Istanbul, Topkapi Palace Museum

Monday March 14

Today I went back to the Topkapi Palace Museum. Haven't been there in thirty years, but I still remember a couple of things about it, including a few emeralds and some daggers. My hotel the Constantine is right across the street from the wall of the Topkapi Palace. The palace used to be the home of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, who ruled Turkey and much of the middle east for a few hundred years, right up to the First World War. The palace sits on a small hill right that commands views of the three bodies of water that converge here, the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea. It is large and grandiose as befitting a Sultan. The rooms are still appointed with artifacts from the era, including furniture, clothing, jewelry, and housewares. The dagger I remember with the three large emeralds on the scabboard is still there. Many of the rooms are decorated in gorgeous tiles on the walls and the ceilings. Most of the tiles have blue in them, and some sort of flower or ornamental shape.

On the grounds and attached to the palace (but requiring separate admission) is the Hareem. This is where the Sultans keep their women. They had numerous wives, but the main wife's mother would play a very important part in the Hareem. She would basically run it and make sure the Sultan was happy. In addition to the wives there were lots of concubines who were there for his enjoyment or anyone else that the Sultan thought worthy. There were some men living and working in the Hareem too, but they were eunuchs, castrated men, couldn't have them touching the Sultans ladies!

The Hareem also has lots of interesting rooms with beautiful tiles. It's a bit maze like, in that there are many rooms and passages to get to them. Plus courtyards and baths where people could sit outside. It was very cold inside today and I couldn't imagine people taking off many clothes in there! They must of had lots of fires and warm blankets.

In the afternoon I wandered down to the harbour and enjoyed something else I remember from years ago. At the harbour there are three golden gilded boats on which a crew of two cook fish that is caught in the Bosphorus and serve it on a bun with lettuce and onion. It's a very popular eating place for the locals and the sandwich is quite cheap and tasty.

Then I took a walk back over the Galata Bridge that I had crossed last night. I wanted to watch the local fishermen and see what they caught. There are lots of them and they are fishing from about ten metres above the water. For what I could see they caught mainly small smelt sized fish and each other. Many times I saw them trying to untangle their lines from their neighbour. We I got to the other side I went down a level and crossed the water again on the restaurant level.

Back at the New Mosque square (where Deb and I sat and watched the fancy shoe shine boys, before we were shat upon by pigeons!) I sat and watched people for awhile. There was no sign of the shoe shiners. I took off my shoes and went for a tour of the inside of the mosque. Another beautiful building with lots of tiles and mosaics. The Ottomans loved making larger and larger mosques as they tried to out do each other.

Finally returned to the hotel to meet Krys, Brian, Tess and Graham for dinner. We went to a nice place and had a great dinner. Another day done.