Day 1 7/6/22

Istanbul

Frank's Trip

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Byzantium - Constantinople - Istanbul

Day 1 is really DAYS 1, 2, 3...

I thought leaving on July 4 would be a great idea, Everyone is supposed to be somewhere bar-b-cueing and watching fireworks, right? As it happened, Essence Festival was in New Orleans and wound it up July 3 so everyone could go home on Monday the 4th and be back for the start of the work week on Tuesday the 5th. I've never seen so many beautiful Black women in one place before... the airport of full of them... there must have been at least 3 or maybe 4 times as many women as men at the airport. And EVERY FLIGHT FULLY BOOKED. But that wasn't a problem - at least, not for me.

Once on Charlotte, things still went smoothly until after boarding the flight for London. A couple of problems came up - one with a seat that really didn't need to be fixed because they had plenty of extra seats. The other was with a battery. I don't believe they got that sorted out because in the end the had to "jump start" the plane! Over 2 hours late leaving left me missing the connecting flight to Istanbul. Not too much of a problem aside from a long delay between flights and a VERY late arrival. The picture on the right is just a tiny overcrowded corner of Heathrow Terminal 5.

Security was a totally unorganized nightmare! They started calling people out of the waiting throng by soonest flight; my flight was a long time coming meaning I'd be there a LONG time. I just went ahead through and no one questioned it...

It was just after Midnight when I got to Istanbul. The photo at the left is just an outer corner of Istanbul by the airport.

Photos below are some from in the terminal. I was amazed how many people were still coming and going after Midnight... not a huge number, but way more than I would have expected.

My Hotel

My hotel is very nice and newly remodeled within the last 3 - 4 years. It is family operated and the people running it are very, very nice.

It's also good to always have someone available to break the language barrier.

The room is a little small, but adequate and super clean. Tile and hardwood floors throughout - for me, much preferred over carpet for cleanliness.

I was supposed to arrive the afternoon of the 5th... turned out to be the wee hours of the 6th when I got there - exhausted.

Below are some pictures of the neighborhood where the hotel is. It is quite nice and in an area that is super safe. It is part of the main tourist area and a great place to be.

Happily, every place I've visited so far has been in walking distance. And all ar uphill from the hotel. Not a lot of fun climbing hills... but the good part is that coming back 'home' is downhill - when downhill is a big plus!

I slept in pretty late on Wednesday (got up briefly for breakfast, though). Since it was a short walk, I did explore some and found some fascinating stuff literally, just around the corner.

UNESCO World Heritage Site Sultan Ahmet Square

formerly part of The Hippodrome of Constantinople - home to chariot races

Walled Obelisk

The walled obelisk is a Roman monument at the Southern end of the ancient chariot racing track. Most likely built by Theodosius and later restored by Constantine VII in the 10th Century. It is about 105 feet tall.

Before the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 arrived the brass covering plates of the obelisk were stolen and the beautifully processed material was used for mintage of coins.

Sultanahmet Square is very large. There are many trees scattered around and places for people to sit in the shade.

Day and into the night the area is busy with people - many mothers pushing strollers, families with their small kids walking around, and often just a few young girls walking around together.

This square leads into Sultan Ahmet Meydani which sits between several places high on the list for tourists and also contains a beautiful fountain with a light show at night - as seen below.

Theodosius Dikilitas
Obelisk of Theodosius

This obelisk dates to Tutmoses III from about 1450 BC; there is a similar one in front of the Temple of Amun-Re at Karnac. The hieroglyphs note that the obelisk is in honor of his father. Constantine the Great brought this obelisk away from Egypt around 330 AD. It is about 64 feet tall.

The Serpent Column
or Serpentine Column

The Serpentine Column is a bronze work which has survived from the days of the Hippodrome. Another part of Constantine's establishing a new capital of Rome was bringing in monuments so Constantinople would have the look and feel of a capital.