Discovery #37: Asia doesn't look that much different than Europe
Yesterday, I went to Asia for the first time. As many of you may know, one side of Istanbul is considered the "European" side and one that "Asian" side.On Sunday, I took a ferry to the port of Kadikoy with some other students and friends of my parent's who live in Istanbul.
At Kadikoy we sat down to get a fish sandwich and were sadly informed that there were no fish that day because of some government regulation. Walking through the fish market later that day, we found out that that wasn't true...
All this to say, though, that I hardly noticed a difference between the Asian and European sides. I know there must be many nuances that I am unaware of; however, crossing the Bosporus felt nothing to me like crossing continents.
Discovery #38: Islamic Architecture is gorgeous.
I visited the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topakpi Palace last week.
The Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque were both stunning sights to see. The architecture and ornate decorations of each building were incredibly fascinating.
Topakpi Palace, the seat of the sultans during the Ottoman Empire, was also wonderful but very different in nature. Topakpi is located on a large plot of land that looks over the Bosporus and there are flowers and tall trees and green grass. Oh, and thousands of tourists -- how could I can't forget those!
The palace itself was expertly decorated and there were several museum-style displays in various rooms. I saw Moses' staff and piece of the prophet Mohammed's beard - or so I was told.
Yesterday, I went to Asia for the first time. As many of you may know, one side of Istanbul is considered the "European" side and one that "Asian" side.On Sunday, I took a ferry to the port of Kadikoy with some other students and friends of my parent's who live in Istanbul.
At Kadikoy we sat down to get a fish sandwich and were sadly informed that there were no fish that day because of some government regulation. Walking through the fish market later that day, we found out that that wasn't true...
All this to say, though, that I hardly noticed a difference between the Asian and European sides. I know there must be many nuances that I am unaware of; however, crossing the Bosporus felt nothing to me like crossing continents.
 |
| The Blue Mosque |
Discovery #38: Islamic Architecture is gorgeous.
I visited the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topakpi Palace last week.
The Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque were both stunning sights to see. The architecture and ornate decorations of each building were incredibly fascinating.
Topakpi Palace, the seat of the sultans during the Ottoman Empire, was also wonderful but very different in nature. Topakpi is located on a large plot of land that looks over the Bosporus and there are flowers and tall trees and green grass. Oh, and thousands of tourists -- how could I can't forget those!
The palace itself was expertly decorated and there were several museum-style displays in various rooms. I saw Moses' staff and piece of the prophet Mohammed's beard - or so I was told.
No comments:
Post a Comment