The jewel that is Hagia Sophia

Islamic and Christian symbols side by side

I have been trying to think how I could write a post about Hagia Sophia (pronounced HIGH-ya so_FEE-ya, by the way) that could possibly tell you how amazing it is. In preparation I decided to research it myself. And along the way, I found out so many interesting facts about this place that I almost gave up. Instead, I'll do my best and also provide you some links to discover more if you're interested.

This dome rises 182 feet (55.6 meters) from the floor

What stands today is the third structure built, with the first two gone from earthquakes and fire during the fourth and fifth centuries. But in December 537, Byzantine Emperor Justinian walked into his new church, less than six years after construction was begun, to one of the still-extant Wonders of the Ancient World. Although the original dome collapsed some twenty years after it was first built, it was rebuilt to be almost exactly the same as what exists today.

The triangles under the dome are called pendentives and make it stronger

Just by chance, I learned that Nova on PBS just a few days after I returned from Istanbul aired the first of a three-part special about engineering marvels, one of which is called Hagia Sophia: Istanbul's Ancient Mystery. When I watched it, I learned some amazing facts, such as that the ancient architects from 1500 years ago figured out that they could use arches, bolsters, and pendentives all to make the structure work. Not to mention withstand earthquake after earthquake. (Istanbul lies on a major fault and is prone to them.)

The great arches and some of the amazing stonework

Today it's a museum, but it was a Christian church from the mid-sixth century until Constantinople was conquered by the Ottomans. When Sultan Mehmet laid eyes on the inside of the structure in May 1453, he decided to take out the Christian altar and relics and convert it to a mosque. It remained a mosque until 1935, when Atatürk founded the country of Turkey and made it into a museum. There is quite a bit of controversy still going on around Hagia Sophia, with Muslims wanting to convert it a mosque again, and Christians wanting it to revert to its original structure, a church.

What is left of the Deësis mosaic

All of the beautiful Christian mosaics had been plastered over when it was converted to a mosque, but many of them have been uncovered, now that it's become a museum. They are major tourist attractions, and this beautiful mosaic is really stunning to see. If you want to look at all of them, you can do so by scrolling down a ways on that first Wikipedia link and checking them all out, along with some history about when they were each completed.

Komnenos mosaic

This one depicts the Virgin Mary in the middle, the Christ Child in her arms, with Emperor John II Komnenos on the left holding a bag of money and with his wife the Empress Eirene on the right, donating it to Hagia Sophia. This mosaic was created in the 12th century. (There was a sign explaining it all right next to it.)

Looking down from the balcony

There are two levels inside, and I climbed up to take this picture and to show you that there is constant reconstruction going on inside (the green platforms on the left of the picture). I also found some really interesting facts about it on this Livescience website: Hagia Sophia: Facts, History & Architecture. Really, I finally figured out that I cannot do justice to this wonderful jewel, so I leave you to enjoy it as much or as little as you want through these links.
:-)

The Basilica Cistern

Spooky place, this Cistern (my photo)

There are two more places I visited during my whirlwind trip to Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia. Today I'll tell you of the cistern, which I've learned quite a bit more about since I got home. What you are looking at are several of the 336 marble columns that support the ceiling of the cistern. There is still water (and fish!) in there, but it's only a few feet deep instead of the enormous amount that it could hold. Built in the 6th Century by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, it was originally located underneath the Stoa Basilica, which was reputed to be a beautiful place with gardens and colonnades that faced the Hagia Sophia. It provided a water filtration system to the Great Palace in Constantinople and afterwards to Topkapi Palace. According to that link,

The Basilica Cistern's water came from the Eğrikapı Water Distribution Center in the Belgrade Forest, which lie 19 km (12 mi) north of the city. It traveled through the 971 metres (3,186 ft)-long Valens (Bozdoğan) Aqueduct, and the 115.45 metres (378.8 ft)-long Mağlova Aqueduct, which was built by the Emperor Justinian.

When you enter the cistern, you go down 52 stone steps, and it's very dark and dank, with water dripping off the ceiling. There are walkways that have been constructed around the places one might wish to see, which are some of the more amazing columns. Also according to that link,

The majority of the columns in the cistern appear to have been recycled from the ruins of older buildings (a process called 'spoliation'), likely brought to Constantinople from various parts of the empire, together with those that were used in the construction of Hagia Sophia. They are carved and engraved out of various types of marble and granite.

And over in a far corner of the cistern, there are two columns with the image of Medusa on them. The first one, shown here, is sideways, with speculation that it's to blunt the power of her gaze. (But nobody knows for sure.)

The first Medusa column base

 Nobody knows where they came from originally, but probably from some ancient Roman artifact. The sparkly stuff in the water is from coins that people have thrown into the water. The second Medusa head is completely inverted.

The second Medusa head

Now the first one might have been placed sideways to make it fit the column, but this one would have been the same in either direction, so I'm thinking it was to negate her power. But we will never know for sure. I found some other very interesting information about the cistern on The Lonely Planet website:

Forgotten by the city authorities some time before the Conquest, it wasn't rediscovered until 1545, when scholar Petrus Gyllius was researching Byzantine antiquities in the city and was told by local residents that they were able to miraculously obtain water by lowering buckets into a dark space below their basement floors. Some were even catching fish this way. Intrigued, Gyllius explored the neighbourhood and finally accessed the cistern through one of the basements.

And it only became a tourist attraction in Istanbul in September 1987, the renovation of which was spearheaded by the Istanbul Metropolitan Museum. They cleaned it up and replaced boats with the walkways inside and now clean up in a different way by extracting 20 Turkish lira from each tourist.

It's definitely a place I'm glad to have seen, and the links I've provided will give you the whole history of the cistern. Don't miss it if you travel to Istanbul.
:-)

Chuckanut Ridge from Arroyo Park

Starting our hike in the early morning light (what there was of it)

Eleven Senior Trailblazers started our hike today at 8:30am, since the trailhead is only a short distance from the Senior Center. It was supposed to be cloudy all day (it was), with a possibility of showers early on. We only had a few minutes when it was wet, which was  relief from last week's very wet hike. There wasn't great light for pictures, but I tried to capture the day.

Some of the local flora and fauna in the mist

There are some spectacular views on this hike on days when it's clear. We saw only mist and whiteness when we got to the viewpoints. The first part of this hike starts out gently upward, but then when we reach the ridge itself, there are lots of roots and exposed spots to deal with.

Apologies to Al, but I had to use this one

Here is our intrepid leader beginning the trek up the wet exposed roots, to a place where there is a sheer drop-off of a thousand feet, with only a tree to hold onto. We all made it around, but the first time I tried this I was completely intimidated by the exposure, so I crawled ignominiously across the rocks instead of stepping carefully out on the tiny ledge. Today I managed to hold onto the tree.

New guy Roger, Lisa, Rich, Chris, Al

At Gates Overlook, we stopped for lunch. It was 11:45am and everybody was ready to stop, after having traveled for what seemed like ages to get here. We hadn't stopped since we started at 8:30. We occupied two of the three picnic tables and had a nice lunch, although we began to get chilly after a few minutes and decided to start back down before a half-hour had passed.

Still no views, but it was a nice temperature for hiking

We began our return trip to the cars and had to keep moving to keep from getting cold. After you've had your lunch and stopped for any length of time, it seems your body temperature begins to drop and no matter how many clothes you put on, you need to get moving to warm up again. Before too long, we were warm again. We had many miles to cover before the cars would welcome us.

First skunk cabbage of the year

Just before the long hike was over, I spied my first skunk cabbage of 2015. These will be prolific in subsequent posts, trust me, but this made me smile with the realization that the winter of 2014-15 is over when these guys show up. By the time we saw the cars, we had covered close to 11 miles (18 kilometers) and 2,800 feet (850 meters) of elevation gain and loss. No wonder I'm so tired as I write this!

In any event, it was a wonderful day, and I am proud to say I am still at my age able to do this sort of thing and still enjoy my evening repast without needing an ambulance. In fact, I'm feeling pretty good right now as I swig the last of my glass of wine.
:-)

Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

The Gate of Salutation

I thought this gate into the Second Courtyard at Topkapi Palace looked a lot like one I've seen at Disneyland. But this palace is so huge that it makes Disneyland looks small. We toured parts of the palace on our last day in Istanbul. Our guide suggested that we visit only part of it, since it is so large that it would take days to see it all.

Model of Topkapi Palace and the part we visited

On the right-hand side of this picture is a diagonal flag that shows where the Gate of Salutation is located in relation to all the rest of it. The palace was first built in the 15th century by Sultan Mehmed II. (All the history of the place, fascinating as it is, is located here, if you want to know more.) I'll just show you some pictures I took of the parts that I experienced, except for a jewel I saw but was not allowed to photograph. Topkapi Palace developed over the course of centuries, with sultans adding and changing various structures and elements. The resulting asymmetry is the result of this erratic growth and change over time, although the main layout by Mehmed II was preserved. We toured the Second through the Fourth Courtyards.

A view of the Bosphorus and the Asian side of Istanbul

Although the weather was pretty awful, with rain and wind, it was still very beautiful, and we saw the Bosphorus below us and the Sea of Marmara, according to our guide. The palace became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and is called "the best example of ensembles of palaces during the Ottoman period."

There were four long couches like this in the Kubbealti

We were led into a chamber that had these amazing couches, where (according to the Wikipedia link) the Imperial Council held its deliberations. I seem to remember the guide telling us that the family of the Sultan gathered there, but I'm just not sure, there were so many places and so much to see.

Line to get into the Treasury

Even though the weather wasn't great, there were still many queues, especially for the most popular places to see. This line took us into the Treasury where we saw some of the most beautiful jewels I've ever set my eyes on. We were not allowed to photograph inside, but I found a picture of the Spoonmaker's Diamond that dazzled me.

Spoonmaker's Diamond

It is the fourth-largest diamond in the world, 86 carats with 49 smaller diamonds. "These surrounding separate brilliants give it the appearance of a full moon lighting a bright and shining sky amidst the stars. Providing an additional beauty to the Spoonmaker's Diamond and increasing its value by as much again, the brilliants are considered to have been ordered or arranged either by Ali Pasha or by Sultan Mahmud II – though this, as all other details of the diamond's origins, is doubtful and disputed." (from the Wikipedia link)

The name comes from a legend that the diamond was found by a fisherman who didn't realize its value, and he showed it to a jeweler who pretended to be uninterested in it but offered him three spoons in exchange. Nobody knows for sure, but seeing this diamond is certainly something not to be missed if you get there. Plus the royal thrones that are encrusted with rubies, diamonds, emeralds and pearls just took my breath away. All the jewels I saw are memories now, but I sure did enjoy seeing such opulence.

There was much more, but mostly I have learned about the history of this ancient place from the Wikipedia links I have provided you. To have the privilege of standing in a place of such historical significance like the Topkapi Palace is something I will cherish my entire life.
:-)

It's so good to be home

Early morning light coming through the trees

I finally feel like I'm back into my routine, after having gone on a really nice walk with the ladies this morning. Everyone wanted to know how it was in Turkey, and I responded that it was mostly positive, although I have to say there were stressful moments. I am now looking back on my trip with fondness, and I can say without hesitation that I would return to Turkey if given the chance. The people were wonderful, and now that I am home with only my memories, it makes me smile when I think back on all the adventures. I'll be posting about Hagia Sophia and the Cisterns soon, but for now I'm just happy to have made it back without getting sick or having had any travel delays.

I learned that the day I returned, Tuesday, it began to snow in Istanbul and kept up for two days, canceling flights and causing more than 800 traffic accidents. Public transportation was jammed up for those two days, with more than two feet of snow having fallen before it was all over. I snagged this picture taken in Istanbul on Thursday:

I was really lucky to have gotten away when I did. In fact, I had no idea any of this happened until I saw it on the news. According to that caption, the snowstorm broke a 28-year record in the city. Guess my guardian angels might have had something to do with it all. Or something. In any event, I'm glad I'm home and sleeping through the nights!
:-)

A soggy Goose Rock hike

West Beach at Deception Pass State Park

Our day started out well: twelve Senior Trailblazers met at the Senior Center to carpool to the Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island, to hike up to Goose Rock. It's a fairly long drive, so we got started on the beach a little after 9:00am, with a light rain already falling. It had been raining on the drive, but since the forecast was for "occasional showers," we felt sure it would probably stop soon.

Misty scene from the beach

As you can see from the picture, the sea was almost the same color as the sky, with little color to be seen anywhere, except from our colorful rain gear. After a short time hiking, we felt that the rain had stopped, for the most part, so many of us took of our rain jackets.

Rich, Doug, Chris, Rita, Peggy, Al, Susan, Linda, Ward, Steve

The only two on the hike who are not in the picture are Karen, and me behind the camera. The Deception Pass bridge is visible behind us. All pictures were taken with my iPhone, since I didn't want to take my camera out in the rain. At this point, however, it looked like I could have brought it after all. But this cozy scene didn't last long.

A few minutes after this picture was taken, it began to sprinkle and we donned our rain gear again. Then the sprinkle turned to rain. Just a shower, we all thought. However, the shower didn't stop and before long the conversation turned to other things as we made our way up to Goose Rock. There was no view to be had, just mist, so I didn't take any pictures. Plus, I had forgotten to bring my new Seattle Sombrero, so I was hampered by my inability to keep my glasses from getting wet.

Huddled under a tree on the summit

Do we look wet? Well, we were. After a quick lunch, Al asked if he could be forgiven for taking a shortcut back to the cars. He didn't get any objections, and we pulled the remainder of our rain gear out of our packs. For me, this meant my new red poncho, which replaced my soggy raincoat. By the time we reached the cars, we had only covered five-and-a-half miles in total, when we had planned a longer hike. Nobody minded a shortened hike today.

I circled Goose Rock on the map

I decided to show you a picture of the entire park, since I didn't take many pictures. It's a pretty place, and we will be back again before too long. Hopefully the weather will allow us to hike further and take more pictures of our day. Although it was wet, it was my first hike after my trip and I got to chat with my friends about Turkey, and it was good to see the magnificent park, even in the rain.
:-)

So much to learn about Istanbul

Blue Mosque

I think I can be forgiven for having mislabeled the picture from my previous post as being inside the Blue Mosque; it was inside Hagia Sophia. And I studied pictures carefully to make sure that I have labeled the above picture correctly. Both structures face one another across the Istanbul Hippodrome, which is now a park. I love the feeling of this picture, soft colors against a dark sky. But I saw and photographed so much in just a few hours that I am now spending time on the Internet learning about each amazing place.

The weather in Istanbul was pretty awful for the two days we toured the sights: somewhere around 2 to 4 degrees C (35-40 F) with wind and rain. I got pretty good with Celsius temperatures while traveling, but it took longer for me to be able to convert Turkish lira to dollars, which meant I often had little idea at the time how much I was paying for something. I bought two Turkish bath towels, handmade and very lovely, for 35 lira each. When I was able finally to figure it out, I realized they each cost me a little more that $14. They are worth it, but I wouldn't usually pay that much for a towel!

Inside the mosque

We had to take off our shoes and women had to cover their heads to enter the mosque, and they provided scarves for women to use if they didn't have one of their own. I learned that the reason it's called Blue Mosque is because of the blue tiles on the walls, and I guess the blue stained glass windows. It was built in only six years, from 1609 to 1616 during the Ottoman Empire, in what was then called Constantinople, renamed Istanbul in 1923.

Catalina, Elsa, and Karen with our guide Hasan

I took this picture inside the mosque while we were touring it. Catalina works with the United Nations and is originally from Colombia (I think); Elsa is from Peru, and Karen is the wife of Mickey, my ex-boss and the person who arranged for me to go to the meeting.

There is a large area for Muslims to pray, and we were separated from it by barriers. Most had already left the area by the time we arrived, as we were not allowed to enter until awhile after the Call for Prayer. Muslims pray five or six times a day, and the minarets have loudspeakers that call or remind them. I could hear them easily from my hotel room and found it a soothing sound from a distance, but when I was near the loudspeakers, it was painful to hear. I made a video that I'll post on YouTube one of these days. For now, I'm absorbing all I saw and learned while in Istanbul. More on Saturday. Tomorrow I'm going hiking with my Trailblazer friends and can hardly wait!
:-)