Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

One of the main residences of the Ottoman Sultans for over 400 years, the Topkapi Palace is now a fascinating museum. It was the main focus of our attention on Monday. It’s a series of buildings that grew over time in a beautiful park setting. We started with the kitchens which are divided into buildings and rooms for specific functions. Today, they are filled with collections of fine porcelain dinnerware, crystal and silverware plus examples of the tools used in preparing food.

We also visited the Holy Relics Collection but photos are not allowed and for many of the faithful, it was an emotional experience to see Mohammed’s cloak and sword. By mid afternoon, we decided to leave in search of sustenance. Our goal for the end of the day was Galata Tower at sunset. But on the way out of the Topkapi Palace we discovered Hagia Irene commissioned by Emperor Constantine I in the fourth century. It was burned during the Nike revolt in 532 and rebuilt in 548. It was used as an armoury and was never converted to a mosque. It is now a museum under the jurisdiction of the Greek Eastern Orthodox Church.

It’s an uphill climb getting to the Galata Tower but there is an elevator that makes easy work of arriving on the sixth floor. Then a climb up a metal staircase to the 8th floor viewing area. Sunset is a popular time of day for the tower so there were plenty of people crammed into the exterior gallery all vying for the best view. Unfortunately, there was a lot of haze but the twinkle of the city lights below made up in some measure for the loss of a glorious sunset. Returning to terra firma meant using the stairs all the way – a claustrophobic brick tunnel that spirals its way to the ground. Got it done! And another day in this adventure came to a close.