Turkey: the Good the Bad and the Creepy part 2

As a disclaimer, if you do not want to be lost I suggest you have read part one of the Turkey entry.

The decision to wear a headscarf worked well at night. I didn't really try it during the next day because I only had the morning before I left to return to Greece. Because I became good at ignoring people, I had very little trouble. Don't worry. I was never in any danger. I did not go anywhere alone with the men who tried to pick me up, and they never physically tried to get my attention. I received a lot of propositions, but because I turned all of them down and ignored many of them I was never in harms way.

Now, more of the good. In Istanbul I saw many amazing sights. First I went to the Topkapi Palace, where all the sultans lived. The walls were literally covered in mosaics, and it was splendor that you don't really ever see anywhere else. The jewels, which were thrones, scepters, headpieces, jewelry, swords, armor, and even a cradle made of precious materials and covered in huge diamonds and rubies and emeralds etc put the crown jewels in London to shame. It was absolutely amazing and gorgeous. I saw the harem, where concubines and wives lived, as well as where the Sultans lived. There was a section of the palace devoted to artifacts. Among them were some unlikely and others more likely. For instance, there were clippings of Muhammad's beard (believable) and Moses' staff (not so believable). David's sceptre and John the Baptist's arm were also among the artifacts. Swords of Muhammad's followers and companions also were presented. As I said, these artifacts varied in how believable they actually are.

After the Palace I headed over to the Blue Mosque and saw that huge mosque. They have 3 places for readers and of course areas for men then for women to pray. Lunch was followed by the Agia Sofia, which was gorgeous and huge. There were Byzantine mosaics upstairs that were just amazing, some of them were even fairly complete still. There was a lot left from when the Muslims used it as a mosque (more recently than it being used as a church). After finishing there, I went to the Grand Bazaar, which was a lot of fun and a flurry of activity. I heard after I returned that for a kiss on the cheek I could have gotten much lower prices. Don't think I would have taken advantage of that, but it is interesting to hear. The next day I went in a cistern which was huge and cavernous. It was beautiful and peaceful down there, and in the back were huge carvings of Medusa.

Well, I have to run to class, but I will finish this all up next chance I get.

See ya!