First, we start off with an unexpected visit to the Kanyon mall in the Levent district of Istanbul to see where people in the city did their shopping. Looking at the outside of the mall, I didn’t really understand how it could be modeled after a ‘real canyon’, but after entering, it became strikingly clear. The huge 4-floor complex curved around the corner and we were all met with a refreshing breeze. Some of us stopped for coffee at Le Pain Quotidien, a nice coffee shop with amazing-looking pastries, while others hit the shops. After a short stroll around the mall, it was time to head off to our next stop, Rustempasa Mosque.
Today, we’re going to visit a lot works by Sinan, an Ottoman imperial architect. The Rustempasa Mosque was one of my favorite mosques. It was built for Rustempasa, the husband of Princess Mihrimah, one of Suleiman the Magnificent’s favorite daughters. It’s famous for its extensive use of Iznik tiles with a tomato-red color, characteristic of the early Iznik period. No other mosque in Istanbul has such a prolific use of these tiles. Also, this is one of the smaller mosques with only 8 columns, each of which has a unique set of tiles because the choice of tiles was unplanned. I really liked how nice and quaint this mosque seemed, especially because it’s located near the spice market so sellers can come pray during breaks.
From there, we went to Sehzade Mosque, another one of Sinan’s works. This mosque was built for Princess Mihrimah in 16th century but was later restored in the 18th century. Now it encompasses two types of architectural forms reflecting these two periods. This mosque also has many windows, making it one of the brightest lit mosques. I thought it was interesting that the corners were decorated with a honeycomb pattern to cover any flaws.
At this time, we stopped at the Ominönü Spice Market for lunch and shopping. They sell everything at the spice market, from spices to pets, brooms to jewelry. I even found “Zinya” seeds!
After a nice break, we got on the bus to visit the Chora Museum. This used to be the Byzantine Church of St. Savior in Chora. However, in the 16th century, when the Ottomans took over, the church was converted into a mosque by Ottoman rulers. Later in 1948, it became secularized into a museum. Now, it’s filled with beautiful frescoes and mosaics depicting scenes from the bible. In the north dome, there’s a mosaic of the Virgin Mary with child. This is my favorite because when you look up, you can see her watching over you.
Next stop: The Patriarchal Church. To get there, we had to walk through former Jewish and Greek settlements. It was really eye-opening to see all the run-down houses in this area contrasting with all the curious, smiling faces. There were also lots of children here! Big surprise compared to Rome where it was like once in a blue moon. The kids were so cute and friendly and two of them even stood and smiled for a picture.
Soon, we reached the Church of St. George, aka the Patriarchal Church) which is the principal Greek Orthodox cathedral still in use in Istanbul. When we entered, the main thing that caught my eye was the huge iconostasis, a wall of religious icons and paintings that separates the church and the sanctuary. This church has gone through many fires (in early 18th century, 1738 and 1941); however, it has been fully restored as of 1991. Today, it still serves as a center of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians.
By this time, we were all pretty pooped and ready for a nice refreshing cruise down the Bosphorus. The misty breeze blew through our hair as we set sail down the strait. Everyone took pictures galore, as they should have, since we were ON A BOAT! We cruised passed many bridges, boats, and expensive water-front properties on our way to the restaurant—even some imperial palaces.
Finally, we arrived at our destination, Pescatore fish restaurant at Tarabya. The fish was absolutely amazing (or so, I heard. I couldn’t actually taste anything because of my stuffy nose due to allergies T_T)
Afterwards, we headed home, after another long day in paradise.
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