Istanbul: Day 1 - Part 2

The Arasta Bazaar
After our visit with Mehmet the rug seller, we wandered off through the market at the foot of the Blue Mosque. I believe it is called the Arasta Bazaar. We got there early, and the shopkeepers were just setting up. I really like being places at the beginning of the day...and watching all the preparation activities. Like most places in Istanbul, rugs were everywhere...as well as ceramics, tiles, waterpipes and leather goods. I bought a pin with the Turkish moon and star (from their flag).

The Tombs of the Sultans
Next, we started walking towards the Grand Bazaar...but on the way we stopped in a small cafe behind a cemetery where they keep the tombs of several sultans, their wifes and friends. At the cafe we had a "chiai" or "tea"...and we sat there for a few minutes enjoying the break. Cemeteries always make for great atmosphere. After the tea, we walked around the cemetery...and I enjoyed seeing the carvings on the tombstones - then we visited the mausoleum. The building had a round floorplan, with magnificent light pouring through the windows that went all around.

The Grand Bazaar
After our break we continued towards the Grand Bazaar...and we wandered in. The place is a gigantic mall with all sorts of vendors aggressively selling their wares. I can't count the times I was asked "Want to buy a Turkish rug?". We ended up purchasing some Middle Eastern-style slippers for Gavin (Jake's little brother...who really likes shoes). The building is spectacular...with long corridors and vaulted ceilings and lots of archways decorated in tile. But the spectacle is the crowds and the colorful stuff that is all around you. After a short while we were quite over-stimulated and found a way out.

The Turkish Markets
To our surprise we ended up walking out onto the kind of trade market I have spent quite a bit of time in Hong Kong. There were no tourists in this side of town...but all sorts of wholesale stores selling buttons, mannequins, buckles...and lots and lots of "evil eyes". This was a lot more fun than the Grand Bazaar. No one tried to sell us anything...and we enjoyed wandering the crowded streets decorated with many large Turkish flags flying overhead...a symbol of national pride as well as a practical way to create shade and shelter the crowds from the hot mid-day sun. We sat outside a little eatery and shared a Turkish Pizza...and watched the people shopping, selling, and strolling along. I wandered into a shop and almost bought a prayer rug...but I still think it's to early on our trip to be lugging about more heavy stuff.

The Spice Market
Quite by accident we made our way to the Spice Market...or Egyptian Market. The atmosphere of this place is similar to the Grand Bazzar...although a lot smaller and mostly focused on food items. We saw fish, meat, cheeses, caviar, and all sorts of spices. Of course, we sampled a few tastings of Turkish Delight...(Jake took such a liking to the sweets that I have a feeling that he will probably minor in Turkish Delight at Berkeley).

The WaterPipe Cafe
On our way back towards the hotel we stopped at a cafe and sampled the water pipe. I wrote about this in a previous entry...and I tried in vain to include a short movie, but I finally gave up. I also tried posting it to YouTube, but found out that YouTube is a banned site in Turkey!!! So...after a few hits of the pipe we wandered off with the smell of apple tobacco in our nostrils and headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap.