WW: Blue Mosque, Istanbul

I have to admit I can never get enough of visiting Istanbul, Turkey.

one of the domes of Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Not only that this city has become cradle of civilisations since thousands of years ago, but also because they manage to preserve those precious traditions un until now, including Turkish magnificent architectures.

As a big fan of thrilling history, Sultanahmet Square has long been listed on top of my must-go-to places in Istanbul. This time, I spent some times in Blue Mosque, Istanbul, to pray Dhuha and tahayatul masjid here and take some shots again and again. 

Reciting some praises from Al-Quran, the dome is fascinating indeed!

As usual, its amazing dome, elaborated by Iznik ceramics depicting various patterns dominated in blue, steal people's attention, including me. Not to mention gilded decoration and tinted -glass windows near the mihrab. I was wondering how long it took to finish such a grand masterpiece.

The mihrab

It's a bit dark but still beautiful

I also enjoy more details from the doors, carpets, windows and the interior designs of this mosque. They are indeed amazing and unique. I literally looked up most of the time to see the details on the roof as well.

It is undergone a big renovation now and some parts of the domes are closed but you are still able to enjoy its marvellous beauty. 

I came here with some friends and we waited outside until 10 AM in the morning when the mosque was open. As we arrived in the morning, we didn't have too many visitors yet.

It is easy to Sultanahmet Square from new Istanbul Airport.

Unlike Ataturk International Airport where we could take subway and tram to reach the city center, this time we use Havaist shuttle bus. It has many destination, trying to connect the new airport with various destinations. Sultanahmet - Eminonu (where the Spice Market is located) is one of them and we only need to pay 18 Turkish Lira for one-way trip from or to the airport. I will share more details about this at later stage.

So, have you visited Blue Mosque as well?

Do you think you like it? What's your favorite section of the mosque?

What is your favorite place to visit in Istanbul?

Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun linking up 

Transiting in Istanbul (again and again)

Happy happy New Year, everyone...
It's still the first 10 days of 2016 and I'm so excited what the new year will bring :).
Apparently, I still have tons of stories, photos and mementos from 2015 that I would love to share here in my blog.

So with that intro, brace yourself...as another story of me transiting in Istanbul (again and again) is back. 

Saya masih punya hutang cerita saat menjejakkan kaki di Istanbul bulan Desember tahun lalu ketika menuju Jenewa, Swiss, bulan lalu. No, this time is not about the purple bowl that I was so determined to buy here in this lovely city, but about the new place I happened to visit in my 9-hour transit.

Terus terang, setelah kehebohan liburan musim panas kemarin di Florida dan sekitarnya (yang sepertinya belum tuntas saya share juga di blog ini :)), kaki gatal saya memang belum menjelajah lagi ke tempat-tempat yang agak jauh, hanya di seputaran negara bagian New York dan New Jersey  saja sementara. Jadi harap maklum kalau saya jadi semangaaat banget menjelajahi Istanbul untuk yang ke sekian kalinya.

As I have shared previously in transiting in Istanbul (again), I literally strolling around drizzling Istanbul just to enjoy the city. Frankly, for this trip, I didn't really prepare myself for anything, just simply enjoy traveling around. But then, as I walked across Topkapi Palace, I found this park adjacent to it. 

Gulhane Park, that's the name.

Setelah lumayan jalan kaki di sekitar Sultanahmet dan Istana Topkapi, saya mencoba mencari jalan tembus lain menuju jalan utama karena saya berencana naik tram dan funicular menuju Taksim Square. Ternyata mata saya tertumbu pada gerbang cantik yang ada di sisi kanan jalan setapak dari Topkapi. Saya sempat membatin kok sepertinya belum pernah lihat ya tempat ini sebelumnya. Kaki yang sebenarnya sudah mulai letih ini pun berbelok ke taman asri yang terletak di balik gerbang tadi.

the gate..

Taman Gulhane, yang artinya rosehouse atau kurang lebih kebun mawar, ternyata memang terletak di pelataran Istana Topkapi, namun lebih ke sisi luar atau sisi jalan raya. Di masa Ottoman, taman ini menjadi bagian luar dari taman Istana Topkapi yang memang dipenuhi dengan mawar, perdu dan belukar. Sejak tahun 1912, saat Walkota istanbul dipegang oleh Vemil Topuzlu, taman ini pun dibuka untuk umum. 

Dan memang taman ini sebenarnya luas sekali, tidak tanggung-tanggung hingga 163 decare atau 163.000 meter persegi. Jika ditelusuri hingga ujungnya bisa terlihat Bosphorus. Sayang saya tidak punya cukup waktu karena masih berencana untuk ke Taksim Suare #keukeuh :).

informasi mengenai Taman Gulhane

Bahkan dari hasil intipan saya di Wikipedia, taman ini dulunya pernah dilengkapi dengan kebun binatang, pasar malam dan tempat piknik. Namun renovasi besar-besaran yang dilakukan beberapa tahun terakhir justru membuat taman ini menjadi lebih tertata dan penuh dengan tanaman sehingga terasa luas dan nyaman.

patung ini menyambut kita saat memasuki taman :)

Di tengah taman, terdapat patung mantan walikota Istanbul dan juga patung pakaian tradisional Turki yang saya tidak tahu namanya. Modelnya seperti jubah atau mungkin seperti gamis ya, dengan hiasan di dada dan motif serta aksen keemasan. Terbayang jaman dahulu belum ada mesin jahit repot kali ya membuatnya. Yang pasti saya sukaaa banget melihatnya karena warnanya ungu :). 

Terlihat juga ada kolam ikan dan jembatan di tengahnya. Sayang saat saya ke sana sepertinya sedang diperbaiki, karena kolamnya kering dan tanaman di sekitarnya tengah dibongkat. Ketika saya tanya akan ditanam apa, mereka menjawab dengan bahasa turki yang tidak saya mengerti. Tapi kalau melihat bibit bunga yang tengah ditanam, sepertinya tulip. Waaah, pasti cantik kalau sudah mekar di musim semi nanti. Jadi pengen kembali lagi ke sini #nggabosenbosen :).

Bajunyaaa unguuuu

So for you who happen to have some spare time while visiting Istanbul, Gulhane Park can be a great alternative for a leisure walk. Next time I'm coming back here, I surely will spend more time here and perhaps even try the cafe they have inside :).

Gulhane Park

Cankurtaran Mh., 34122 Istanbul

Free entrance

Thank you :)

Transiting in Istanbul (again)

I recently had a business trip to Geneve, Switzerland, and again, I deliberately choose Istanbul for my transit. 

Bosan dengan postingan saya tentang Istanbul? Belum kaaan..kalau iya, maafkaaaan ya. Soalnya memang seperti ada sesuatu di kota ini yang kerap memanggil saya untuk kembali. I know, I have been visiting this city numerous time but I have to admit that I can't stop coming back to this cradle of civilization.

Perhaps, this is my 9th time transiting in Istanbul and I gotta to admit always enjoy it :). 

For sure there are a lot of interesting places to see and to explore. 
Variety of food to taste and buy plus lovely handicrafts to bring home :). 
Okay, call me lame but speaking about handicrafts, before deciding to transit in Istanbul, I broke one of my purple hand-made Turkish bowl at home. Somehow I immediately decided to stop again in this city and  put it on top of my list to get some  and bring it back to NYC. What a mission, right :).

Jadi ceritanya...gara-gara mangkok ungu kesayangan yang saya beli dari Istanbul  pecah (karena salah saya sendiri hiiks), akhirnya saya memutuskan untuk mampir lagi ke kota ini. Kebetulan memang ada tugas dari kantor, jadi judulnya sekalian mampir. Misinya mencari mangkok pengganti :). 

a glimpse of my transit in Istanbul

So I started the journey quite early in the morning. 
Arriving at Istanbul at 6.30, I was out on the subway at 7.15. 
Destination: Sultanahmet historical area. I knew this place quite well and the trip downtown with subway and metro is very easy.

Tiba di pagi hari, saya sudah menetapkan hati untuk jalan ke daerah Sultanahmet. Setiap mampir di sini, memang daerah ini yang saya tuju terlebih dahulu, karena akses ke sana mudah dan saya sudah hapal hehehe. Kira-kira perlu waktu 30 - 40 menit menuju ke pusat kota tua yang bersejarah ini dari bandara jika kita menggunakan metro dan tram. Jadi, usai sholat subuh (karena winter, matahari terbit agak siang), sambil menikmati udara pagi yang segar, saya pun langsung bergegas keluar dari bandara.

Always love the colorful mosaics :)

By the time I came out of the arrival hall, I directly went to the money changer to get some Turkish Lira. 1 USD was about 2.9 TL so it wasn't that bad. I brought some TL notes and coins from my previous trip but obviously it won't be enough :). Not with some shoppings I have in mind.

Then, still in the airport, I went down to the basement and bought jetons, the special coins you would need for using public transport, from the machine. From the airport to Sultanahmet area, I will need 2 jetons. But considering that I would stop in Taksim, I would need some extra. So I got 6 jetons for safety.

Masih di sekitar bandara, yang pertama saya lakukan adalah menukar uang dengan Turkish Lira. Alhamdulillah USD lumayan bagus nilai tukarnya, sekitar 2.9 TL per Dollarnya. Setelah menukarkan secukupnya (sambil menghitung oleh-oleh dan mangkon yang ingin saya beli :)), saya pun membeli jetons, sejenis kepingan plastik yang kita pakai untuk menggunakan metro dan tram.  Semuanya ada di mesin otomatis dekat pintu masuk menuju tangga ke bawah tempat kita menunggu metro. 

Going down, the subway heading to Zeytinburnu, where I would need to stop and take tram heading to Sultanahmet, was already waiting. 15 minutes after, I was already in Zeytinburnu and took the tram for another 20 minutes ride to Sultanahmet. It was very crowded, as many students and workers were taking the tram as well.

cloudy morning

Then I was just heading directly to the Blue Mosque. 

Having my morning Dhuha prayer there, admiring the golden, elaborated dome ...

As I said previously, I'll never get tired of enjoying this place whenever I got the chance.

Keep coming back for more to kneel and speak with my Creator under that magnificent dome. The peaceful feeling is priceless. 

Setelah kurang lebih 35 menit di perjalanan menggunakan metro dan tram, saya pun tiba di Sultanahmet. Udara pagi yang agak mendung tidak mengendurkan semangat saya untuk segera menuju salah satu tempat favorit saya, Masjid Biru. Cerita lengkap tentang Masjid indah ini pernah saya tulis dalam a little note on Istanbul: Trail of civilization #2 Blue Mosque (cntd).

Ada banyak doa yang terselip saat saya menikmati keindahan buatan manusia yang didedikasikan hanya untuk Penciptanya. Termasuk agar teman-teman saya tercinta bisa juga merasakan sensasi damai yang sama di sini :).

never get tired of it :)

Setelah itu, saya kemana lagi ya? 
Transiting in Istanbul (again) makes me think of more places to explore.

Hmmm... setelah kaki melangkah ke sana ke mari, saya pun nyasar ke tempat yang baru :)
Mau tau ke mana?

Bersambung lagi niiiih ceritanya :)
To be continued

WW: The Incredible Blue Mosque

No need for further introduction, I guess.
Besides, it's (almost) Wordless Wednesday :).

Enjoy some of the magnificent shots from the incredible Blue Mosque, Istanbul, taken during my last transit there.

the magnificent dome

And more...

From the outside...

one of the entrances

Link up with me and let's have fun bloghopping :)

Cheers...

1.

You're first!

Sunset over Istanbul Sky

I was drop dead tired when I boarded Turkish airlines for the second leg of my trip to Geneve. 
Stroling around the historical city for nearly 7 hours really knocked me out. 
But as we took and flew high, my eyes were feasted with the setting sun.

sunset is here..

Truly a breathtaking beauty from above...

look at that golden part of the sky..

I was lucky I managed to see this perfect time of the day to see the golden sky in front of my very eyes. I took my iPhone immediately and took some pictures.

Did you see the lining of the water underneath us?

using my fisheye lens, the view looks uniquesly beuatiful..

Enjoy more fantastic views of the sky from many corners of the world on 

Skywatch Friday.

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone..

A little note of Istanbul: #Basilica Cistern and some handy tips...

Okaaaaay...

I guess this will be my last piece (at least for now) on Istanbul :D...hopefully....

Well, I don't know who's to blame but with such a long itinerary filled with great places to visit, you will never be running out of materials for your blog regarding Istanbul...
And surrounding the Sultanahmet Historical Area, we have Basilica Cistern...

Forest of pillars..that's what the book said :D...looks so captivating ...

Melengkapi semua tempat wisata yang berada di seputar area Sultanahmet, rasanya kurang klop kalau tidak memasukkan yang satu ini :D...Basilica Cistern..Setelah awalnya dibangun pada tahun ke-3 and ke-4, Basilica, yang selalu diasosiasikan dengan bangunan luas, terbuka, berbentuk lingkaran megah yang banyak dibangun di masa Romawi kuno. Dan saat masuk ke bawah tanah tempat ini, mata akan langsung dimanjakan dengan hamparan pilar megah yang tinggi dengan kubah setengah lingkaran, padahal tempat ini berfungsi sebagai penampung air atau cistern! What a luxurious tank for storing water :D...

Pada awalnya, Basilica ini memang berfungsi sebagai pusat keramaian dan kesenian, sebelum beralih fungsi menjadi cistern atau tempat penampungan air...Kebayang kan...now it is located under the ground and gives you a totally different atmosphere...

I love to see those astonishing pillars...grandeur, it is.....

It was quite dark and slippery as well in there... so  better watch your steps and take some times to adjust your vision. But anyhow, I love the lighting set here...giving you the right ambience for an underground palace.

And, the most crowded spot here is indeed the Medusa Head.
Wait a minute....Medusa Head? Yup....woow...how come? Better be careful, I don't wanna be a stone :D...

Kalau pengen liat patung Kepala Medusa yang menjadi pengganjal tiang-tiang megah dari pilar di istana....nah, di sini nih tempatnya ...Kabarnya, posisi Kepala Medusa yang memang agak aneh karena dibalik 90 dan 180 derajat ini sengaja ditempatkan sedemikian rupa untuk menghindari dampak negatif dari tatapan Medusa yang bisa membuat apa saja yang dilihatnya menjadi batu. Well, percaya ngg percaya sih...

The Medusa Head....

With the pillar....

The other Medusa Head....in a closer look...

Still...the Medusa Head...looks so eery....

So all in all, Istanbul is really a great city to visit....I know that there are so many places to see, including Dolmabahce palace, which I have written previously here.

And....if you have time and opportunity to visit this biggest city in Turkey, here are some handy tips:

1. Don't miss Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern and all the gorgeous ancient architectures in Sultanahmet Historical Area...all in walking distance, but you need to make sure you have a good time management! Penting banget soalnya..kalau tidak, waktu yang terbatas tidak bisa dimaksimalkan untuk melihat semua yang indah-indah ini :D...Jadi atur jadwal sebaik-baiknya dan tetapkan prioritas. Jangan lewatkan obyek di atas.

2. For me, the best time to visit is end of July -  August..as summer fiesta is almost finished but they still have summer sale :D. Not too crowded, but the weather is nice. I was lucky I visited Istanbul several times..It was in June, end of July, February and October...Each and every visit is memorable, but I really enjoy my end of July trip :))...Kalau pas libur musim panas, biasanya hotel, resto, bandara dan tempat-tempat yang mau dikunjungi penuuuuh...antri panjaaaang..dan jadinya abis waktu, energi et uang juga...

2. Better change your money in the airport...better rate, that is! Mungkin karena sudah di pusat kota or tempat turis banget, selain airport, tempat penukaran uang ratenya ngg asyik :D...

3. Get the tokens for transportation in the airport , it will make things easier...you can use the machine, so make sure you have Turkish Lira first :D...Untuk perjalanan dari bandara ke berbagai tempat, jika menggunakan transportasi publik, bisa kita beli di bandara juga...karena jalur Metro yang membawa kita ke pusat kota ada di bagian bawah bandara Ataturk Istanbul :D...Dari bandara menuju Sultanahmet Area, kita perlu naik metro, lalu lanjut dengan tram...untuk persisnya, just google it :D, there are soooo many information on that...so, tokennya beli ekstra karena seringkali kita kesulitan untuk mencari token machine.

4. Most of the historical buildings are located in walking distance...so it means, you will walk a lot :D. Make sure you get your comfortable shoes and check the weather! In one of my trips, the weather suddenly became so windy I was frantically frozen. Siap-siap jalan yang banyak karena memang tempat-tempat cantik di Istanbul akan lebih enak dinikmati sambil berjalan kaki..apalagi di sepanjang Bosphorus dan seputar daerah bersejarah Sultanahmet.

5. There might be local people trying to be nice and friendly to you. They will usually greet and say hi, trying to make conversations. If you are not comfortable with them, you can just politely ignore them and stay away from them. Jangan salah sangka dulu, memang banyak di antara mereka yang super ramah, tapi tidak selalu berniat mengganggu. Ada beberapa yang mengajak saya ngobrol saat menunggu trem hanya karena penasaran ingin tau saya dari negara mana atau menanyakan syal yang saya pakai berasal dari mana :D..Memang sih, tidak selalu nyaman yah ditegur orang di tempat umum seperti itu, apalagi kalau traveling sendirian :). Relax, but be aware, that might be a good start...  

So, visiting Istanbul? why nooot :D....and have fuuuuun...

A little note on Istanbul: Trails of civilization #When the night comes....

Selalu menarik untuk melihat suatu tempat di kala malam tiba :D....

Apalagi di Istanbul ....

Well, I guess I have shared quite a lot and it's time to sit back for a while and relax :D..

The skies are clear...
And the air is crisp...
Then night has fallen....

Dan ketika itu, saya menyempatkan diri duduk manis di 2 tempat ini....

1. Taksim Square

Kalau teman-teman sempat menyimak kerusuhan yang terjadi belum lama berselang di Turki, maka tempat ini sempat beberapa kali disebut. Ya, Taksim Square..yang identik juga dengan Ataturk Monument...

Ataturk Monument...taken with my 4S :D...

As you rose from the underground Metro, you will be welcomed by the Ataturk Monument. 
The Metro station here is lovely to look at as well..I mean, they have many wall-mozaics and artistic pieces being put around the stations, like these ones...

aren't they cute....

love it...

in the tram station..heading to Taksim Square...

take me to Taksim square, please...

There, you would find a lovely fountain being lit by colorful lights...
I stayed there for some times...trying to capture those rays of rainbow..
Beautiful...

Tempat berkumpulnya tua muda di Istanbul ini  juga perpaduan antara dunia kuno dan modern di Istanbul...


Bagaimana tidak...dikelilingi oleh bangunan tua,  kawasan ini juga menjadi pusat pertokoan maupun restoran masa kini...

Saya sempat panik dibuatnya dengan jejeran diskon saat mengunjungi tempat ini di awal Januari 2013...

panic attack in one of the shops :D...

Ooh nooooo...Shopping in Istanbul was indeed one great experience for me...not really breaking my bank, as Turkish Lira is faaar cheaper than Swiss Franc, but I really had to work my charm to get extra kilos from my airline hihihi..

one of the corners of Taksim Square...

the later the merrier :D....

Then if we walked further, you will see more restaurants and street food vendors, like this...

yang lapaaar...jajan dulu yuuuuk...

I tried this lovely traditional food ..or rather snack, of Turkey...and I have no complaints :D...They also have roasted chestnuts and steamed corns on carts like this...

my favorite :D...love it...it's the fountain near Ataturk Monument ...

Another interesting thing we can do here in Taksim Square is taking the tram ride around this area...not just a tram, but more like an antique one...love it!

traditional tram...ready to take you around...

2. Sultanhamet Historical Area

Tak lain dan tak bukan, inilah tempat yang banyak dikunjungi oleh para turis...:D...

when the dusk comes....

Well, since most of the ancient architectures in Istanbul are centered here, no wonder the area is buffed with people, souvenir shops, great eating places and hotels...and of course money changers as well as free wifi..yaaaay :D...

Tidak heran, saat malam tiba, tempat ini memang penuh pendar lampu dan hura-hura keramaian ala ibukota (halaaah..orang ini bukan ibukota :D...)

And apparently, fountains are people's favorite..I just notice they have some here and there..with similar colorful lightning arrangement :D...Wanna see them?  It was taken from the same spot, with different colors ...

And  different kind of blue "D...

Well, that's about it...night in Istanbul is surely colorful "D...
And all you need to do to see it is just by sitting back and relax...
Cheers...