On the south side of
the Hippodrome is a fine museum. Museums
fall into three categories:
A warehouse of
everything the curator could find.
A
sufficient, but not excessive, collection of articles that describe one or more
subjects well.
An
eclectic collection of stuff that takes up space.
This museum deals
effectively with Islamic art, Turkish art and the nomadic people of
The presentation of
the arts, crafts and lifestyle of the nomads here was very reminiscent of the
plight of the American Indians.
There is a major
conflict between those people who believe that the earth is their mother and
those who believe that they own the earth. .
One group thinks that mother earth owns them and cares for them. The other thinks that they own the earth and
take care it. This is a major conflict
and the earth is losing.
At the north end of
the Hippodrome is Topkapi. What a great name! For the romantic, it is shrouded in wealth,
mystery and intrigue. 36 Sultans ruled
from this palace. It was built in the
15th century. The name means, “Gun Gate”
and comes from the perspective of those on the outside looking in. From the outside, it is another stone
fortress. We can assume there were guns
at the gate. Inside, it is the epitome
of an eastern palace: large, intricate,
beautiful, ornate and very large. There
are gardens, pools, buildings, crown jewels, religious relics, Sultan’s
portraits and a garrison for the military.
In its day, it was more: meeting place for the cabinet of ministers,
university, mint, archives, administrative offices, library, the heart and
brain of the
The Kitchens
There are two
impressive buildings for the indoor preparation of lots of food over open
fires. The roof is made up of several domes.
Each has a smokestack in its center.
Not an easy task in the best of circumstances. These buildings now house a collection of
porcelain and utensils.
The Courts
These chambers were
designed for the business of running the Empire. The pre electronic bugging devices are
noteworthy.
The Harem
This part of the
Palace was for the Sultan and his family: his mother, wives, children,
concubines and the eunuchs. The
partitioning is well defined and the emphasis is on who doesn't go in.
If the description
of circumcision for 5 to 9 year old boys on Tuesday had been a bit graphic,
“How to be a Eunuch” was more than a bit.
Not being a Sultan and understanding what it takes to be a eunuch, I am
glad that they have relaxed the rules.
We enter the Harem.
The Sultan's mother
was the dominant figure. She ran the
place. After her, the pecking order was
not so clearly defined. Separate
apartments designated for each wife, each favorite, and the crown prince. There are chambers and apartments for the
concubines and the eunuchs. One can imagine the politics and power struggles
that took place in this part of the palace as well as the other.
Holy Relics
We are learning that
Eastern religions use relics to bridge the gap between past and present, holy
events and today’s believer, God and me.
At the Palace Treasury, we saw part of the skull and the right arm of
John the Baptist displayed along with the crown jewels of the empire. Holy Relics of Islam are displayed: personal
items, clothing, hair and nail clippings of the prophet Mohammed.
Cistern
The Palace is built
above a Roman cistern. Infrastructure
and good planning pay.
Naval Museum
Back
to the
The Grand Bazaar of
Istanbul has 22 entrances, 64 streets, over 3,500 shops, 25,000 workers and its covered just like the Galleria, well almost like The
Galleria. There is almost no parking space. 650 years ago when they built the
Grand Bazaar, parking was not a problem.
Friday
As they say in the
travel biz, “We bid farewell to
Saturday
This is the longest
drive day of the trip, about 500 km or 300 miles. There are no ferries to negotiate and no
sights to see, just the excitement of two and three lane mountain roads. How quick we forgot with the advent of
Interstate Highways. “I like Ike.”
There are not many
American fast food franchises in
Home Again, Jiggity Jog
Back aboard
Perception everything is in order. The
high power circuit breaker box has been repaired, but that’s the next Crews
Letter. It is good to be home. There are only two days left to get ready for
our next guest.
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