MAKING MEMORIES: THIS COULD BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDING ON EARTH
Our second attraction in Istanbul is one of the most beautiful man-made places I have ever been on earth. Since I’ve been home people have said, “Oh you should have gone to Hagia Sophia,” or “Why didn’t you see the Suleiman Mosque?” Well, the short answer is this mosque is the one on the tour I thought would allow me to get the best taste of Istanbul in one day. Another answer is that I can’t imagine anywhere on earth being any more beautiful. Come along with me!
The Transition from Palace to Mosque
Like Lot’s wife being led from Sodom, I looked back over my shoulder wishing to linger longer at Topkapi Palace. Thankfully, there was no chance of becoming a Pillar of Salt, but if I’d have known where I was headed, I wouldn’t have been reluctant at all.
Istanbul’s Old Town holds many remarkable sights and there are only a few steps apart. Hagia Sophia was right outside Topkapi, but it is hidden by all the scaffolding. I would like to go someday, but I was glad we had another destination.
The plaza connecting all of these wonderful sights is pretty marvelous on its own. It truly is a melting pot of tourists and natives. You see everything! Youngsters with e-cigs and senior citizens gathered around a hookah. Some people look down checking their phone for updates, while others gaze into the blue sky as if no updates are needed. Some heads are covered in the traditional hajibs, others let their hair blow in the wind. I was still trying to stuff all the things I’d just seen into my memory, but couldn’t help notice the lives being lived around me.
Awe and Wonder
Then we had to go get in a line to enter the mosque. Ever since I first booked this shore excursion I had known I needed to have an appropriate head covering to go into the mosque and if I didn’t have it, they’d give me one of theirs to wear. Well, I packed several options, but did I bring them with me? Of course not, but in my tote bag was a wind breaker I brought along, just in case the weather got to wet or windy for my cape. Even as I was panicking over forgetting a head scarf, some reasonable part of me was saying, your windbreaker has a hood that can be unzipped. I dug around in my tote bag, unzipped the hood from my windbreaker, stuffed all my hair up under it and tied it under my chin.
I think I must have looked pretty ridiculous, but I passed the inspection. That’s part of the reason there are no photos of me inside the mosque.
After the head covering inspection, our guide trotted off and we followed him like ducklings. He gave us the run down of what we were going to see, how to behave in the mosque and also a set of instructions for when and where to meet after we’d seen the mosque, but Bill and I heard two different things, both of which turned out to be wrong – but we wouldn’t know that until later.
I’ve been to beautiful places in my life, all around the world, some designed by the Creator and others designed by his Creation and I honestly believe this was the most beautiful one I’d ever seen created by Man. I’m not going to try to describe it. The photos were took are quite good, but nothing compares to standing there inside the mosque.
The huge dome is divided into two parts. About a third of the domed area is reserved for infidels, like us, to gawk at the majesty of the building’s interior. I’m one infidel who is very grateful they let us in, at all. The faithful are invited to the other two thirds for prayer and worship.
Panic and Relief
So, the time was drawing nigh for us to meet our group and go to the Grand Bazaar. I went to the far edge of the tourist section which was opposite where we came in. I thought I had arrived. Bill was sure we were supposed to meet on the other side of the security area, where you put back on your shoes. Neither one of us knew anything about a courtyard.
No one from our group was gathering where I thought they should be, so Bill dragged me through security, but we didn’t see anyone there either. We stepped out on a large porch area and still saw no one. We were close to the courtyard, but no one that we saw was holding up a Viking sign. I convinced Bill to re-enter the mosque which was a big no-no. Thankfully, he speaks Arabic and made a big fuss about his spouse waiting for him inside the mosque.
While he was fighting that battle, I saw our guide heading towards me, obviously afraid he’d lost his some of his tourists. He wanted me to go join the others and I freaked out about leaving the last place I’d seen Bill. The guide said it was impossible to go back into the mosque from where we were, so Bill must have gone somewhere else, but obviously, he didn’t know Bill. Impossible doesn’t exist in his world. About that time Bill came back through and the problem was resolved, but both Bill and I were a little rattled. Between the two of us, one or the other usually gets it right. The fact that we had both missed it completely and were almost lost in Istanbul on the last day of the cruise, well that was not good.
From the mosque, we had to board the bus again to get to the Grand Bazaar. Come join me for our last adventure next week.
