Taksim Square Protests

Taksim Square
This is the location for the demonstrations that have been in the US media.  It is a 10 minute metro ride away.  The protests, which began as a reaction to a redevelopment plan for the park has continued to inspire Turks to question the direction and openness of their government.  Peaceful protests continue daily with the uncertainty of police response constantly on people's minds.

Standing Man protest

Police protecting the closed entrance to the park

 

 

We ended up at a rooftop bar enjoying the view. 

 

Morning Running Group

Running group
Well, more like a jogging/walking group, this group has gone every morning after our facetime calls to family.  It is wonderful to see the city wake up, very different vibe than the hustle and bustle of afternoon and evening time. 

The people here are very friendly and often greet and joke with us on our run ("faster faster").  However, even more friendly are the stray dogs.  One morning we were escorted by an ever growing pack, until a "territorial disagreement" brought us back down to our first dog we picked up along the way.  (Don't worry, the others just wandered away)

Running past the Hagia Sophia every morning

 

I guess this is their morning off

There are a lot of cats in the city!  I have heard two versions of a story about the prophet Muhammad and cats, indicating their protected status in the Islamic world.  The saying is, "kill a cat...build a mosque"

 

No, not in trouble here...these are the guards at the park entrance

Trivia Question

Trivia Question for the day:  What is this and what does it do?  (Hint:  that is my hotel keycard sticking out of the top)

 

Answer:  As those of you that have traveled in the region know, this controls the electricity.  When you are in the room, you insert the card for electricity.  When you are away from the room, it conserves electricity...but makes it hard to charge laptops and phones!

The Church in Chora and the Mosque in Eyup

On Thursday we went to a church in Chora.  Originally a small church in the 5th Century, Justinian improved upon it in the 6th Century.  Later destroyed then rebuilt again in the 1200-1300.  It is a great example of late Byzantine artistic style.  The interior is rich with mosaics depicting Biblical events in order to tell two narratives, Jesus and Mary.  Can you decipher the various scenes below?

 

 

 

 After Chora, we went to a mosque at Eyup.  This mosque is considered especially sacred.  Muslim families bring their young sons here in celebration of their circumcision ceremony, which occurs when the boy is around 7 years old.  It is a celebratory mood and families are very proud to have their photos taken for the event...the boys, however, seemed a bit nervous. 

 

 

A walk uphill was worth the view of the entire Golden Horn.   Turkish tea served at the café on top.

Church History in Constantinople

Wednesday's excursions included a trip to the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Orthodox Church in Constantinople, The Church of St. George.  Considered the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church (this includes the Orthodox Churches in the US) we were excited to get an audience with him...only to get there and realize he was unavailable.  But his representative explained the significance of the church building.

The relics (bones) of a former patriarch

Audience with the Patriarch's representative

 

Next we headed to the land wall designed to defend Constantinople from invasion by land from Eastern Europe.  The Turks added onto the original wall built by Emperor Theodosius and archway (1st picture) by adding a surrounding wall, which served as a station for the Janissaries.  Yes, that is me on the tippy top of the wall. 

I liked how this image shows the mix of ancient and modern structures.  One of our professor's commented that Constantinople is a civil engineer's nightmare...if they start digging and uncover antiquity the project is done. 

 

Our group of 25

I'm not modeling...it was just windy on top!

Quote from our director, Matthew Herbst, "There are no guardrails, safety harnesses, nets, signage on the top of the wall.  The only thing keeping you from falling to your death is common sense."

Mark asked me to take pictures of the food...here are some tasty options.  I was nervous that there would be a lack of vegetarian options, however, there are a lot of dishes with fresh fruits and vegetables.  A Turkish cookbook is definitely on my list of purchases!

There are a lot of salad choices...even for breakfast!

 

 

Turkish Delight

Fresh squeezed orange juice

Cherry juice with lentil soup

Trivia Question for the day: 
What is this and what do you do with it?  I have the comment section unblocked now, so please guess away...and keep your answers clean...this is a family show!

 

 Answer:  It is a hookah, or water pipe.  I have not had the pleasure (still debating just how far to take the "when in Rome" idea) but there are many to purchase in the shops and hookah bars around town.  Very communal to see a group of people sharing the pipe (different flavors are used, for example, apple).  Often included is a game of backgammon or chess...games that were popular during the Roman Empire.

Mosaic Museum and the Hagia Sophia

Tuesday, June 25th
Mosaic Museum and Hagia Sophia

After our morning lesson we headed off to the Mosaic Museum.  Murals and floor designs that showed various cultural themes.  See if you can recognize the themes of aggression, agriculture, and hunting the Romans (that is what the Byzantines thought of themselves) put into their art.

Visiting the Hagia Sophia was a highlight from the trip. I was awestruck by the sheer size and design elements.  The dome actually does appear to float--due to the sunlight coming in from the windows along its base.  Built by Justinian in 532 AD, the Church of Holy Wisdom, was turned into a mosque by Sultan Mehmet II after he took control of Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul in 1453.  Today, it is secular and a museum...thus, I did not need to wear a head covering while visiting.

 

Opening Dinner on the Terrace

Welcoming dinner on the rooftop terrace of the hotel.  Beautiful and tasty! 

Basilica Cisterns and the "little Hagia Sophia"

Very busy 1st day!  Our morning session involved class time and discussions and our afternoon was a walk around the historic district.  Take a look at the pictures below...can you guess what they are?

Taken inside the Basilica Cisterns--where Constantinople stored water from aqueducts.

Spices sold in the bazaar. 

Visiting my first mosque.  Built by Justinian (originally built as a church) before his masterpiece, Hagia Sophia.

Trivia Question: Grain

Trivia Question for the day:

Where did Byzantium get most of its grain from during ancient times?  Comment your answers...

Answer:  Byzantium's population grew enormously from 330s to the 500s, getting its food predominately from Egypt--grain grown along the Nile River Valley.

Turkish riot police break up protest rallies - Europe - Al Jazeera English

Turkish riot police break up protest rallies - Europe - Al Jazeera English

While the news is not great about the protests in Taksim Square, we have seen no signs of unrest in the historic district. 

Monday morning, June 24th

I got a restful nights sleep and woke up around 4:00 AM.  Texts from both girls who are still learning about the time zone differences.  Then at 4:30 the dawn call to prayer sounded over the city.  I found a colleague from San Diego (Julianna) who reassured me she is a slow runner like me.  We headed out for a morning jog, past the historical mosques, the modern metro track, and through the market place as the city was waking up.  Beautiful!  Pictures later...

Leaving for Istanbul

I woke up Saturday morning, prepared to make a big family breakfast before heading to the airport.  I could hear Megan and Quinn rumbling around and figured they might be hungry.  As I went downstairs, I could hear hushed tones and "don't come down, Mom!"  I snuck around the corner to take a picture of my girls making me a going away breakfast.  Complete with flowers on the table!  I hope they are taking good care of Dad while I'm gone...hint hint

I made it!  By noon on Sunday I was settling into my hotel room (except for my luggage which arrived at 10:00 Sunday night) and meeting other teachers in the cohort.  We had fun exploring historic Istanbul and didn't get lost once!  An amazing city...I learned today approximately 20 million people live in Istanbul (and surrounding areas) making it one of the largest cities in the world. 

Turkish PM in 'last warning' to protesters - Europe - Al Jazeera English

Turkish PM in 'last warning' to protesters - Europe - Al Jazeera English

The spread of Arab Spring

Starting in May, there has been some political unrest in Turkey. Beginning with protesters upset over the redevelopment of Taksim Square, it quickly spread into other cities across Turkey. The news on Al Jezeera and the BBC didn't look good. Police cracked down on rock-throwing demonstrators with tear gas and water cannons. Our director decided to pull us out of our original hotel (right in the heart of Taksim Square) and moved us into the older part of Istanbul. I'm hoping things settle down quickly and remain safe.

April 1st was the announcement day for the scholarship winners from NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities). The subject line read congratulations and I was so excited I forwarded the email to Mark right away. That evening I shared the news with family. Known for pulling April Fool's jokes in the past, my sister, Kathy, wished congratulations and then immediately emailed back saying, "I almost fell for it and then I checked the calendar!" I had to send the original email from NEH saying congratulations for her to believe that I was really going to Istanbul this summer.

Going to Istanbul!

In less than 2 weeks I'll be on a trip of a lifetime! In March I submitted my application for NEH's summer workshop on Istanbul: East meets West. It is a three week trip to Istanbul studying the ancient, medieval and modern history and culture in the crossroads of Europe and Asia. About 350 applicants, 25 participants, just 1 from Minnesota.