adrian65
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Post by adrian65 on Sept 30, 2014 5:45:19 GMT -5
Hello, everyone! Earlier this summer, I noticed on Facebook Ed was mentioning about his planned trip to Turkey. My first thought was to convince him to pay me a visit, while he would be so close to our place. But he told me his schedule is going to be pretty tight and already set, so he couldn't come to Bucharest. Well, bearing this in mind, I still would't want to miss the occasion to meet Ed again. So, we decided it would be us (Ina and me) to visit Istanbul while Ed would be there. And so we did, about two weeks ago we drove to Istanbul (630 km drive, 8 hours) to the hotel where we were booking (very close to Ed's hotel). Now, that you know the story behind, please enjoy some photos from our meeting and also from some monuments in Istanbul. We firstly met in the evening, to a restaurant. Ed was accompanied by his lovely wife Susan, and also by Susan's sister and her husband.   Cheers for some memorable moments!   Next day in the morning we joined again Ed's group and visited some interesting places. Firstly, the Blue Mosque. Here's an outside view...  ... and a view from inside, with Ina, Susan and her sister, Colette:  Another view from inside the Blue Mosque - the main dome:  Then we visited a shop where they sold objects made of Turkish blue calcedony. We also had the luck of being able to buy one rough piece, both Ed and me (here's a link to what I bought from there: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/67868/turkish-calchedony ). Here's the owner of the shop, holding a very specially shaped chalcedony piece:  We also went together on a boat trip on Bosphorus Strait. Here's Ed on the boat:  I am also adding some other pictures from Istanbul, if you'd like to see. Pictures taken during the boat trip on Bosphorus strait:   Suleymanie Mosque (built by Sultan Suleiman the Magnifficent - in the fifteen hundereds):  View over Istanbul:  Aghia Sophia (St. Sophia) - a monument built before Istanbul was conquered by the Turks in 14 hundereds. In fact it's much older (some 4th century) but pretty well preserved. Of course the minarettes (slim towers) were added later by the turks when they turned it into a mosque. Now it's not a mosk, it's a museum.  The inside of Aghia Sophia:  Same place - the dome:  An underground water tank (built very long ago but in use as water tank till very recently, then turned into a museum):  Thank you for looking everyone. Ed, THANK YOU for being there and for making this meeting possible. You only had two days to visit Istanbul and you spent quite a long time from those two days with us. We will cherish these moments forever and we already look forward to meet you again. Ed, please feel welcome to post your pictures here. Adrian |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2014 8:17:49 GMT -5
Thanks for taking the time to show us your wonderful trip.
I was surprised by the opulence there but I should have guessed it because it is a very old city. It was a city way before America was a country. I can remember back when I was in high school and reading about places like Istanbul. At that time it was an exotic place where there was a lot of mystery and a lot of cloak and dagger stuff going on. Great to see the real thing and get a better perspective of the place.
It must be quite a tourist spot now because there was a very large crowd of people in front of the last museum.
Jim
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Post by kk on Sept 30, 2014 9:16:38 GMT -5
Wow, there is huge damage to the side-domes. The last time I visited Aghia Sophia was in 88 and the domes where in great shape at the time. Looks like it has become a real attraction judging by the crowds (crowd like that where at out time only to be found at the Palace (pic 10). Are you still allowed to visit upper galleries? At the time, we where told about the reservoir, but where not allowed to go down there.
Wonderful pics, thanks for taking us along.
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Sept 30, 2014 9:43:58 GMT -5
Love the other countries culture........Great photos and looks like fun was had by all............
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Post by deb193redux on Sept 30, 2014 9:49:28 GMT -5
Nice pictures. Great RTH spirit.
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Post by mohs on Sept 30, 2014 10:28:13 GMT -5
Aghia Sophia !
Wow
always read about it
never saw such fabulous pictures
marble…mostly?
Thanks for taking us inside Adrian !
conquered the Bosphorus ?
very Alexandrine !
You guys are loookinggreat
like fine polish stoner
mostly
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2014 12:04:00 GMT -5
It is wonderful that you managed to meet!
Your pictures bring back memories of the last time I was in Istanbul. I was impressed by, what else, the lapidary work in Aghia Sophia. When the Romans rebuilt in 1,300 years ago, they lined the walls with huge, bookmatched slabs of amazingly patterned and colored stones. How did they do that with such precision on slabs 4 meters across, when we have trouble getting a decent cut on an 8" chunk? I now wish I had taken some pictures of those walls, but didn't take a camera. The huge columns were also impressive, and I noticed how occasional touches by human hands over a thousand+ years creates a nice polish around the bases. Thank you for sharing the photos.
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adrian65
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Post by adrian65 on Sept 30, 2014 14:07:20 GMT -5
It is wonderful that you managed to meet! Your pictures bring back memories of the last time I was in Istanbul. I was impressed by, what else, the lapidary work in Aghia Sophia. When the Romans rebuilt in 1,300 years ago, they lined the walls with huge, bookmatched slabs of amazingly patterned and colored stones. How did they do that with such precision on slabs 4 meters across, when we have trouble getting a decent cut on an 8" chunk? I now wish I had taken some pictures of those walls, but didn't take a camera. The huge columns were also impressive, and I noticed how occasional touches by human hands over a thousand+ years creates a nice polish around the bases. Thank you for sharing the photos. Since you mentioned those slabs, here are the pictures I took. We also noticed them, both Ed and me and were talking about them wandering how did they do it.   No scaling in these pictures, but the slabs are about the size of a human height. And here is a column base. Huge, indeed.  Adrian |
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adrian65
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Post by adrian65 on Sept 30, 2014 14:10:29 GMT -5
Wow, there is huge damage to the side-domes. The last time I visited Aghia Sophia was in 88 and the domes where in great shape at the time. Looks like it has become a real attraction judging by the crowds (crowd like that where at out time only to be found at the Palace (pic 10). Are you still allowed to visit upper galleries? At the time, we where told about the reservoir, but where not allowed to go down there. Wonderful pics, thanks for taking us along. Kurt, the palace you're talking about is still open to the public and we visited it. Lots of people as you say, and the guides kinda tend to run through the rooms and galleries. Adrian |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2014 14:25:33 GMT -5
wow, I wish I had known about this trip! I have 1000 kg of purple jade waiting for me. Needed someone to approve the buy so I can make payment to a stranger in Turkey!
Kurt, those are all really great pics and you got to see Ed too! Awesome!
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Post by mohs on Sept 30, 2014 14:35:20 GMT -5
bookend rock'n heart design ! I stand on the shoulders of mountainous boulders mohs |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2014 15:23:53 GMT -5
Thank you for the additional pictures. I thought you would notice those stones! The Romans and Byzantines (East Roman Empire) used stones and stone and glass mosaics, and the Turks used beautiful tiles. The stone work looks very good after many major earthquakes over the last 1000+ years, destructions and lootings by both the Crusaders and the Turks, neglect for long periods and just very old age.
Did either of you go through the Treasury at Topkapi to see the emeralds?
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Post by beefjello on Sept 30, 2014 20:32:03 GMT -5
Epic! Two legends of lapidary rendezvous in Istanbul. An international tale of intrigue!!
Incredible pictures Adrian, thanks for bringing us along!!!
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adrian65
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Post by adrian65 on Sept 30, 2014 22:49:24 GMT -5
Did either of you go through the Treasury at Topkapi to see the emeralds? Yes we did, but the display style of the jewels was in very poor light. I don't get why, maybe to protect them but still strange, compared to other museums. Impressive display of treasury, anyway. Adrian |
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Post by kk on Sept 30, 2014 23:25:52 GMT -5
Kurt, those are all really great pics and you got to see Ed too! Awesome!  I wish it where me....... The report is from Adrian. Adrian is the lucky guy to have met Ed at such a wonderful location. |
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quartz
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Post by quartz on Sept 30, 2014 23:28:33 GMT -5
Thanks much for taking us along, glad you had a good trip. My wife and I are always amazed at what those people accomplished with the technology of the time.
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adrian65
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Post by adrian65 on Oct 1, 2014 2:21:36 GMT -5
Kurt, those are all really great pics and you got to see Ed too! Awesome! I wish it where me....... The report is from Adrian. Adrian is the lucky guy to have met Ed at such a wonderful location. Scott was probably lost in all those quotes, replies etc and forgot who did the report.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2014 10:12:27 GMT -5
I wish it where me....... The report is from Adrian. Adrian is the lucky guy to have met Ed at such a wonderful location. Scott was probably lost in all those quotes, replies etc and forgot who did the report. haha! I wasn't drinking so it wasn't that! I was thinking I was a dunce. But Adrian saved my ego! Nice thread. Wish I had been there. I'd likely have 1000kg of purple jade right about now! |
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Post by snowmom on Oct 1, 2014 12:21:43 GMT -5
What a wonderful opportunity to meet friends in such beautiful places and to spend time together there. It is very hard to imagine what it
must be like to be in a country with a history thousands of years old and to be among such ancient beauty. Of course here in the USA everything is so comparatively new. Such a contrast, and a pleasure to view. Thank you for showing us the photos and telling us about your visit. Beautiful!
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Post by Pat on Oct 1, 2014 12:35:19 GMT -5
Great photos! We took that tour. It was marvelous. Thanks for posting. Hello to Ed and Susan.
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I wish it where me....... The report is from Adrian. Adrian is the lucky guy to have met Ed at such a wonderful location. 
