So a lot has happened, but I'm just going to give a brief summary and then put up a bunch of pictures. Basically, I've been to Taksim, the center of Istanbul if Istanbul can be said to have one, both of the last two nights, and both times we've had great food and it's just been awesome to walk around. There are constant waves of people going in both directions-I don't know where they all come from, but the flow of people never stops. I don't think I have any pictures of that area, unfortunately, but the area around Kadir Has is beautiful too. Yesterday, I went running toward the end of the peninsula formed by the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara and got a little lost, but before long I realized I was at the Grand Bazaar. I avoided going inside, but it still took a while to navigate my way through the crowds of tourists and street vendors and people trying to hand me fliers. I got back fine, though, and I felt very accomplished. I also might have passed the Blue Mosque, but I'm not totally sure if it was
the Blue Mosque or just a blue mosque. It seems as if the Ottomans were determined to cap even the most minor of hills in this area, Fatih, with a gigantic mosque, complete with domes and enough minarets to rival the Jedi Temple in
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Speaking of Star Wars, we got a picture of Professor Gilson wearing a stormtrooper helmet this morning. I don't have that picture, but
here are some pictures of Istanbul for your entertainment.
The tiny, red building is our dorm-my floor is beneath street level, facing the inner courtyard.
the view of the Golden Horn from in front of Kadir Has
the inside of Kadir Has
a street near the university that was gorgeous but smelled like fish
another street, one that smelled much better
a house in the Phanariot district, home of the Greek Orthodox Church, a ten-minute walk from our dorm
the Phanariot high school
view across the Golden Horn from a mosque on the top of a very steep hill
The Blue Marmara, a ship which was recently raided by Israeli commandos in a major international incident, is casually docked near the place we went for brunch
the minaret of the mosque across the street (oddly enough, I stopped being woken up by the call to prayer after just one night)
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