Today has been FANTASTIC! The rain finally stopped, our bags arrived late last night (right after we left a department store, which had just closed so we couldn't return what we'd bought), and we got into some amazing sites. We started at the Chora Church, a site I hadn't really know about but it's one of the 1000 Places to see before you die. The Church is full of nearly complete Byzantine mosaics depicting the lives of Mary and Jesus, as well as some cool medieval frescoes. It's from the late Byzantine period, so it's better preserved than those in the Hagia Sophia. We used the tour book to guide us around. I couldn't get over the tiny, tiny pieces that were in the mosaics- I'd always imagined them small, but they were smaller than my little fingernail. I can't even fathom how many pieces were in there.
After lunch, we took a cab to the AyaSofia, which was simply amazing. The scaffolding was DOWN! Gone, gone, gone and it made me so happy to see straight up into the dome with no obstructions. I was amazed by the size and how light it was inside. The hanging chandeliers were numerous, but it was the natural light from the windows that were most impressive. We read a lot about the architecture and how the weight of the dome was distributed through the arches. We went to the second floor to see some of the mosaics and look down into the nave. I was really happy to finally be at a place I've seen so many times in a virtual tour, to put together the pieces. It looks just the same, from the ruins of the old basillica to the giant Arabic decorations inside the church (for the kid who asked what they said- Muhammad and Allah in the front, the four caliphs around the middle, and the name of two of Muhammad's grandsons who were assassinated at the back).
So, after AyaSofya came the disastrous Skype session. I guess there were connection problems at the Ottoson end, which is so disappointing because I left it set up just ready to go, but something jammed over the long weekend and it had to be rebooted, and it just all got messed up. I was able to connect and see everyone, and I think they saw me, but the sound wasn't coming through from Ottoson, and I don't know if they could hear me. I tried a few times, then went to the ancient cistern while the kids were out of cluster, then tried again but it just wasn't working for me. I'm bummed that the school's technology failed again. It's such a continual issue that prevents so many cool things.
Anyway, I would have kept trying but people were giving me really strange looks, and the guards were really not happy with me standing in one spot with a webcam for hours, so I had to give up. We walked through the Hippodrome, where ancient chariot races were, though no real indications of it remain except historical memory. It was where the Nika Riots began. Then we took the train to a funicular to Taksim Square, in the modern part of the city. We wandered down through Ishtikal Street, which was all fun modern shops and restaurants. Yes, there was Starbucks and McDonalds, but also lots of fun Turkish places. We ate in a traditional restaurant, and I had Turkish ravioli, which weren't very good. That's ok, though, it was fun to try something new. We walked the rest of the way down the street, stopping in a few stores but not buying anything, then took a different funicular and a train back to the hotel.
So I'm still bummed Skype didn't work, but at least I tried and got to see everyone back home for a few seconds. Hope you're all doing well. Only one more day here for me- maybe I'll wear some of my new Turkish clothes tomorrow.
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