Rome to Athens 9/15-10/1/2023 Episode 8 Istanbul (Day 1 – part 1) Tuesday 9/26

Yesterday was our final full day of rest as we sailed from Ephesus to Istanbul and crossed through the Dardanelles. Also known as the Strait of Gallopoli, the Dardanelles is a narrow, natural strait of water that separates Europe and Asia and connects the Mediterranean and Black Seas. During WW I a British, French, Russian, and Australian attack was made there on the Ottoman Empire in an attempt to open the Strait that did not go well for the Allies. However, as it was related to us during yesterday’s passage by one of the many Australians on the ship, the event is remembered by Aussies as the time when Australians really came together for the first time as a nation. He was obviously very moved by events that took place there.

Sailing through the night at a leisurely pace, we were up about 5:30 this morning as we pulled into port on the Golden Horn to the only city in the world to span two continents, Istanbul, Turkey (not Constantinople)! Listen to the song! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcze7EGorOk

The temperature was a cool 72 degrees and the humidity was 78%. Istanbul has invested in a new cruise port complete with more berths and a huge terminal with shops and restaurants that has fast become a destination for locals. It does mean a bit of a walk for cruisers who have to disembark, walk down ramps into the below ground terminal, take escalators down two more levels, walk through the terminal, then back up 2 more sets of escalators, with a final walk outside to the main street. And that’s the direct route. We are staying here overnight so have tours scheduled both today and tomorrow. We will return tomorrow well prior to the ship’s departure time at 4:00 p.m.!!

We were told that 99.2% of Turkey is Muslim, (about 90% of those Sunni) with the final .8% being Christian or Jewish. It claims to be secular and is governed as a democracy. I recall one of our female guides, dressed in shorts and a sleeveless top, stating that she could never see Turkey becoming like the strict, religious Muslim nations. As she spoke I thought of the woman who I just heard on the news this week from Iran, saying that she never believed Iran would return to the oppressive religious regime that it has in her lifetime. How I hope, and pray, that our Turkish guide is correct.

Istanbul has a fascinating history – seriously worth an internet search and read. I’ll hit a few BRIEF highlights. About 650 years before Christ, the city was begun and called Byzantium. About a thousand years later in 330 A.D., Roman Emperor Constantine united the Roman Empire under one ruler, and established “Nova Roma” or “New Rome” as the capital of the Roman Empire. The name was changed to Constantinople in his honor. It was considered Christian, was immensely wealthy, and was the seat of the Byzantine Empire for about 1100 years until defeated by the Ottoman Empire in 1453, when it became Muslim. In 1054 when the great schism occurred in Christianity to result in what we now know as the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, Constantinople was the seat of Eastern Orthodoxy. The Ottoman Empire lasted into the early 1900’s, finally dying out, and the Republic of Turkey was formed in 1923. The name, “Istanbul” (coming from the Greek phrase “into the city” that sounds like and became “Istanbul”) was formally adopted in 1930.

Leaving the cabin at 7:15, we lined up with others to leave the ship, do the walk through the terminal, and meet our guide for our 4.5 hour tour that lasted 6.5 hours. We took a bus from the Galataport to the old city and walked to our first stop, the ancient Hippodrome – now known as Sultanahmet Square.

In its day, it was the social and sporting center of the empire. Over 400 feet long it held as many as 100,000 spectators. Chariot racing was the big draw, but other events took place as well including celebrations, weddings of the Sultan’s daughters, hangings after the putting down of revolts, and executions of deposed emperors.

Constantine brought ancient treasure from all over the world. Many have been destroyed by earthquake or war, or removed to reside in museums around the world. There are three remaining structures in what was the Hippodrome, the Walled Obelisk, the Serpent Column, and an obelisk from ancient Egypt that was made in 1500 B.C. The walled obelisk contained bronze plates that looked like gold identifying the victors in major races. During a raid the plates were stolen, but the thieves were left with bronze instead of gold. Hence the saying, “all that glitters is not gold” (or so they say).

The Egyptian Obelisk – tells the stories of the victories of Thutmose III. Only 60 feet of the 105 foot obelisk survived the journey from Egypt. Even so, it took 32 days for it to be raised into position and set on its marble pedestal.

I’ll stop with that for today. Our next stop, which I’ll save for the next episode, is what is known as The Blue Mosque. More later!!