Getaway Memories: Day 1

23 Nov 2009, 6.30 am Istanbul time, flight MH 030 arrived at Ataturk Airport, Istanbul from KLIA, Malaysia. My aunt, her family & my brother headed to immigration counter to show their passports and exit, while my father, mother, my kids & I waited... before the immigration counter, for my husband to arrive from Ashgabat scheduled at 9.00 am. We anxiously opened our ears to any flight arrival announcements, unfortunately, at 9+ am, still no announcements. 9.30 am, still nothing. We assumed flight delay, but the waiting seemed forever. Then at 10+ am, my father called my uncle who could see the flight arrival schedule and mentioned that flight from Ashgabat just landed. *phewww* So we finally met my husband and off we went to start our exciting journey in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923).

We were greeted by a coordinator for our transport, courtesy of my husband's friend, a Turkish local who works at his office. We headed in 3 taxis to Anatolia Suites (where my parents, brother & aunt were booked for) and Tashkonak Hotel (for my own family).

After a brief rest, we headed around Sultanahmet town by foot. We passed by Arasta Bazaar, just looking around the little shops there. Things which caught my attention were the Turkish upholstery, ornaments, hats & shoes. But we were not thinking of shopping yet. We went for lunch instead at a restaurant recommended by the Hotel, famous for its meatballs.

After lunch, we went to the famous landmark, the Blue Mosque. We took pictures in and out of the mosque, outside Ayasofya Museum which was also nearby, had some of the local bread & snacks in between, then the last stop for the day was the Sunken Palace (Underground Museum).

A brief info on the Blue Mosque: Also known as the ''Sultan Ahmed Mosque'', it is the national mosque of Turkey, and is a historical mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has become one of the greatest tourist attractions of Istanbul.

Here are our amatur photos of the Blue Mosque...

A professional photo...

Photos of our visit to the Sunken Palace and a bit of info: Yerebatan Saray, or the Sunken Palace is an underground cistern including impressive remains of the Byzantine network of waterways, built to supply fresh water to the inhabitants of Constantinople over 1000 years ago. The cistern has 336 illuminated Corinthian columns which rise nearly 30 feet to support arches and domes. Built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD, the materials used were taken from even older buildings. Strolling through the haunting space, remember that the stones may have come from a Greek temple or Roman house.