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 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Converge

Define converge :), that's this week's Weekly Photo Challenge theme...

Merriam- Webster.com defines it as "to move toward one point and join together; to come together and meet" or "to meet and come together to form a crowd or a group" or to come together and have on purpose, interest, or goal." 

Interesting...

Now how would you interpret that in photography?

I guess I might have some series of pictures for that..
What do you think?

the ancient alley at Angkor Wat, Cambodia...

Hagia Sofia and its ray of light...

Sir Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street, London ...

Check out more interesting post of Weekly Photo Challenge this week :)

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...

A little note on Istanbul: Trails of Civilization #Topkapi Palace - The Harem

Aren't you intrigued...
Sumpah saya penasaran...

Reading this writing on the wall...
Baca tulisan yang ada di dinding saat menyusuri kompleks Istana Topkapi di Istanbul...

The writing on the wall...

I can't help but wonder...
What's in there?

Beneran... setelah membaca dari berbagai sumber, tanya sana-sini, saya dan Udi, my hubby, langsung celingukan mencari tempat ini...

HAREM

THE HAREM

Situated on the north part of the second courtyard of Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, I certainly have tons of questions in my mind as I paid the extra ticket to get into this section...

What so special about it?

My guide book described how this place has attracted so many visitors just to hear the name :D...
Well, to my limited knowledge, the word Harem is originated from Arabic and it means forbidden...
So, are those living in this place 'forbidden'?
Hmmm...I have no answer to that...

Open the door and welcome....

But for sure, the establishment in this area is just amazingly beautiful...
Of course, we are talking about the Sultan's wives and concubines..The Harem..
I imagine drop dead gorgeous and beautiful ladies lived here for the Sultan's pleasures, under the command of Queen Mother!

Starting from the very first corridor as we stepped into, we have wowed by beauty of it... Well, to those who have read my previous postings on Topkapi (click here) or even Hagia Sofia (click here) and Blue Mosque (click here), might be bored with this 'wowed' thing..

one of the lounges...I really wanna sit here :)...

Long narrow hallways will welcome you, adorned with its blue-dominated flower ceramic tiles that has been galvanized as Turkish specialty. Rooms after rooms are there for you to see...and to imagine how it was in its heyday...

one of the hallways....

one of the rooms...

Again, lines of most beautiful women in Istanbul, or maybe even in Turkey, dressed in traditional costumes and smelled wonderful with bright smiles filled my imagination. 

I overheard a guide mentioning Roxelana, one of the legendary powerful women in the history of Ottoman empire, who started her days in the harem before becoming the legally wedded wife of Sultan Suleiman, the Magnificient and being the mother of 5 of Sultan's children, including his heir. Hmmm...I have to check for more juicy details for that :D...

The illustration in one of the rooms...kebayang para wanita cantik ituuu :D...

Kalau mendengar kata Harem, terus terang saja, saya langsung membayangkan deretan wanita-wanita cantik pilihan untuk menemani Sang Sultan. Don't ask me further, karena 'selir' alias 'wanita simpanan', yang notabene menjelaskan arti concubine, langsung terlintas :D. Tak heran kalau tempat ini memang cantiiik sekali..karena penghuni juga wanita pilihan. Dan pada masa itu, sah-sah saja Sultan memiliki begitu banyak 'teman' wanita yang memang bertugas untuk menyenangkan hatinya

Dan khusus di bagian ini, ruangan yang tersedia pun banyaaaak sekali...Kalau menurut buku petunjuk saya, ada sekitar 400 kamar khusus di bagian Harem, karena di setiap masa pemerintahan satu Sultan tertentu, kamar-kamar baru pun ditambahkan. Tidak heran kalau bangunan tambahan itu seperti memiliki gaya arsitektur yang berbeda.

beautiful windows....the detailed corrugated metal used are lovely

Satu hal yang pasti, keramik cantik khas Turki dengan motif bunga mendominasi berbagai ruangan indah di bagian khusus untuk para wanita pilihan Sultan ini. Sangat feminim, dan juga mewah! Pinggiran cat emas melengkapi cantiknya kamar-kamar yang tersedia di sini. Pokoknya seneng deeh liatnya :D...

the fireplace...not only the tiles, but the  metal craft is also amazing...

Not only the rooms with their amazing details, even the bathrooms and toilets are interesting to see :D...

the royal bathrooom :D....

a comfy stool for you, ladies :D...

I want one at home :D....

need to freshen up? here's the place :D...

That's just the toilets :D....

toilet jongkok :D...

Let alone the Sultan's couch...the one that you see above...

And the Courtyard of the Favorites :D....I like the name :)..apa ya rasanya jadi favoritnya Sultan #aduuuuh....

The courtyard of favorites...Like the name! imagining pretty ladies smiling, hoping the Sultan would pick her :D...

Dan seperti saat melihat bagian lain dari istana ini, rasanya memang tidak selesai-selesai rasa kagum ini...takjub dengan keindahan sekaligus sejarah kompleks ini...

Jangan bosen ya kalau Mama Bo et Obi masih berbagi cerita tentang Istanbul :D...

Cheers..