May 8th:
The Blue Mosque through one of the entrances
May 9th: 2nd Day of student-led itinerary
Once again I got the group of Alicia, Kristine. Lara, and Marla. We started at the Modern Art Museum, which was, once again, a really great museum. Though it wasn't my favorite museum in Turkey, it was fro a couple of my girls. After that we headed to Dolmabahce Palace (I have no idea how to pronounce it), the last home of the Sultans, and the place of death for the father of Modern Turkey, Ataturk.
On the way I saw this Mosque, surrounded by modern buildings. In some ways, this photo symbolizes Ataturk and his party's rule, as secularism attempted to crowd out Islam. It only worked to some degree, and, in fact, may have backfired, as the religious party, AKP, has become more and more popular in the 10 years of their control of parliament.
Dolmabahce Mosque
Next to Dolmabahce Palace is Domabahce Mosque (it is neither fun to spell or pronounce). The girls hesitantly asked if they could go inside (it wasn't on their itinerary plan). Before this trip started and throughout the trip, we have been encouraging the students to "expand their comfort zone" and take a few risks. Going in the mosque when it wasn't on your written itinerary - deviating from the plan - is definitely a risk for some people. (It reminds me how difficult it is to ask some Evergreen students to estimate, instead of give exact answers - it makes them very uncomfortable, even though it may be the math skill most used throughout their lives.) Stepping through the front door when you are not invited in is also a risk.
Next to Dolmabahce Palace is Domabahce Mosque (it is neither fun to spell or pronounce). The girls hesitantly asked if they could go inside (it wasn't on their itinerary plan). Before this trip started and throughout the trip, we have been encouraging the students to "expand their comfort zone" and take a few risks. Going in the mosque when it wasn't on your written itinerary - deviating from the plan - is definitely a risk for some people. (It reminds me how difficult it is to ask some Evergreen students to estimate, instead of give exact answers - it makes them very uncomfortable, even though it may be the math skill most used throughout their lives.) Stepping through the front door when you are not invited in is also a risk.
A beautiful mosque, worth the risk.
Dolmabahce Palace
This photo was not posed. I turned around, and there they were, all shooting the same picture.
Of this gate
Dolmabahce
Palace (excerpted from Marla's report)
Historical Significance
The palace was designed
by Ottoman-Armenian architects Karabet and Nikogos Balian. When it was
finished, in 1856, the imperial family moved out of archaic Topkapi Palace to
live in the European-style luxury that the Dolmabahce Palace embodied. The
palace then served as the administrative center of the
late Ottoman Empire, in addition to a residence.
Following the
establishment of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk transferred all
government affairs to the capital, Ankara. No longer a residence, the palace
was used as a stage for international guests
and conferences.
The Dolmabahce palace
holds great significance for Turkish people, since their supreme leader,
Ataturk, passed away in this palace on November 10, 1938 at 9:05 AM, precisely. As a Tribute to Ataturk all of the
palace’s clocks are stopped at this time.
The Dolmabahce Palace
symbolizes the grandeur and decline of the 19th-century Ottoman Empire, along
with the immortality of Ataturk’s legacy.
Alicia at an ancient faucet just outside the public restrooms.
My 4 girls "napping" together on the lawn outside the palace.
Cable car on the top of Beyoglu district, the area of Galata Tower, across the water from Sultanahmet, the historic district
Beyoglu seems to me to be the financial district and the up-and-coming hip district. It contains Istiklal street, which on the busiest days may have as many as 3 million shoppers. In the heart of Beyoglu are all these tiny, winding streets, where I saw this line of laundry strung over the street between to buildings.
It also contains Galata Tower.
Galata
Tower
(excerpted from George's report)
History:
Galata
tower is a stone tower that lies in the Galata district of Istanbul. It is a
high tower that is one of the highest in old Istanbul. Galata tower is nine stories
tall and was Istanbul’s tallest tower when it was built. It is 35 meters above
sea level. Galata tower was built in 1348 as
part of the fortifications around Galata. In the Ottoman period, it was used as
a fire-spotting tower. In 1875, the conic room was destroyed in a storm, later
to be rebuilt in the 1960s.
View from the top
Another view
Even a laundry shot from the top
Around the base of the tower is a park-like area. I saw all these young men hanging out on top of an ancient wall.
After our lunch atop Galata tower, these students, who I used to love so much, put me through "living hell" as they had to enter every cute shop for the next hour (shopping is not my favorite thing to do) on our way down the hill to the bridge.
Outside a shop across from Galata tower
We met Melanie, our headmaster's daughter again, who took us to one of her favorite fish restaurants. Melanie is posing in front of her new apartment.
I just liked this image of the old, run down house and the flowers
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