The Golden Horn

The Bridge over the Bosporus to Asia

The Golden Horn is the point where the Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus come together. A huge bridge, the Galata Bridge, was built in 1992 and hundreds of people are fishing as we walk the bridge. Many others walk to get to the other side of the Bosporus and traffic flies by. Many restaurants have been built under the bridge and at one end, people walk through a tunnel and shop at hundreds of small shops from toys for kids to men's sweaters. So many people in one place!

  Since there are 7 hills in Istanbul, the most important buildings are found on each of the hills, usually mosques and palaces of former rulers. The Turkish government has continued to invest in upkeep of these beautiful buildings. On the rounds of seeing these beautiful buildings, we stop at Rustempasa Mosque by the Egyptian Spice Bazar. One can hardly believe the various tiles are still so vibrant and in place outside and inside the mosque. One large panel has tiles shaped like a woman's dress while others have vibrant colors from nature - white, blue, green and burgundy. A guard at the mosque gives me an English version of the Koran after I purchase  a tile and cards of the designs as a donation to the mosque. We walk through the Spice market and I linger around the gardening shops. They have spring flowers - daffodils - who would have thought? All kinds of seeds and bulbs and gardening tools are available. We spend quite a bit of time in the Suleiman Mosque and walk around the burial ground and crypt. Suleiman had a favorite wife described as not pretty but with a kind heart and he professed his love for her and she gave him his favorite children. For someone as great as Suleiman, you don't expect to hear about his love for his wife; made me appreciate love that couples can have for one another. We stop with hundreds of people at Ali Baba's for kabobs and the best lentil soup I have ever had.