Well, I was certainly correct regarding the weather! There are Facebook posts galore showing snow in various parts of South Africa and this certainly accounts for the cold we are experiencing.
How my perspective regarding snow has changed! I remember when the 2 boys were growing up in Pietermaritzburg and we heard that snow had been reported falling in any part of the Drakensburg, we would be so excited. I think we only managed to find it once. The ground was definitely white, the trees had a smattering of icing sugar on the branches and we all got out the car to try to make snow angels.
None of the clothing we took on this excursion was any good. The cold seeped into the shoes and I know that I was frozen from the short time we spent outdoors.
Now when I hear that snow is falling, I smile to myself. Snow? No, this isn’t snow. Living in Sweden during the winter when I did, that was snow. When, if I didn’t get out of bed, get dressed into my warm clothes, take the shovel and clear the path…. that was snowing. Sometimes had to do it twice in the day. But I digress, lets get back to Turkey, hot, sunny and beautifully old, Turkey.
We had the continental breakfast in the basement of the Ilkay Hotel the next morning. Fresh fruit juice, bread, honey, jam and butter, black and green olives, tomato, cucumber, feta cheese, yoghurt, spam, hard boiled eggs and Madeira cake with almond essence. The last item was Fred’s favourite. There was limitless coffee as well.
After breakfast we set off for the Topkapi Palace. A ten minute walk – only to find that it was closed on a Tuesday. So instead we went to the AyaSofya or Hagia Sophia as it is called.
I was a little disappointed in the run down condition of the interior of the museum. Somehow I expected it to be shiny and exciting, instead we found that there was scaffolding going from the floor to the top of the high, high central dome. This overshadowed the enormity of the structure and took away from it size and grandeur.
The walls were painted in a matt manner and I guess looked rather good when one considered the age of the building.
Upstairs we were able to see the true beauty of the place in two sections where the plaster had been partially removed from the walls and the splendor of two of the most magnificent mosaic samples were made visible to the public. These were done during the time that the building was being used as a Christian Church and, I believe that there must be many more mosaics beneath the plaster that was applied by the Muslims during the time that it was in use as a mosque.
The mosaics have gold in them and shine most beautifully. The detail in the faces of the people depicted, have to be seen to be believed. Fred tried to photograph them by using his flash, but the one photo that came out, certainly does not do it justice.
One of the other interesting aspects that we noted about the interior of the museum was that stress tests were being conducted all over the place. The plaster had been removed and a stone had been taken out of each section of the wall. A piece of glass was then positioned between two points and set in some way. A date was recorded next to this contraption, and a further stress point would be made in a similar way, a little further up or down the wall.
Once the glass broke, the date would be noted and they would be aware that there was movement in the wall. As Turkey is prone to earth tremors, I wonder whether this type of stress testing is going on in other old buildings as well?
In the main area of the mosque were two huge alabaster urns. We overheard one of the guides telling the story that these urns were once filled with healing waters from somewhere in Turkey. The water was then dispensed from these urns to the people who frequented the mosque. She laughingly said that the first shock treatment on patients was done at the spot where the holy water originated from.
Apparently, they would wash the patient in the water and then take them into a dark room which was filled with dead deformed animals that were hung from the ceiling. The shock would usually be so great that the patient would either recover or die!
You can see the size of the alabaster urn by the people standing next to it.
Outside any of the tourist attractions, one was bombarded by hawkers. Each one trying to sell you a set of cards, photographs or guide books on what you had seen, or what you were about to see. They were unfortunately not cheap, so we didn’t buy too many of these. In the last of these little carpet shops going towards Topkapi, were two the the sweetest kittens.
I went in to see them (Fred was not one for cats) and was asked the usual question:- “Where do you come from?” I told the gent and was surprised when he replied in perfect English that he had just returned from Johannesburg and in fact, had plans to return there in December.
I have always enjoyed speaking to everyone I meet on any of my excursions. These are the unexpected, happy events on any trip.
And that will be all for tonight.
Sleep tight, Pleasant dreams and please stay safe.
Blessings and love
