating place. Over the years religions have come and gone, but seeing them stand together like this is a surreal feeling.

We walk up to the upper floor, where there are more mosaics. We also get a better view of the mosaic of Mary from a balcony very close to the ceiling.

Virgin Mary with child..

The hall from the top level..

Of all the places I've seen so far in Istanbul, Hagia Sophia is my favourite. We walk around for a bit before we run out of time. The heat is making me tired, but it really is lovely being out in the sun and I won't complain.

Topkapi Palace

When we get to the Topkapi palace it's teeming with people. This was once the seat of the sultans of the Ottomon Empire and in 1921 , by official decree was converted into a museum.
Our guide likens it to the Forbidden City in Beijing, the seat of power of the emperors in China.
The palace still houses several important relics and we look woefully at the long queues stretching out into the sun :).




There is a lot to see here.  We are on a mission to see the most important ones and get in queue.
Right ahead we meet some co- travellers from Karachi. We get talking. Questions on Pakistan and questions on India :). This is my favourite bit about travelling. Meeting someone from somewhere you wouldn't normally get the opportunity to meet. He doubles up as a guide with his knowledge of Arabic translating as we walk along, pointing at exhibits of interest. Inside we see a model of a Kaba, which stands in Mecca. One of the many keys to the Kaba is housed here. We also see personal belongings of the Prophet, hair from his beard preserved over the years and the stick used by Moses.

The museum has one of the largest diamonds, which was in the possession of the Sultan.

It's past lunch time and we eat at a restaurant that faces the coast

The Asian side of Istanbul...

The Basillica Cistern

Our final stop was the Basillica Cisteren, one of several hundred ancient cisterns lying under the city.
The floors are wet and we watch our step as we walk in the dark. As our eyes adjust to the darkness, we are told this place was once surrounded by gardens and overlooked the Hagia Sophia.

The Basillica Cistern..

At the very end are two stone pillars supported by Medusa heads. Roman in origin, how they came to be in this place is still unknown.

The Medusa heads..

The Medusa Heads..

The heads have a eerie look to them in the near darkness :). We take a lot of pictures and finally head out again into the sun...
That rounds up a lovely day at Sultanmhet, though our journey through Istanbul had only just begun.

Turkey and our great big easter break..

In keeping with tradition, Easter called for travel.
A couple of days off and we landed ourselves a good ten days. Between Turkey, Jordan and Morocco, after much deliberation we decided Turkey. The other two we put away for a different time.

Turkey was a revelation. There is probably not that much I could say that hasn't been said already.
But the food, the culture, its people, its history and everything in between took our breath away.
So my next series of posts will touch on what we did there and what I think were the highlights of our trip. Stay tuned people!

Meena

The Mylapore Festival..

Colour mingled with colour until we felt that we were peering through an endless Kaleidoscope of wonder. It is hard to imagine a busier place than Mylapore, the way it is at this very moment and yet we seem to walk at a pace that suggests leisure, in direct contradiction to the frenzied activity we see all around us. The harvests are here. The newspaper tell a different tale, of little rain and endless hardship; Of farmers who toil in the field; Of the need for wiser water management. But irrespective ,thanks is given and the festival of Pongal lands on our door step.



Pongal , when the sight of tall strong sugarcane, purple and streaked with white standing tall like sentries at a festive affair is such a welcome sight; When we hurry off to buy turmeric, root , stem, leaves and all fresh with the earth dug up from; And the ritual affiar of boiling milk , jaggery, rice and having steaming hot sweet pongal as a marker of the occasion!
Happy gods and definitely happy people this one festival does make..





Mylapore is alive, pulsating with the life blood of the city itself. A rickshaw sits in nonchalance in the middle of the busy thoroughfare. Pedestrians, motorists and everyone else step around the yellow rickshaw, it's flaps flying in the gentle breeze, the owner barely discernable from where I stand.
The Kabaleehwar temple is at the center of all festivity. My earliest memories of the city are intrinsically linked to this temple, of squished bus rides of holding on tight to my mum's soft hands.



We walk closer to the walls and I see the familiar steps of row of steps making their way downwards to gently touch the sparkling waters of the temples 'Kulam'.





Rows of shops selling antiques, handicrafts and other wondrous things stand. I am immediately drawn to one selling little baskets made from bamboo, incredibly pretty and so beautifully made. I can't decide which one to buy. The choice is made by the need for space in my suitcase, and so I part with a little one all white with purple bands.



The streets are a splash of colour. We walk on stopping every now and then, asking questions, savouring the moments of being part of this beautiful throng of humanity.



I have to smile when I see the Sonpapdi seller and I can almost imagine the flaky sweetness, the burst of flavour as it dissolves on the tongue. Today I resist and instead take a photograph.



And then there are the beads, strung on chains, shining in the sun, their brightness drawing the eye in every which way you look.




We stop to buy some bracelets. They are beautifully made, strewn unmatched on thinly laid cloth on stone pavements, an invitation to put my hands into the heap and draw a twosome out , so perfectly unique. A rough and tumble of colour and I try again, with a sort of a childish pleasure in the activity itself rather than the adult obsession with results.



We finally pick a few pairs, neatly packed in newspapers. And in the corner sits a lady of chocolate skin and midnight black hair selling banana leaves. She peers at me through her all knowing glasses and decides I am no worthy customer, just someone walking the streets. She looks past me and calls out to someone else in a voice that could tell a thousand stories.



We stop. We walk. We talk..There are things to see and things to do.



When we finally arrive at the entrance of the temple the evening lengthens into dusk's shadows.
The Gopuram is beautiful, a tumble of Gods and goddesses looking down on the mortal from their lofty heights.



Flowers as offering? Theres  plenty on offer, mingled with the sweet scent of incense - Roses, jasmines still not a bloom tightly garlanded in bunches of white.





A balloon seller sits lost in a reverie, his ware still unclaimed. Business isn't always as brisk.



We walk past a stage, lit up and see the prettiest Bharatnatyam dancers in the middle of a performance. We rest our feet for a while and then walk towards the food stands.



And then there is the little jackfruit seller, her kurta in complementary colour to the fruit she seeks to sell. Her waif like frame, propped up on tiptoes looks at something in a distance, her little hands holding onto the cart, her pigtails tightly coiled , braided and pulled back. She is who I will remember most when we are back home, dwarfed by the mighty jackfruit on offer to the willing buyer.



When we enter the street, full of food we are spoilt for choice. Definitely South Indian for me I decide. And so of all the nouth watering delicacies on offer we try the mangalore bonda, the vazhaipoo vadai and bits and pieces of other things.












There are more vendors doing the rounds here.



And then we walk back home . On our way we run into a procession. The Gods are restless just as men are I think to myself and so man made god in his image :)

This has been a festival to remember...

Meena



More information on the Mylapore festival can be found here. It is an annual event that marks Pongal and if you happen to be in Chennai around this time, its an event worth going to.

Sunshine in Whitby..

When the wind blows in Whitby it smells of fish and chips.  The Sun is up and the beach is teeming with people. From where we stand we can see the Whitby Abbey standing way above this quaint little seaside town . My eyes are drawn to the sea and we walk along the pier gazing into the distance. The sand looks lovely. In a distance we see a little ship, Captain Cook's tours they seem to call themselves.  The horizon is speckled with colour.  At the end of the pier is a light house and we walk all the way up and look down into the waters of the swirling ocean.



We linger on and watch gulls squeak and fight, noisy in their claims. They seem perfectly comfortable with the people frequenting this place.  


It is hard deciding what to do,  Every direction an invitation to explore. As always I am drawn to the sight of boats, the colours they make on the waters below them. We cross shops selling trinkets , restaurants, eateries and in the end spy a maze of little streets running away into the heart of the town.



The labyrinth of streets is all colour. There are cakes and cream teas on offer and beautiful old pubs dotting this place. The Union Jack flies proudly and you can tell who the tourists are by the pace they are walking at :).



When we finally decide to visit the Whitby Abbey it is almost evening. It is summer and we will still have light for a few more hours. We decide to go see the inspiration behind Bam Stoker's Dracula, climbing 199 steps to the top, an easy climb, with great views of Whitby unfolding as we walk up.

St Mary's Church

Right on top is the Church of St Mary's. Grey tombstones stand solemnly lining the path. The church is beautiful. Brownish grey with elegant windows, we walk around.

The ruins of St Hinlda Abbey..

And then there is the abbey, strikingly beautiful against the blue blue sky. As old as 657 AD it was built by the Saxon king of Northumbria and his niece Lady Hilda was appointed Abbess. The abbey has a long history of weathering conflict and as most structures of its time has seen kings come and go. But whats truly amazing is that it still stands today, maybe in ruins but every bit as beautiful as when it was first built



Stone columns seem stuck firmly in the grass and through the columns we can see the blue of the sea and the slight swell and rise of the green hills beyond. Compared to the noise and activity in Whitby right below us, this place is a picture of calm




In what looks like a courtyard we see something we have seen before. It is a replica of the Borghese gladiator statue which we had seen a month ago at the Louvere  in Paris.
After walking around for ages, we finally stroll down stopping to take pictures.



When we decide to go exploring again its in the opposite direction, all the way along the beach to where the cliffs stand.

Multi coloured cottages dot the shore line, as people sit outside soaking up the sun. The wind seems happy and we gladly walk along. It is a long walk to the end and back. Having grown up in two coastal cities, I always am drawn to the sea shore.

Tomorrow we decide to explore the Yorkshire Moors!