View of Blue Mosque from Hotel Terrace

Our start to the day was much more relaxed than our first day in Istanbul. The jetlag, unfortunately, is definitely making itself known amongst the group. Some of us had a little trouble adjusting to the time difference last night—a couple of us were wide awake at 7, 6, even 5am. Being awake at that hour definitely had its benefits, though, as I was able to hear the call to prayer for salat al-fajr, or “prayer of the dawn.” It was a beautiful thing to hear during the sacred stillness that is so characteristic of the early hours of dawn. Indeed, it’s the degree of religiosity here in Istanbul that has struck me the most since arriving. Read more

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Rumeli Fortress with Gloria Kebirungi ’15 in the foreground

Rumeli Fortress is a beautiful castle located in the city of Istanbul on the European side of the Bosphorus.  Rumeli was built by Sultan Mehmed II. It was built on the opposite side of the Anadolihisari, the narrowest place of Bosphorus in order to control sea traffic and to conquer Istanbul which was then Constantinople.

It was built between 1451 and 1452 to prevent aid from the Black Sea to reach Constantinople in 1453 particularly from the Genoese colonies. This grand fortress was built in a period of four months! Read more

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Ephesus is an amazing city of Roman ruins. I was instantly transported back to my childhood when me and my friends would read about Ancient Greece and Rome in our history classes and then in the afternoon play-act in an imaginary world of gods and goddesses and temples. This ruinous city in Turkey was for me an imagined nostalgia*–I’ve seen so many pictures and pretended so many times that I lived in Rome and consorted with Artemis and Apollo that being in Ephesus didn’t feel strange and new, it felt amazingly old and familiar. Not that I wasn’t awed and breath-taken, but in my childhood imagination I’d been there many times before, that this place of the ancient past somehow also felt like my past. Read more

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On Tuesday evening Galatasaray, a Turkish soccer team, squared off against a German team, Shalke, in the 2nd game of their two game series. Since the first game ended in a 1-1 tie, the winner would advance closer to the Champion’s League Championship therefore making quite an important game not only for Galatasaray fans but for just about any Turk considering it isn’t every day a Turkish team makes it this far in the Champion’s League playoffs. Read more

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First off I need to say “Hi Mom, I’m still alive.” I was just told today you have been following these posts religiously so I finally gave in and decided to write my own blog post. As our last night in the hotel begins, I think I can look back and I’ve a fond recollection of my times here in Turkey. But, lets begin with what everyone wants to hear about, especially my mother, the food. Read more

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Ruins.

There are ruins absolutely everywhere, and I’m absolutely giddy about it. We need to get some of these back in America, because I (and I’m sure many others) have had such an amazing time exploring the history, the culture, and the stories that go along with all of them. Each block of marble has a story to tell it seems, and there’s no end to the marble in this country side. Read more

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Wow! What can I say about my time in Turkey thus far? This trip has at the same time been inspiring and enthralling; it has found me deep in thought at times, and at others it has seen me bounding from ancient ruin to ancient ruin like an elementary school child on a playground. I never could have imagined such a diverse array of sights and emotions coming from this trip, but I am confident in saying I am very glad that Turkey was able to offer such contrast. Read more

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Yesterday we left the beautiful city of Istanbul to explore another new and exciting part of Turkey- the Aegean Coast. The day started early with a ferry ride from Istanbul to the other side of the Sea of Marmara. It was a calm ride and we enjoyed a collection of Turkish snacks that Rabbi Dena collected from the bazaars in Istanbul. Some highlights included olives, REAL string cheese, and Simit, a ring like pretzel coated in sesame seeds. Read more

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To stand in Acropolis – a city alternatively ruled by the Greeks, the Romans, and the Turks over thousands of years – and internalize the sheer humanity that has manifested itself here is overwhelming. Looking around at the ruins,  a Greek band of soldiers bending their heads in front of the altar of Zeus making way for a Roman merchant lugging up a new set of exotic supplies for the king who marvels at a Turkish boy throwing stones in the river, is all almost palpable. As the wind whistles by, the whole time-space canvas of the city comes alive, from pusillanimous kings who desperately cling to a legacy that has long abandoned them to overreaching empires that have crumbled under the yoke of time leaving behind only the faintest of architectural signatures to people of different creeds and eras who fought over and joked about the same small things we still fight over and joke about. Read more

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Yesterday we had the chance to sail along the Bosphorus Strait. This was one of the most interesting experiences for me since coming to Istanbul. Knowing that this was one of the most important waterways in the world, taking oil from the Black Sea to the Aegean and eventually the Mediterranean. Knowing that is such a politically important location made the trip that much more intriguing to me. And the funny thing is once we were in there, you didn’t notice it. It was just a regular old boat ride. Although it rained, and there were some choppy waters at times, it was a wonderful experience.

Seeing Istanbul from the Coast I got a sense of the sheer size of the city. Having an estimated population of around 15 million people, Istanbul stands as one of the biggest cities in the world. Along the way we passed under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, which we were told is the seventeenth longest suspension bridge in the world, and a number of former sultans palaces, which I am looking to put an offer in on soon. Our first stop was Rumelihisarı, a fortress built by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II. Within 20 minutes we were sailed over to the Asian side of Istanbul (parts of the city are geographically both in Europe and Asia). With that five minute visit we were able to say we traveled to two continents in a day!

On that we began our return trip to solid land. On the way Chris took control of our boat for a little while as we sailed through the Strait. Glad to say we made it back in one piece and dry! Most of us at least.

The next day we tested our bargaining skills at the Grand Bazaar. I have been told I am pretty good at it. Becca and Lindsey even asked me to help them with a couple purchases!

Goodbye from Europe! Or Asia?

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This afternoon, we had free time to shop at the famous Grand Bazaar. As a Jersey girl, shopping is in my DNA, and I had been looking forward to this opportunity all week. Luckily, the Bazaar didn’t disappoint. With over 3000 shops, it was easy enough to get lost and spend (almost) all of my Turkish Liras. In one day, it’s estimated that the Bazaar attracts anywhere from 250,000 to 400,000 shoppers. Some of us turned out to be better bargainers than others, but it was definitely an experience to say the least.

Check out our tweets about the bazaar – www.twitter.com/gate2turkey

We had our final group dinner in Istanbul at a restaurant near our hotel and then got the night off to hang out in the city. Every TV in the city was tuned to the big soccer (AKA football) game between Galata Saray, one of Istanbul’s teams, and Schalke, a German club team. We ended the night with some “Desserts with Dena” and then hit the hay early as our trip to Izmir tomorrow starts at 6 AM.

From Turkey with love,
Lindsey

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We’re going to try to post a series of very brief lectures by Professor Noor Khan on various aspects of Turkey. Here’s the first, on the history of the Turkish language.

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Let me begin on the behalf of the group by expressing our deep sorrow at the news of the tragic death of fellow Colgate student Luke Stalker ’14. We are keeping him and his loved ones in our prayers and thoughts, especially throughout our current time of reflection and exploration of faith.

And in the vein of exploration, today was another whirlwind day…but, of course, in the best way possible! Included among our adventures today were a cruise on the Bosphorus (the straits that wind through Istanbul), setting foot on the Asian side of the city (my first time even touching the continent, as it was for many of us!), and lunch along the waterside, as well as visiting the Rumeli Fortress (built by Sultan Mehmed II, conqueror of the city in 1453), the Neve Shalom Synagogue, and Galata Tower, from which we saw quite the panoramic views…particularly cool to see the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia and the places that we have visited thus far from up high, amidst the fantastic backdrop of the seemingly endless sprawl of this city of 13 million.

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5:20 AM and the adhan (call to prayer) for Fajr prayer can be heard from Sultanahmet Mosque (the Blue Mosque) as I lay sleeping in my hotel room. As it begins to waken me, I, almost instinctively (as if this is something I am used to) am suddenly energized by the realization that I must get up and head to prayer. The jet lag and fatigue of a long first day were all forgotten, and I was just excited to have been awoken by an actual adhan for the first time in my life! Little did I know however, that I was going to embark on my first authentic Turkish experience! Read more

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Our morning started off with a traditional Turkish breakfast composed of: a hard boiled egg, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and cheese; with this meal we were energized to begin our day in the city of Istanbul. One of our many stops was at the museum of Hagia Sophia. Originally a basilica, this mosque would be the fourth largest basilica in the world. Containing one of the largest domes, Hagia Sophia’s structure is reinforced with these flying buttresses. It’s walls are mainly made of marble but due to its age and many restorations some of them have been made to resemble marble as closely as possible.

As Hagia Sophia transitioned into a Mosque many of the Christian icons were covered to accommodate the new religion that would find a home in this structure. Right above the middle window there is a clear example of a faded cross under the current wall design of Hagia Sophia.

The amount of history that is held within this building is unbelievable and as our tour guide Volkan explained more details about the mosaics I couldn’t help but to simply stop and admire the great view from above. Thousands of people walk through this hallways and admire these paintings and we are a lucky bunch who will be able to say that our Art History textbooks came to life on this trip. So far Turkey has received us with open arms and we are extremely lucky to have amazing tour guides and leaders who are embracing the city with such enthusiasm and energy as we are.

As our time in Hagia Sophia came to an end we stopped and paused for a group photo on the way out. Some of our group members were still taking their last photos and admiring the Mosque but the few that were around gave their toothiest smile.

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It was a long day here with the Interfaith Group. We started the day on the airplane, ten long hours flying over the Atlantic Ocean, and then the entire European continent. Our landing went smoothly, leaving the airport less so. We met up with our tour guide Isaiah, and our guide for the next two days, Volkan. Unfortunately, though, one of our members had his luggage lost, and the process for filing a report form took longer than expected.

Eventually, we left the airport in the company of Volkan and Isaiah, and proceeded to tour around parts of the outskirts of Istanbul. We visited the Kariye Museum, a Byzantine-era church that overlooked the majority of the old city, a breathtaking view that has inspired pilgrimages and visitations for centuries. The mosaics and frescos that line the walls and ceilings were simply amazing to behold. We at lunch at a little cafe right behind the church, then moved on to the beautiful Eyup Mosque near the water, arriving just as prayer began. The combination of awe-inspiring architecture and witnessing the beauty of prayer made it a highlight of the trip.

We ate dinner at an outdoor restaurant near our hotel, which served trays of meat and vegetables, served around flaming center pieces. We then spent the evening exploring the city in small groups, window shopping and sightseeing around the area of the city where we were staying. In all, this was a long, interesting and funny day that set the stage well for the week to come.

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Our journey started bright and early Friday morning with a 5 AM departure on the Birnie Bus from Hamilton. I don’t know what people were more excited about–the fact that we were finally going to Turkey or that Rabbi Dena brought us Dunkin Donuts for the bus ride. Through heavy snowfall we drove to JFK and then proceeded to fly directly to Istanbul.

I wish I could give a more riveting account of the plane ride, but somewhere over the Atlantic I completely passed out. My brain was definitely still recovering from the two midterms and research paper I had earlier this week, so when I wasn’t sleeping, my eyes were glued on the personal TV in front of me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Turkish Airlines for having such profound, thought-provoking, classic movies to choose from , but I watched none of them. Instead, Miss Congeniality, John Tucker Must Die, New Year’s Eve, and Black Swan made my plane ride survivable.

It felt so good to finally stretch our legs upon landing. We arrived around 7 AM local time, got our Visas and luggage, and started our quest to find Turkish coffee before proceeding with the day’s itinerary.

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We’ve cooked.  We’ve drummed.  We’ve learned.  We’ve sung.  We’ve eaten.

And we’re leaving in 25 days.

On March 8, 2013, 19 Colgate students will embark on the interfaith adventure of a lifetime: a chapel-sponsored trip to Turkey, to explore the ancient sites of some of our religious traditions.

Follow our journey.

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