Day 2 in Istanbul, Turkey

After a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, we wandered over to the Archaeology Museum.  The museum is really 3 museums in several different buildings.  The majority was closed for renovations, but we were fascinated by what we were able to see.  We started in the Ancient Oriental Museum which was initiated by Osman Hamdi Bey.  There are thousands of artifacts from pre-islamic Arabian Peninsula, Mesopotamia, Egypt and Anatolia.  Here's an interesting side note:  on a sign about the Late Hittite period (9th Century BC), one of the words caught my eye, "aslan," which translates to "lion" in English.  So, did C.S. Lewis "borrow" this name?  Things that make you ponder!  One of the gems we saw was the earliest known parity peace treaty, the Kadesh Treaty (1269 BC).  The cuneiform script is very tiny!

We did learn that the Neanderthal culture did burials.  A cave was discovered in Anatolia that contained bones and articles for the Afterlife.  From this amazing place, we went to the Tiled Kiosk Museum.  The building is the only sample of Civic Ottoman Architecture built with Seljukian impression in Istanbul.  Inside were many exhibits displaying the unique styles of Seljuk and Ottoman tile and pottery.  There was a sherbet strainer from the late 18th to 19th century.  Sherbet is Turkish for a drink prepared from fruits or flower petals.  So, one needs to strain out the bits before drinking!  After admiring the tile and pottery, we ventured over to the Archaeology Museum.  We lost several hours inside!  Saw exhibits on pre-historic era, Greek Roman era, Byzantine era, Troia, Anatolia during the Troia age, Phrygia, plus "Surrounding Cultures of Anatolia:  Syria, Palestine and Cyprus."  We left the museums about 2 pm with brains overloaded.  Paula did a bit of shopping; bought a scarf to cover her head while visiting a mosque.  After the quick purchase, we had lunch at a kebab shop.  Very yummy!  Feeling a bit refreshed from our meal, we decided to do a quick walk through the Blue Mosque.

  Paula donned the head scarf and removed shoes and in we went.  The interior has the most magnificent blue mosaic tiles!  Time to head back to the hotel for a respite from crowds and the cold wind.  Another side note:  everyone wants to sell us carpets!  "Don't worry, I'm not a tour guide.  Please come to my shop and look at my carpets!"  We just smile and "No, thank you" and we keep moving on!  We did meet one carpet salesman whose fiancee is attending Seattle University law school!