Istanbul

Emily and I in Hagia Sophia

What we studied

While in Istanbul, we visited a lot of mosques and spent a lot of time in the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market. I was looking forward to seeing Hagia Sophia the most, because it is one we have studied often in our classes. It was the first on our schedule of the many mosques to see when we arrived. We studied a lot of forms for the mosques, but what stood out the most was the transformations of the mosques. Specifically in the Hagia Sophia, it was most impressive to see how it transformed from a Christian icon, into an Islamic one. I saw a quote that reminded me most of these transformations in the hotel, "Istanbul, the place where the history of three empires were written. This magical city was created like a jewel in the hands of history."

view of the Blue Mosque from our hotel

Turkish man who sold me a scarf in the Bazaar

Shop in bazaar that I got tiles from

How we interacted

Although none of us knew any Turkish before arriving in Turkey, it was really easy to communicate and interact the people. Many of them knew English very well, especially in the markets or in the restaurants. In Rome, many people speak English, however they are not always happy to. In Istanbul, everyone was happy to speak to us which made interacting much easier and much more fun. We had someone to show us all around the Bazaar and to take us to the best shops. It was very interesting to spend time in the Bazaar and even seeing more than just shops, like the Hans, which is where the merchants used to stay. Learning more about their history was one of my favorite parts about the trip. I know I want to go back to learn and see more. It is a lot like Rome, with many layers to discover.