R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 18

Istanbul — Touring Topkapi; The Palace Harem

Topkapi Palace architectural detail

Today we’ll attempt to get past the imperial eunuch guards and sneak into Imperial Harem in Topkapi Palace. Housed within this 400-room complex were the Valide Sultan (sultan’s mother), wives, concubines (like a wife, only with lower upfront costs and much cheaper monthly payments), as well as their servants. In charge of both the administration and guarding of the harem were the Imperial Harem’s famous black eunuchs. And overseeing the black eunuchs was th...

Istanbul — Touring Topkapi; Jade and Jewels

Mughal-style throne — A gift from Nader Shah to the Ottoman Empire

This week and the next two we will continue our look at Topkapi Palace and its treasures. Today I present more of the fine artifacts contained in the Imperial Treasury, but this time with an emphasis on jade over gemstones. In last Wednesday’s article I stated that Ottoman sultans appeared to have an affinity for emeralds because green is associated in Islam with the Prophet Muhammad. Well, emerald isn’t the only precious gem ...

Fun Food and Photo Friday — Istanbul Favorites and Dining on Balik Ekmek Beneath the Galata Bridge,

Beneath the Galata Bridge lie many restuarants specializing in balik ekmek and other delights

One of our favorite things to do in Istanbul is to head on over to the Galata Bridge for balik ekmek. These tasty fish sandwiches are generally affordable, and the restuarants offer great views of the Golden Horn and, on the east side of the bridge, the Bosporus. Welcome to today’s combination Fun Photo Friday/Fun Food Friday, where I will share with you our lunch this past 21 April, as well as some ...

Istanbul — Touring Topkapi; Emeralds and Gold

A belt of emeralds fit for a sultan

The Conqueror’s Pavillion inside Topkapi’s third courtyard houses treasures from the Imperial Treasury. Here you will find some magnificent examples of Ottoman Empire jewelry and outright opulence. Getting inside may take a wait, as the crowds are metered in and, once inside, you are ushered through the narrow spaces at the beginning of the exhibit. But if you’re into gold and precious stones, particularly emeralds, it’s definitely worth the short wait.

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Istanbul — Touring Topkapi; Entering the Grounds

Topkapı Palace (Turkish: Topkapı Sarayı)

You would think that in all the times Ursula and I have visited Istanbul, we would’ve at least once before managed to hit the world-famous Topkapi Palace in the Fatih District. But, nope, never have… until our April visit this year. And since on prior visits we’d already seen the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Basilica Cisterns, we ran out of excuses to miss this wonderful place. Locals will tell you that you only need couple hours to see it all. B...

Fun Photo Friday — Istanbul; Bosporus Favorites

Istanbul Wedding Boats 2024

The image above is a repeat of sorts. I took a very similar photo of these wedding boats way back in 2011. Here’s that image from 2011:

Istanbul Wedding Boats 2011

Now for today’s Fun Photo Friday images of Istanbul favorites:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

Istanbul — Finishing Our Bosporus/Golden Horn Cruise and Exploring the Galata Bridge Area

Istanbul panoramic taken from the Bosporus

Today I’m still covering our 21 April 2024 tour upon the Bosporus Strait and into the Golden Horn. But this time I’m showing the trip back toward the Galata Bridge as our tour boat reversed course, traded sides of the strait, and headed southwest. Toward the end of today’s article I’ll show you the area around the south end of the Galata Bridge, which Ursula and I visited after disembarking from the tour boat.

Map of the Bosporus Strait and the Go...

Istanbul — Cruising the Bosporus and the Golden Horn

Istanbul ferry plying the Bosporus Strait; Çamlıca Transmission Tower in the background

You’ll see a lot in Istanbul if you just take one of the many tour boats traversing the Bosporus and the Golden Horn. The Bosporus (also spelled Bosphorus) is a strategic strait of vital importance. It separates not only the Mediterranean (via the Aegean and Marmara seas) from the Black Sea, but also Europe from Asia.

Bosporus and Golden Horn (Google Maps)

Ursula and I have done this voyage before, so...

First Look: Smith and Wesson’s new Bodyguard 2.0 TS

Smith & Wesson’s new Bodyguard 2.0

Ursula and I made a recent stop at my favorite local gun store, Collector’s Gun Exchange. As I was perusing the shop, focusing mainly upon the more collectible firearms, salesman Cameron was playing around with a neat little pistol that had just arrived a very few hours earlier. He handed it over to me and asked what I thought of it. My first impression upon feeling the weight and noting the diminutive size was, is this a .22? Nope. It was the new Smith and ...

Fun Food and Photo Friday — Istanbul Favorites and TuR DÖNER for Döner Kebab

TuR DÖNER

What’s that old saying? Oh, yeah. When in Türkiye, eat Turkish. And döner kebab is about as Turkish as it gets. Located approximately three minutes, via foot, from our hotel in the Sultanahmet District of Istanbul was what appeared to be a local favorite — TuR DÖNER. How good was this place. Well, I didn’t know it at the time, but 559 Google reviewers give it an average 4.9 rating. I just looked that up for this article, and I have to concur with that extraordinarily high rating. B...