Ciao,
We are back from Istanbul and Spring Break is winding down.
Istanbul was amazing. The weather wasn't the best, it was actually pretty cold most days, but the places that we visited were worth enduring frozen fingers. We started with Haghia Sophia, which we have studied countless times, and when I walked inside I was struck by the interior space. How people hundreds of years ago could build things that big and sophisticated still hits me in a powerful way every time. We then went to see the basilica cistern, which was a hypostyle hall typology. That was a fun experience due to the lighting, the water, and the scale of the columns. We then visited the Blue Mosque and several other smaller mosques over the course of the week. Each had a unique character that set them apart from each other. We saw the spice bazaar and the Grand Bazaar, in which I finally did some shopping lol. We also were given the opportunity to go to a Turkish bath, which I unfortunately passed on but I hear was amazing.
The week in Istanbul was a great one. We went out a couple times as a group and it was so fun to experience the culture. Walking into each mosque was a unique experience and analyzing the architecture and observing how people use the space actually helped me understand the religion/social practices a bit better. We met a good friend of Eric's, Ismet, who sells rugs. Shopping for rugs was fun and we learned some of the things to look for in a "good" rug.
After being part of Istanbul for a week I can definitely see myself going back to experience the city and culture again, in a new and different way.
Arrivederci
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