As I promised before, here is the sequel of my journey. Now from Turkey. I'll try to update my blog as frequent as I can, but as I'm traveling, I don't really have much time to do it. So, whenever I have access to the internet, in hotel or in public places, I'll try.
9 Mac
This day marked my first day in Turkey, Istanbul to be precise. As a Muslim country, I feel quite secure upon arrival in Turkey. I arrived at dawn. Sampai2 je terus solat Subuh, walaupun sedikit terlewat. My first challenge began when I had to take a metro from the airport to Zeytinburnu station. From there I changed to tram until Sultanahmet, the place where I'm going to stay for the next 2 nights. Sultanahmet, I could say, one of the favorite place to stay for any travelers and backpackers. There's a lot of cheap hostels and hotels available within walking distance. If your map doesn't help much, don't hesitate to ask for locals. In Istanbul, the people could speak some basic English. So, don't worry. Even Japanese can survive here! lols.
My first place would be the icon of the city, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, famously known as the Blue Mosque. Antara sebab aku memilih Masjid Sultan Ahmed adalah sebagai tanda hormat. Takkanlah tempat pertama nak dituju Ayasofya, bekas gereja yang ditukar menjadi masjid dan akhirnya menjadi muzium, sampailah sekarang. It's adab. To get there is very simple. Once you get off at Sultanahmet, you can see the Blue Mosque standing majestically in front of your eyes. Don't get confused with the Hagia Sophia (or Ayasofya), just opposite the Blue Mosque. The admission is free. The mosque will not receive visitors 25 minutes after the athan (Muslim call of prayer). Visitors have to take their own shoes inside the mosque using plastic bags available at the entrance.
Next stop, Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya. The admission fee per person is 20TL. Outside the buildings there are some ruins and pillars on display at the garden open air. As you step inside, you'll be awed with a sarcophagus and carvings around the door and on the walls. Latin language perhaps. Stepping inside, I was quite disappointed as the renovation works to restore the building and it's relics were in progress. But still, the main attractions were untouched and still can be enjoyed. Really, inside you could see the mix of Islam and Christianity in one place, under the same roof. Along with the calligraphy of the words ALLAH and Muhammad, there's also images of Gabriel and Jesus on the wall (which is not acknowledged in Islam). There's even a tomb of one of the commanders of Christian army during the 4th Crusades at the 2nd floor. Rasa syahdu bila masuk ruangan utama Ayasofya. Sedih mengenangkan nasib sebuah Masjid yang agung ditukar menjadi muzium. Dahlah aku pun masuk ke dalam dengan berkasut. Mimbar yang sepatutnya digunakan untuk khutbah kini tidak lebih sekadar barang pameran. Mihrab yang sepatutnya ada Imam, kini kosong menjadi tatapan pelawat. Sedih.
The next stop, the famous Basilica Cistern, about 70 meters of walking distance from Ayasofya. The admission fee is 10TL. Walking inside, the floor and the stairs are slippery so choose your shoes wisely. Inside, some water are still dripping from the ceiling, but don't worry as it won't be like in a rain. The Basilica Cistern was once used to provide water for Topkapi Palace. There are stagnant water inside where a lot of carps live. I found many people throw coins into the water. Bagus sangat la tu. Kayakan orang lain.
Another attraction is the Medusa's head, carved at the column of two pillar bases. Next stop is the Museum of Turkish & Islamic Arts. This Ottoman Palace on the Hippodrome is now home to a magnificent collection of artifacts representing almost every period and genre of Islamic art. The museum's collection of antique carpets is generally recognized as the best in the world, and the manuscripts and miniatures on display are equally impressive. The admission fee is 10TL. Finally, I took a walk until the gate of Istanbul University and the Great Bazaar. I really wanted to go inside, but it's getting dark already so, I save the exploration for tomorrow.
10 Mac
Tuesday. At last the top attraction in Istanbul, the Topkapi Palace is ready to receive visitors. The day was cloudy, but fortunately it wasn't raining. In the cool morning, I headed out from Sultan Hostel straight to the Topkapi Palace after the breakfast. Topkapi Palace is a MUST for any visitors visiting Turkey. Most of the great Sultan that ruled Turkey hundreds of years back stayed here. Inside, the big, open air palace, there are many sections of museums. The Holy relics, carriages, the famous Harem, garden and others. I spent most of my time at the Holy Relic section where most of the relics in Islam were on display. Among them were the sword of Prophet Muhammad, the 4 Righteous Caliphs and the prophet's companion's (Peace be upon them), the turban of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph)A.s, the sword of Prophet Daud(David) A.s, the tooth, robe and footprint of Prophet Muhammad, the stick of Musa (Moses) A.s which he used to cut through the Red Sea while he and the 12 tribes of Jews were being chased by the Pharaoh, and others.
Moving on, I went to see the royal garden and terraces overlooking the Golden Horn. From the terrace, you can see the Galata Bridge, city of Istanbul, ferries and tankers passing through. The view is very great and perfect for those who love photography. The tiles and mosaics of the floor inside the palace was superb and still in very good condition. At one of the museums, you can see full of jewel encrusted treasures, medals, sultan's robes and even sultan's plates and glasses. You can really imagine how luxury the lifestyle of the Sultan inside. Dalam hati aku berkata: Patutlah Empayar Islam jatuh. Sultan hidup terlalu mewah, sampaikan pinggan dan cawan pun dari emas dan berlian! Nak makan je pun. Kan bagus kalau kemewahan tu disalurkan kepada rakyat dan agama. Nak kayakan keluarga sendiri je, mana boleh. So, umat Islam pun tak boleh salahkan Mustafa Kamal 100%. Tengok sendiri bagaimana gaya hidup Sultan-sultan di dalam istana.
The next and the most important part of the Topkapi Palace is the Imperial Harem, where Sultan, concubines and his family lived along with the Black Eunuchs, who were assigned to serve and guard the Sultan's family. The surroundings, chambers and pavilions inside are superb. It amazes you with it's decorations and the illustrated dome inside. The descriptions of each room alone was enough to let you dream how lucky it was to be in the Harem. Most of the diorama and miniatures were great. The modern term for Harem, especially in anime depicts the life and surroundings of the Sultan in Harem at that time. A man encircled by hundreds of women, it's every man's dream I guessed. In Harem, the highest rank besides the Sultan himself is the Valide Sultan or the Queen Mother. No one can leave and enter the Harem without the Sultan or the Queen Mother's explicit permission. Legend has it that Ibrahim the Mad had his entire harem of 280 women tied in sacks and thrown into the Bosphorus when he gets tired of them.
After Topkapi, headed out to visit the Grand Bazaar where hundreds of shops sells everything from original carpets and clothing to fake Rolex. It's always worth bargaining with the shopkeepers. Beware of your valuable belongings inside as it could get really crowded. There are multiple exits at the Grand Bazaar with numbers on each gates, so you won't get lost easily. After completing the tour at the Grand Bazaar, I headed out to tram to get to Karaköy station, crossing the Galata Bridge. One of the 'must go' places in here is the Galata Tower. Just look for the signboard for Galata Tower (or Galata Kulesi) and walk uphill through the neighborhood and rows of shop-houses. I don't think you can get lost around there as the tower itself stood high as your guide. The admission fee is 10TL and is open from 9:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m.
From above, you can enjoy 360 degrees panorama of Istanbul. It is best to enjoy the sunset from above. Most of the prominent tourist spots can be seen from above. After visited the Galata Tower, I went across the bridge just like the locals did, on foot while enjoying the sunset and the view of the New Mosque under the spotlight. It was quite cold out there. From the bridge you can see some locals waiting patiently for the fish, with ferries and cruisers passing through right under the bridge. Upon reaching the end of the bridge, I took a quick tour of the Spice Bazaar. Here you can see pyramids of spices, meat, fishes and other ingredients of cooking. Even the chefs from hotels around Istanbul came here often to buy their ingredients. One of the specialties in Istanbul is the Lokum, widely known as the Turkish Delight. In here, you can get it with a good price, normally sold at 10TL per kg. You can try bargaining the price if you like.
The Lokum (Turkish Delight)After all the visiting mentioned above, I visited Sultan Fatih Mosque and his tomb, which is located quite far from Sultanahmet, but still reachable by tram. The nearest tram station is Aksaray. From there, you have to walk for about 500 meters. Ada sebab kenapa aku susah payah gak nak melawat makam Sultan Fatih ni. The complex consists of the mosque and tombs around the mosque compound. There's something interesting at his tomb that attracted my attention. One of his will upon entering the Hagia Sophia during the conquest of Constantinople read like this;
"May this building (Aya Sofya) remains as a mosque till the Judgment Day. He who dares to change it again, may he be cursed by the Almighty ALLAH."
Teringat kisah yang pernah diceritakan oleh kawan2. Dikhabarkan jenazah Mustafa Kamal Ataturk tidak diterima bumi. Jenazahnya dikebumikan di dalam sarcophagus, seperti yang dilakukan oleh mayat2 pada zaman Rom dan Greek. Wallahua'lam.
Asyik cerita pasal tempat je, boring gak kan? What's the specialty in Istanbul? I know some of you were tired enough to hear the baklava and the Turkish Delight (or lokum). One of the foods recommended by my friend is Balik Ekmek or Fish Sandwiches (kot?). Inside the half baguette, instead of chicken or lamb just like kebab, Balik Ekmek use half-grilled mackerel and the taste, really delicious. You would want to eat it again, believe me.
Balik Ekmek Another food you can find almost anywhere in Istanbul (or maybe in Turkey) is called Simit. It's kind of a circular bread with sesame seeds. The price usually never goes beyond 1TL. Mostly it can be found sold on a hawker stall like the picture bellow. The taste is quite plain. No filling inside. Best eaten while hot along with a cup of tea or coffee I think.
Local purchasing Simit
'Simit' (Turkish bagel)
'Simit' (Turkish bagel)11 Mac
Up until now, the greatest challenge in my trip started today. I decided to explore further out from Istanbul and my first destination is Bursa. From Sultanahmet, I took the tram to Aksaray and change to Metro Aksaray until Otogar (Bus Station) Station. The easier and faster route would be like this. From Sultanahmet, take the tram until Zeytinburnu, change to metro and go to the Otogar station. At first, the plan was to make a round trip in Turkey's Asia side, started with Pamukkale. But then, I was informed that the bus to Pamukkale only depart on night. Left with not much choices, I decided to head for Bursa. The journey to Bursa took about almost 3 hours. The interesting part was when you cross the Aegean Sea by ferry. along with your bus. It took about 45 minutes I think. Arrived at Bursa Otogar. At that time, I started to feel the hardship that I might came across in this trip. Almost no one can speak English. As I started the journey without any heavy breakfast, I grabbed two kebabs, all for myself. Sedap, memang sedap tapi nak mengunyah tu, alahai.... letih sebab penuh mulut. I tried to find out what's so interesting in Bursa. Ok, let me tell you. My friend told me, the people in Bursa is very beautiful. Girls I mean. Boleh berdarah hidung. Ok, ini bukan anime nak berdarah-darah hidung pulak. You could say, that's among the reason why I went there. Hah, lelaki...
Failed to find anything interesting, plus the time is almost 16:00p.m. The weather is cloudy with signs of rain and it's getting darker. Whether I stay overnight at Bursa or I got to go somewhere else. I then decided to keep going and this time, to Izmir. Izmir is very famous among backpackers and travelers I heard. There's even an airport nearby so I guessed it's really famous among the tourists. Arrived at Izmir Otogar safely at about 20:00 p.m. The Izmir Otogar is a very big place with buses going to various destinations. Dah malam2 ni, nak cari hotel murah pun agak susah dan mungkin agak jauh. Merayau-rayau kejap, ternampak sebuah hotel bersebelahan Otogar. Nasib baik. It's MOM Hotel. From outside, there's nothing special at the hotel. Maybe the rate is cheaper I thought. Went inside to see the receptionist and stared at the rate board. It's 100YTL per person for a single room! Mahal gila kot! Lepas puas merayu, dapat la Student Rate. So, bermalamlah hamba dengan kadar 80 YTL. Bilik bukan single, muat triple orang kat dalam. Memang luas and very cozy. Free Internet and breakfast. Terdesak, lagipun the nearest hotel would be 20km away, so that's it for tonight.
Bersambung....
Laundry facilities are also offered in the hostels sometimes bars, tourist desks, and internet access, too.
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