With a good majority of the tourist sites taken in (with the help of our travel guide book), we decided to go a little off the beaten path for our second last day in Istanbul. We hopped on a bus at Taksim Square, showed the driver where we want to go on our map, and he promised to give us a signal when we had arrived. This was our first experience of road traffic (since we had successfully managed to avoid taking a cab once during the entire trip), and it was kind of exciting! We even caught a glimpse of an ancient aqueduct that wasn't even mentioned in my book (perhaps the aqueduct bringing water to the Basilica Cistern?)
After about 30 minutes on the bus we arrived at our destination - Kariye Muzesi (Kariye Museum). Admission: $15 TL.
This tiny 11th century church is home to frescoes and mosaics dating back to the mid 1300s, considered by some historians to be the finest surviving Byzantine art. When the church was converted to a mosque in 1511, all of the artwork was plastered over (as it is forbidden to represent the human form in Islamic art). Even the remaining sculptural elements had the faces (and, hands) removed or vandalized.
Since this museum was a fair distance from downtown, there were very few tourists, which made it even more enjoyable. It was remarkable how well the artwork had been preserved by the plaster - the details were incredible.
For the rest of the day, we simply walked around the Fener district, which became the "sanctuary" to the Greeks in Istanbul after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. After climbing some pretty steep cobblestone roads (like the one above), we managed to find St. Mary of Mongols Church. This tiny, unassuming church is the only remaining, functioning Greek Orthodox church that was not converted into a mosque, by special decree of Mehmet II. We were the only ones there, and actually had to ring for the caretaker, who gave us a private tour. The most amazing part was the entrance to a secret underground tunnel below the floor that once led all the way to Hagia Sophia (over 3km away!) No photos were allowed.
We also passed the oldest Greek school is Istanbul, which looks more like something out of Harry Potter. Sadly it was no open to the public, but you could hear children laughing and playing in back.
And the final stop in Fener was the Greek Patriarchate - kind of the like the Vatican for Greek Orthodoxy. It was a busy place, with an traditional Greek baptism happening at the altar. It didn't feel appropriate to take photos, but it was amazing to experience - a Christian baptism taking place in a country where Christianity is not the majority.
This day really was more about absorbing the sights and sounds of real life in Istanbul. Men washing their rugs, women shouting produce orders from their 4th floor window down to the truck below, children kicking with soccer balls in the street...it may be a vacation for us, but this is also where real people live. And even though their way of life may seem different to our Western sensibilities, it is not wrong. It is just different.
Our day was rounded out at a stunning cafe called Markiz Patisserie (172A Istiklal Ave.), which had two huge, unbelievable Art Nouveau tile panels by French artist J.A. Arnoux. Apparently, there was a panel for each of the four seasons, but only 2 remain today. Magnifique!
And then, Tuesday was over. Another great day.
