So I realize my updating of the blog has fallen off a bit lately, sorry. I assure you it's because I've been spending so much time out exploring the city, or studying. Both of which seem to be noble ways to employ ones time.
It's sad to think that I've only a couple weeks left in Istanbul, I really truly love it in this place. The people have been very friendly, the scenery is gorgeous, and I think I've finally figured out the Public Transportation System. However, coming home will just cement in my mind my love for this city, and will hopefully give me a drive to come back here again in my life. And soon, I hope.
I had a conversation with one of my professors today about what it would be like to be a permanent resident in the city. The things I would have to worry about are 1) finding a good church over here, and they're kind of few and far between and 2) living in a part of town where I wouldn't have to use the water transportation system that often. It's neat to take the ferry boat across the Bosphorus, but if the water is the least bit rough it makes me sick. This is all just rhetoric for now though. I at least have to be done with my education before I could give that any serious thought.
I really hope all is well for everyone back home. I think and worry about people, but not so much as to distract me from enjoying Turkish life.
I love you all!
-Zach
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
I'm still here!
Sorry for the quiet spell, Istanbul has been busy for me lately, and I've been spending my time either out enjoying the city, or working on homework (since I am here studying).
The pictures from Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace are here:
Istanbul, Day 12 Picures
Last friday we went to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of the Ancient Orient, as well as to a private Byzantine Cistern, and to a museum of Mosaics from the Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors. Needless to say, it was a full day.
The pictures from that days excursions live here:
Istanbul, Day 14 Pictures
The Archeological Museum and Museum of the Ancient Orient are maybe the two most amazing things I've ever seen. The pieces I saw are things I've only read about in text books, and couldn't dream that I'd ever get to see. Documents that were up to 5,000 years old (The Assyrian Kings List, The Code of Hammurabi, The Worlds Oldest Written love Poem), Egyptian Mummies and Sphinxes, statues from Greek and Roman temples. I was almost in tears at one point because I didn't know what to think of it all. What a wonderful opportunity this trip has been!
That only began a weekend of going out in search of the Ghosts of Byzantium, but that story shall wait for a later day. I'm going to bed right now!
Love for all!
-Zach
The pictures from Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace are here:
Istanbul, Day 12 Picures
Last friday we went to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of the Ancient Orient, as well as to a private Byzantine Cistern, and to a museum of Mosaics from the Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors. Needless to say, it was a full day.
The pictures from that days excursions live here:
Istanbul, Day 14 Pictures
The Archeological Museum and Museum of the Ancient Orient are maybe the two most amazing things I've ever seen. The pieces I saw are things I've only read about in text books, and couldn't dream that I'd ever get to see. Documents that were up to 5,000 years old (The Assyrian Kings List, The Code of Hammurabi, The Worlds Oldest Written love Poem), Egyptian Mummies and Sphinxes, statues from Greek and Roman temples. I was almost in tears at one point because I didn't know what to think of it all. What a wonderful opportunity this trip has been!
That only began a weekend of going out in search of the Ghosts of Byzantium, but that story shall wait for a later day. I'm going to bed right now!
Love for all!
-Zach
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Just a quick update
Some of you may have seen on the news that things are a little tense in Turkey, as of late yesterday. There were some major arrests, and there was a conspiracy to start a military coup of the current government.
It all came to a logger head today with massive protests near the neighborhood we're in. That said, all seems to have returned to calm, and we're still safe. The Turks and the US State Department have assured us such was the case. While the arrests yesterday were very major to this country the protesters today were apparently a fringe element within the nation.
That said. It was a ovely day here in Istanbul! We got to go see the Hagia Sophia and Topkopi Palace and they were both marvelous. Both structures are marvelous, and are way before their time so far as construction and engineering.
It is, however, late in Istanbul. So I will post pictures and write more tomorrow!
I love you all!
-Zach
It all came to a logger head today with massive protests near the neighborhood we're in. That said, all seems to have returned to calm, and we're still safe. The Turks and the US State Department have assured us such was the case. While the arrests yesterday were very major to this country the protesters today were apparently a fringe element within the nation.
That said. It was a ovely day here in Istanbul! We got to go see the Hagia Sophia and Topkopi Palace and they were both marvelous. Both structures are marvelous, and are way before their time so far as construction and engineering.
It is, however, late in Istanbul. So I will post pictures and write more tomorrow!
I love you all!
-Zach
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Cruising Along
It's hard to believe it's only been 1 week in Istanbul. We've been so busy it feels like it's been a month, but I'm glad we still have more ahead of us. There is so much left to explore in the city.
Today we went on a cruise up the Bosphorus Straits, which run from the Marmara Sea (South of Istanbul) to the Black Sea (North of Istanbul). The cruise was a lot of fun. It was a nice lazy way of spending a day. When we reached the final port on the cruise we got off the ship for 2 hours and spent most of that time having a nice lunch at a Fish Restaurant. Afterwards, we got back on the ship and sailed back to the main part of the city.
We experienced our first rain while on the cruise, 7 minutes of heavy downpour, and then more sun. It was wonderful.
Along the trip we saw an old Ottoman Defensive Structure that was named the "Throat Cutter". It was named this because the word Bosphorus means "throat" -- and it's builder Mehmet II wanted to prevent shipping of food and weapons to the Byzantines during his siege on the city -- it was pretty cool to get to see it, because a book I've been reading lately talks a lot about it and it's importance.
Click Here for Pictures of The Adventure!
Well, thats the report for today!
-Zach
Today we went on a cruise up the Bosphorus Straits, which run from the Marmara Sea (South of Istanbul) to the Black Sea (North of Istanbul). The cruise was a lot of fun. It was a nice lazy way of spending a day. When we reached the final port on the cruise we got off the ship for 2 hours and spent most of that time having a nice lunch at a Fish Restaurant. Afterwards, we got back on the ship and sailed back to the main part of the city.
We experienced our first rain while on the cruise, 7 minutes of heavy downpour, and then more sun. It was wonderful.
Along the trip we saw an old Ottoman Defensive Structure that was named the "Throat Cutter". It was named this because the word Bosphorus means "throat" -- and it's builder Mehmet II wanted to prevent shipping of food and weapons to the Byzantines during his siege on the city -- it was pretty cool to get to see it, because a book I've been reading lately talks a lot about it and it's importance.
Click Here for Pictures of The Adventure!
Well, thats the report for today!
-Zach
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Zach, the conqueror
It's been a busy two days for me!
On Thursday our group went adventuring in the city. First we went to the Chora Church -- the original structure of which dates back to the 5th century, though the current structure is far newer. It is regarded as the best preserved Church from the Byzantine Era, and was beyond beautiful to see. It is filled on the inside with tile mosaics and frescoes that tell the story of the life of Jesus. Some of the tiles used were gold tiles, and the way the shined when you looked at them was awe inspiring. The Church had been converted to a mosque, like almost every other Church in Constantinople after the Ottomans took over, but it's a museum now, with as much of the Byzantine artwork as they could recover being restored.
After Chora we got a special, unplanned surprise. We got to go climb up on one of the old Theodosian Land Walls, the walls that used to protect Constantinople. They were built by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II in the 490's to protect the city from attacks by Atilla the Hun, and were used to protect the city until it's fall in 1453. It was beyond cool to stand on them and think of the history that happened there.
After the walls we went to the Prince's Mosque, one of the more historic mosques in Istanbul, built for Prince Mehmet. It was pretty, and very neat to see. Unfortunately I know little of the history of Ottoman Istanbul. But I'll take culture where I can get it. After the Prince's Mosque we went to the Sulyeman Mosque. We took the bus through streets I wouldn't ride a motorcycle on, but when in New Rome, I suppose. The Sulyeman Mosque was under restoration, so we really didn't get to see much of it. It is however the largest mosque in all of Turkey. It also has a maosoleum of a few Ottoman Sultans, including the mosque's namesake, Sulyeman.
We also passed a Roman Aquadcut on the roads. I'm still in shock that I saw an actual Roman Aquaduct. There is history all over this city, it's sooooo cool.
Picture from the day's adventuring can be found here:
Day 5 in Istanbul! (The adventures listed above)
Today, when classes finished I went and spent the day hanging out with my friend Mariah, and her fiance Miraç in the neighborhood of Kadıköy. It was very enjoyable. We had beans, çiğ koftah (spiced minced beef), cheese, and bread for dinner, and it was wonderful. After dinner we went out for ice cream, and tea along the Bosphorus. It was very nice to sip tea near the waters edge. After that we went back to thier place for coffee and talking, it was wonderful.
I miss everyone, but not too much. I could stay here forever!
-Zach
On Thursday our group went adventuring in the city. First we went to the Chora Church -- the original structure of which dates back to the 5th century, though the current structure is far newer. It is regarded as the best preserved Church from the Byzantine Era, and was beyond beautiful to see. It is filled on the inside with tile mosaics and frescoes that tell the story of the life of Jesus. Some of the tiles used were gold tiles, and the way the shined when you looked at them was awe inspiring. The Church had been converted to a mosque, like almost every other Church in Constantinople after the Ottomans took over, but it's a museum now, with as much of the Byzantine artwork as they could recover being restored.
After Chora we got a special, unplanned surprise. We got to go climb up on one of the old Theodosian Land Walls, the walls that used to protect Constantinople. They were built by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II in the 490's to protect the city from attacks by Atilla the Hun, and were used to protect the city until it's fall in 1453. It was beyond cool to stand on them and think of the history that happened there.
After the walls we went to the Prince's Mosque, one of the more historic mosques in Istanbul, built for Prince Mehmet. It was pretty, and very neat to see. Unfortunately I know little of the history of Ottoman Istanbul. But I'll take culture where I can get it. After the Prince's Mosque we went to the Sulyeman Mosque. We took the bus through streets I wouldn't ride a motorcycle on, but when in New Rome, I suppose. The Sulyeman Mosque was under restoration, so we really didn't get to see much of it. It is however the largest mosque in all of Turkey. It also has a maosoleum of a few Ottoman Sultans, including the mosque's namesake, Sulyeman.
We also passed a Roman Aquadcut on the roads. I'm still in shock that I saw an actual Roman Aquaduct. There is history all over this city, it's sooooo cool.
Picture from the day's adventuring can be found here:
Day 5 in Istanbul! (The adventures listed above)
Today, when classes finished I went and spent the day hanging out with my friend Mariah, and her fiance Miraç in the neighborhood of Kadıköy. It was very enjoyable. We had beans, çiğ koftah (spiced minced beef), cheese, and bread for dinner, and it was wonderful. After dinner we went out for ice cream, and tea along the Bosphorus. It was very nice to sip tea near the waters edge. After that we went back to thier place for coffee and talking, it was wonderful.
I miss everyone, but not too much. I could stay here forever!
-Zach
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Fütböl
The Euro2008 Soccer Tournament is happening, and just before we made it to Turkey they had won a match that they were not expected to win, so the country was in full swing soccer madness. They're next match was last night, versus Germany. So a group of us decided to go to the student center here on campus and watch the game with the students.
I've never understood soccer much, but I totally got into the game last night. It may have something to do with the fct that I was in a building with a couple hundred people who would start screaming and cheering if Turkey got the ball near the goal.
When the Turks scored the first goal the place erupted.
The Germans answered with 2 goals, but with five minutes left in the match the Turks tied it up, and everyone was hugging everyone else, singing the Turkish National Soccer song, and generally going crazy. Unfortunately the Germans snuck a goal in with just under a minute in regulation play. For a second I thought that things were going to get bad, some of the turks started kicking and throwing things, but luckily that soon died down.
Spirits are down because of the loss, but I'm sure by Friday things in Istanbul will be back to business as usual.
Sorry for the lack of pictures lately, that will be changed with our group trip to some Churches and Mosques today.
-Zach
I've never understood soccer much, but I totally got into the game last night. It may have something to do with the fct that I was in a building with a couple hundred people who would start screaming and cheering if Turkey got the ball near the goal.
When the Turks scored the first goal the place erupted.
The Germans answered with 2 goals, but with five minutes left in the match the Turks tied it up, and everyone was hugging everyone else, singing the Turkish National Soccer song, and generally going crazy. Unfortunately the Germans snuck a goal in with just under a minute in regulation play. For a second I thought that things were going to get bad, some of the turks started kicking and throwing things, but luckily that soon died down.
Spirits are down because of the loss, but I'm sure by Friday things in Istanbul will be back to business as usual.
Sorry for the lack of pictures lately, that will be changed with our group trip to some Churches and Mosques today.
-Zach
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
About the title to this Blog
Istanbul was Constantinople.
We've all heard that to some melody in our lives. But lets discuss how it came to be, as it isn't simply "nobodies business but the Turks".
The first known settlement in the area was around what we call today "The Golden Horn" -- the Section of modern Istanbul that is surrounded by the Sea of Marmara to the south, the Bosphorus Straits to the East, and the Black Sea to the north. This settlement was a Greek fishing village known as "Byzantium".
Byzantium was eventually conquered by the Romans, and became known as Augustus Anatolia during the reign of Caesar Augustus. Augustus Anatolia literally translates to "Augustus' East" as it was for a while one of the eastern most cities in the Roman Empire.
In 330 the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great renamed the city Nea Roma or "New Rome" and moved the capital of the Roman Empire here. Shortly after moving the capital Constantine was honored by the people when they renamed the city in his honor, thus making it "Constantinople" which means The City of Constantine. This name would stick for the city for 1100 years.
On May 22nd, 1453 the Ottoman Empire, under Sultan Mehmet II sacked the city, and claimed it as their own. They renamed their rized new city "Konstantinye" which is a rough Arabic translation for Constantinople, though its meaning is closer to "The Land of Constantine".
However, there had been a tradition since the time of the Roman/Byzantine Empires of referring to the city as "The City" which in Greek is εισ τιν πολιν (eis tin polin). The ancient and medieval world regarded Constantinople as the grandest city in all the world, so it was just a city, it was THE city. This led to a nickname for the city, Stemboul. Though the city was officially "Konstantinye" it was more often referred to locally as "Stemboul" which eventally got smoothed out in the Turkish Language to "Istanbul". Both Stemboul and Istanbul are cognates of the greek phrase esi tin polin, or "in the city".
Finally, in the 1930's, when Turkey became a republic of its own the first President of the Nation renamed the city "Istanbul".
So, here I sit typing this, in Istanbul, in The City. Thats how it happened.
We've all heard that to some melody in our lives. But lets discuss how it came to be, as it isn't simply "nobodies business but the Turks".
The first known settlement in the area was around what we call today "The Golden Horn" -- the Section of modern Istanbul that is surrounded by the Sea of Marmara to the south, the Bosphorus Straits to the East, and the Black Sea to the north. This settlement was a Greek fishing village known as "Byzantium".
Byzantium was eventually conquered by the Romans, and became known as Augustus Anatolia during the reign of Caesar Augustus. Augustus Anatolia literally translates to "Augustus' East" as it was for a while one of the eastern most cities in the Roman Empire.
In 330 the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great renamed the city Nea Roma or "New Rome" and moved the capital of the Roman Empire here. Shortly after moving the capital Constantine was honored by the people when they renamed the city in his honor, thus making it "Constantinople" which means The City of Constantine. This name would stick for the city for 1100 years.
On May 22nd, 1453 the Ottoman Empire, under Sultan Mehmet II sacked the city, and claimed it as their own. They renamed their rized new city "Konstantinye" which is a rough Arabic translation for Constantinople, though its meaning is closer to "The Land of Constantine".
However, there had been a tradition since the time of the Roman/Byzantine Empires of referring to the city as "The City" which in Greek is εισ τιν πολιν (eis tin polin). The ancient and medieval world regarded Constantinople as the grandest city in all the world, so it was just a city, it was THE city. This led to a nickname for the city, Stemboul. Though the city was officially "Konstantinye" it was more often referred to locally as "Stemboul" which eventally got smoothed out in the Turkish Language to "Istanbul". Both Stemboul and Istanbul are cognates of the greek phrase esi tin polin, or "in the city".
Finally, in the 1930's, when Turkey became a republic of its own the first President of the Nation renamed the city "Istanbul".
So, here I sit typing this, in Istanbul, in The City. Thats how it happened.
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