The harem was located in Topkapi, containing the quarters of 1,000 women at any given point in time. The women were subject to being summoned to serve as the sultan's concubines and were guarded by black slave enuchs. The entire history is quite fascinating.
We have a couple of issues we are trying to get resolved with our apartment. The apartment is fantastic (I have attached some pictures) but it is also not in the US so there are some anomalies that one would not expect in the US. Nowhere in Istanbul has central air conditioning. Our apartment has a window unit for the master bedroom. However, it seems to have stopped working. The rest of the apartment is cooled only by the breezes. This generally works because it is on two floors and is like a long tunnel and when windows are opened on both ends the winds blows through like a funnel. However, in the hottest part of the day, that is a hot wind or if there is no breeze, it can get hot. Also, due to having the windows open, the boys have gotten some bug bites. Anyway, we are working with the landlord to resolve these issues and all in all we are happy with the apartment which has its own elevator, a large kitchen and a large deck with incredible views of Istanbul that cannot be done justice in a photo.
After getting up, we walked down Istiklal towards the Tunel funicular that would take us to the Galatsaray Bridge where we could catch the tram to Topkapi. On the way, we walked through an area where little stores were selling all kinds of power tools and even things like tillers, right in the middle of the most urban part of the city. In that our apartment had been hot, I remarked to Fariba that there had to be a little section where guys would be selling fans. We stopped by a shop where a guy had a fan blowing. I pointed at the fan and asked where could I buy one, using all the body language I could muster. He said "left, then right" and sure enough there were six stores next to each other with all selling nothing but fans. We priced the fans and found out that the guy closed at 7 and told him we would be back after Topkapi.
We caught the tram to Topkapi. It was packed as always. The tram is air conditioned and I am beginning to think that some people ride around on it just to cool off. Though the highs are in the low to mid 80's, it seems a lot hotter unless we are next to the river. We got to the gardens next to Topkapi and got off and walked the park and on up to the palace. We paid the 25 lira per person admission and the extra 15 lira to see the Harem. The harem is worth the extra 15 lira as it seems preserved in its original state. It even includes a mating room in which the sultan could romp with his concubines.
There are tremendous views of the Golden Horn from the palace. After the palace, we went to the Hagia Sophia or Aya Sophia built as a church in 537. It is one of the eight wonders of the world and the is understandable considering when it was built. It sits cross a large plaza from the Blue Mosque and is a stunning piece of architecture.
After the Sofia, we went to our favorite little restaurant nearby. It is the only place we have seen where they serve both beer and hookah. All the other hookah places do not serve alcohol. Fariba and Troy enjoyed a beer while Darius had a Fanta and I had a tea and smoked hookah with Troy. We just chilled out at the restaurant and watched the passing crowds with the dome of the Hagia Sofia in the background, live Turkish music playing the whole time! Our waiter approached me and Troy later and asked if we wanted some hashish for the hookah but we figured we better pass!
While we were sitting there on the deck that adjoins the sidewalk, some people came up and started taking video of the musicians. It was clear the people did not intend to eat at the restaurant. The manager got up in their faces and ran them off; quite entertaining. I hate I didn't get it on video!
We left in time to catch the tram and go buy a couple of fans. We got to the underground labyrinth of stores where the fan stores were located. We found the one we wanted and negotiated a good price and then told the guy we wanted two for a better price per fan. He did not come down enough so we started to leave and then he hollered that he would meet our final price halfway and so we did the deal. We lugged the two fans onto the Tunel where a guy was playing beautiful Turkish music with the help of the cave like quality of the Tunel giving a reverb to the acoustics.
We walked up Istiklal with our fans and returned to the apartment to put them together using knives as screwdrivers. It was successful and our apartment was instantly cooler.
We had made reservations for 5 Kat, a modern restuarant with an unmatched view of the Bosphorus, the Asian side and the first bridge from its fifth floor vista. We got a little lost on the way as we walked through a bohemian neighborhood filled with tea shops and dusty antique shops. Once we got there we took the elevator to the top and then up a spiral staircase to see an incredible view and a packed restaurant. Our table had been held for us and it was, again, the best table in the house with an unmatched view. We dined on more western style chef driven cuisine and watched the fireworks from above, looking down the Bosphorus. It was truly incredible and again something that cannot be fully captured on pictures.
We enjoyed the walk back and spent some time catching up on email as we are seven hours ahead of Mooresville. I cannot state enough that Istanbul should be a must see on any traveler's list. It is truly a fascinating city and a mixture of east and west and a place where one can learn that there are many layers to Muslim culture and society beyond those understood by most Americans.
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