Next morning we walked with Judith in the drizzling rain to Taksim Square and then we we took a taxi to the old part of town to the apartment we were to stay in for six nights (Judith for three). We were all delighted with the apartment and especially with the view over a couple of mosques and the Marmara Sea. By the afternoon, the rain had cleared and we ventured out again.
Taksim Square in the New District has always been a gathering place for crowds to come to draw attention to their causes and many tragic deaths have taken place here. This was the site of the recent demonstrations that started as a small protest about building a mall on part of the park and escalated to a more general protest aimed at the current government after a brutal police crackdown and a number of deaths.
It is also a transport hub.
Flags up to celebrate the end of Ramadam. The man on flag is Ataturk.
A mausoleum near our apartment.
Portico of the Rustem Pasa Mosque. It was built in the 16th Century and is renown for its tiles both inside and out.
Inside the mosque.
The dome.
The mosque is covered in lovely Iznik tiles.
Close up of a floral design.
Calligraphic tiles are part of the decoration.
Just beautiful.
The nitche is the mihrab which points southeast to Mecca, where all Muslims face when they pray.
These girls were having fun.
Some typical Turkish food.
Cats everywhere. There were about 10 here and they al looked suspiciously related.
More cats - they love sitting on the carpets, cushion covers and the like.
Sahlep, a creamy drink sold when the weather cools a bit, is made from the dried powdered roots of a mountain orchid. The powder is then heated with milk, sugar and cinnamon.
Not sure what he is selling but he looks very colourful.
No comments:
Post a Comment