Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul, which one is it?

As we exit the Black Sea early this morning and make our way through the Bosporus we marvel at this great divide (or bridge?) between the East and the West. 

Istanbul Day 1

We arrive in Istanbul this morning and will spend another night on board before disembarking the Serenity for an extra two days in this city of wonders.

The sound of the muezzin call to prayer resonates and bounces from minaret to minaret; one does not need to be religious to feel the effect of this age-old practice.

Today we're on our own and early in the morning we take the Crystal shuttle to the Old Town. We spend a wondrous morning at the Topkapi Palace and are so glad to have all the time in the world to see it all; from the Harem to the royal treasure; through each room in the palace to the graceful courtyards. I love Turkish tiles, the colours, the patterns, the brilliance; I make a mental note to buy at least one beautiful tile to take home.

After Topkapi we wander around the Old Town, a street vendor cooking some mussels looks not too happy when I snap his picture as we go by. We pace ourselves as we have a full day of touring planned for tomorrow. Today is the day to take it all in, get the sights, the sounds, the feel for Istanbul.


Istanbul Day 2 - Part 1

Today we get off the ship early and with our luggage as we have a private tour lined up; Tere is joining us and our tour guide, Selcuk is waiting.  There is a slight rain falling but it fails to dampen our spirits. We drive to the Old Town and Selcuk gives us our first glimpse of the cultural, political and religious depths and differences we're about to experience.

Our schedule is flexible and we are able to navigate through the variuos sites with the determined Selcuk at the helm avoiding any lineups and able to zero in on the highlights.  First stop is the Hagia Sophia. Eternal, imposing, a dizzying blend of Islam and Christianity symbols, icons and architectural features crazily coexisting in marvellous splendour.

It's so beautiful, ancient and somehow very different from what I had imagined. First an Orthodox cathedral, then a Roman Catholic cathedra, later a Mosque and now a museum, Hagia Sophia was first dedicated in 360. You can breathe the centuries as you walk through it. It represents the quintessential Byzantine architecture and it was the largest cathedral for almost a thousand years and served as a model for many Ottoman mosques.