(Part 10) Traversing Turkey: New Year in Istanbul

- January 1, 2020, New Year.

- What better way to start the new year than having an adventure! As they say, whatever you do on the new year will pave way to whatever you're doing for the whole year. Though I don't necessarily believe this fully, I do hope for more travels and adventures this 2020!

- I began my new year by visiting the 16th-century Sokullu Mehmed Pasha Mosque, which, although a small mosque in the hidden alleys near my hotel in the Fatih District, was made by the Ottoman Empire's grand architect, Mimar Sinan. I actually did not have any intention going inside this mosque; I was on my way to another mosque, but since the mosques looked alike, I went inside this one by mistake. It was a good mistake though, but it does say something about the rather homogenous appearance (from structure to, at times, color) of Ottoman-Islamic architecture.

Sokullu Mehmed Pasha Mosque.

- My intention was to visit a less-visited mosque hidden in a semi-residential area further away from the center, but is also an interesting place to visit if one has a bit of extra time. The Kucuk Ayasofya ("ku-chuk aya-sof-ya") or "Little Hagia Sophia" shares much with the actual/big Hagia Sophia at the city center apart from their appearance. It was built almost the same time as the big Hagia Sophia in the 6th century, and both started out as Byzantine churches before being converted into mosques during the Ottoman Empire.

Kucuk Ayafoya.

Interior.

Main dome.

At the entrance.

From the side.

- Later on we rode the tram from Sultanahmet station to Karakoy station, and once more rode the funicular up the hill to the Beyoglu District. I once again visited the Galata Mevlevi House Museum, but not to watch whirling dervishes again like what I did the day before (click here), but to learn more about the lives of the Sufi whirling dervishes.

Streets of Fatih District.

Back in Beyoglu.

- The Mevlevi House was built in the 1400s as a lodge for members of the Mevlevi Sufi Order, which originated in Konya by none other than Rumi himself (also known as "Mevlana;" click here to see my visit to his grave in Konya here). For me, this museum had more extensive exhibitions compared to the museum in Konya. The main difference is that in Konya, the living quarters and Rumi's grave (of course) were the focus, while the Mevlevi House highlights the things used by the dervishes (pens, books, documents, and musical instruments.)

Dervish things.

Plenty of hats!!

The base of their hats is made from camel hair.

A dervish work area.

The main hall during its quiet times.

This is what I'd look like if I were a horn.

Different traditional stringed instruments.

- After visiting the Mevlevi House, we walked around Istiklal Street for a bit before finding a restaurant to have lunch. The most interesting restaurants for me are those that look like cafeterias, where you just point to a dish you like and they'll serve it for you. (In Filipino, "turo-turo.") The food there seem less touristy and more varied than eating in a regular restaurant - the price is also more reasonable, I think.

Cafeteria-like restaurants.

- Finally, I decided to have a last visit to the Grand Bazaar, near Beyazit tram stop, for a last shopping trip. To be honest I really didn't get to buy much since most of the stores sold the same things (we Southeast-Asians like to call it "same same but different.") Still, it was nice to see the bazaar in its maze-like glory. The pastel-like hues of its antiques, carpets, jewelry, costumes, fabric, and shoes are definitely a feast for the eyes of the creative mind.

A traditional drinking fountain, made of marble, in the middle of the bazaar.

Old and new Turkey.

- Alas, our trip to Turkey had to come to an end that night, as we went off to Ataturk International Airport to catch our flight back to Manila. The only thing I can say is that this trip was good enough to give me an idea of how wonderful Turkey is as a country, but because of certain missed opportunities such as not being able to ride the hot air balloon in Cappadocia, or not getting the chance to see other places due to lack of time, I definitely wish to see Turkey again in the future to see and learn more about this country between continents!!

And now, off to my next adventure!!

  - Don't forget to read about my other adventures in Turkey:

Part 1, Troy and the Trojan Horse: here

Part 2, Virgin Mary's House and Ephesus: here

Part 3, Laodicea on the Lycus and the Alien Travertines: here

Part 4, Konya: here

Part 5, Cappadocia: here

Part 6, Istanbul's Royal Old Town: here

Part 7, Istanbul Between Continents: here

Part 8, Istanbul's Secrets: here

Part 9, Istanbul on New Year's Eve: here

(Part 4) Traversing Turkey: "Konya" Feel the Magic?

- Dec. 25, 2019, Wednesday, Christmas Day.

- Hitting the road on Christmas Day is never fun - there's no time to settle down, reflect, and celebrate. However, our stopover for Christmas was not any less holy. The city of Konya has made its mark in Anatolian history since time immemorial, but it is mostly known for its reputation as the birthplace of the whirling dervishes, and the resting place of the Persian poet and scholar, Rumi (who also known as "Mevlana.")

- The main landmark to learn more about Sufism and its influence in Turkey is the Mevlana Museum. The museum also houses the tomb of Rumi, whose family migrated to Konya from Persia during the 1200s (Seljuk Era.) Rumi pretty much grew up in Konya, and founded the Mevlevi Order of Sufi Islam, a branch of Islam that deals with mysticism, and may be associated with either the two main sects of Islam (i.e. Sunni and Shia Islam.) The back facade of the museum is also a nice photo spot because giant letters that the name "Konya' stand there.

- The Mevlana Museum, apart from being a resting place of Rumi himself, used to be a lodge for the Sufi dervishes. These dervishes are known as "whirling dervishes," because unlike most Muslims who just kneel or stand while praying, these dervishes also use dance as a form of prayer. In a ritualistic manner, they whirl in a trance-like manner as an expression of joy and spirituality, while simultaneously receiving blessings from Allah. The dervishes are also known for their distinct white robes, especially the robes' lower part or "skirt part" that balloons up while they whirl.

Hello Konya!!

Sufi cemetery behind the museum (which used to be a dervish lodge.)

Entrance. The inscription says "ya Hazret-i Mevlana" or "oh hail, blessed Mevlana."

Inside the mausoleum.

Rumi's tomb.

Tile art, the big letters say "Allah."

Dome.

- Although we did not see actual whirling dervishes, I did see mannequins dressed up as dervishes, showing visitors how they lived back in the day when the Sufi order was more active. Among the rooms, the kitchen was the most revered. It is said that Sufi dervishes are "made" in the kitchen, as they enter the order through the kitchen and even when they die, they are cleansed in the kitchen. The Sufi kitchen is normally one of the largest rooms of the lodge, and is where most dervishes learn the ways of the order. Discipline is also learned through kitchen tasks.

Mannequins showing how dervishes learned the ways of the order in the kitchen.

Novice dervish learning how to do the sema (the whirling ceremony.)

A dervish in his room.

Simple, cozy accommodations.

- The Mevlana Museum also provides a good view of the Selimiye Mosque behind it, built by Ottoman ruler Sultan Selim II. It was built in the 1500s, and is still a functional mosque today.

Selimmiye Mosque.

Left: Mevlana Museum, right: Selimiye Mosque.

Since we didn't see the whirling dervishes there, I was fortunate enough to have a photo with a dervish statue.

- After leaving the museum area, we had another few hours' drive before our bus stopped for a restroom/snack break. Unlike most stops for using the toilet or buying snacks (and sometimes souvenirs too,) I was pleasantly surprised to behold the Sultan Hani Caravanserai across our stop. I didn't bother going in since I knew that it was quite empty (and I had limited time too,) but the exterior itself was a sight to behold. A caravanserai is a stopover for caravans (hence the name,) and in today's parlance, we could call this a "roadside inn." The Sultan Hani Caravanserai, built in 12th-century Seljuk-era Turkey, is one of Turkey's best preserved caravanserais from the Seljuk Era. 

Sultan Hani Caravanserai.

View from the entrance. The rectangular-shaped building inside is a small mosque. 

This ornamental honeycomb-like carving is called a "muqarna," and has origins in Persian and perhaps north-African architecture. Many Persian-influenced cultures from West, Central, and South Asia may have muqarnas in their buildings. 

Wall carving.

Christmas glow up - literally.

- That evening, we finally reached a favorite destination among many tourists - Cappadocia. Though it was already too dark to appreciate this land of caves, underground cities, and "fairy chimneys" by the time we reached Cappadocia, I had the next day to see the otherworldly beauty of Cappadocia!!

- Don't forget to read about my other adventures in Turkey:

Part 1, Troy and the Trojan Horse: here

Part 2, Virgin Mary's House and Ephesus: here

Part 3, Laodicea on the Lycus and the Alien Travertines: here

Part 5, Cappadocia: here

Part 6, Istanbul's Royal Old Town: here

Part 7, Istanbul Between Continents: here

Part 8, Istanbul's Secrets: here

Part 9, Istanbul on New Year's Eve: here