Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

Monday February 16, 2026

There were two definite goals for my stay in Istanbul: the Blue Mosque and the Spice Market. The former was closed for maintenance and repair three years ago and I was intent on purchasing spices from the market including saffron. It was an auspicious day as we set out on a half hour bus ride, a boat ride across the Bosphorus to the European side, a shortish walk and then the trolley. It was all good. There was a nice breeze to counteract the warmth of the sun as temperatures climbed to 20 degrees Celsius. There was a bit of a timing issue because the mosque is open to the general public in between the five required prayer times in the life of observant Muslims in Türkiye.

I think the Spice Market is my favourite place in a city that offers so much. The colours, the marvellous scents, the activity, the architecture, it’s almost a religious experience to enter its doors! How does one choose what to purchase and from whom? I chose a corner stall in a high traffic area staffed by a cheerful and helpful salesperson. He offered me a taste of hot jasmine tea: it was intoxicating! Next was a small steaming cup of mint tea that almost took the top of my head off and definitely cleared my sinuses! Soon my choices were bagged and sealed and the deal was made.

And we were on our way, again, toward the Blue Mosque. The outer courtyard and arcade are an architectural marvel in their own right. The Sultanahmet Camii, as it is formally known, was constructed between 1609 and 1617 as an imperial mosque. Its more name series from the blue ceramic tiles decorating the interior.

I was mesmerized from start to finish with the immense beauty of the mosaics and the stained glass. I had concluded that since I had seen the Hagia Sophia three years ago, I didn’t want to join the long line of visitors waiting to get in. Besides, it was time for lunch. We ambled through the large space between the two temples that used to contain the ancient hippodrome of Constantinople. Several pieces remain from that time period that were part of the decorative spine that ran the length of the racetrack.

We wandered further into the old city in the direction of the port and somehow, not once, was I approached by a carpet salesman. Maybe they were all on vacation.

We ended up at a “Turkish” restaurant and the dish I ordered came with a great deal of fanfare cooked in a clay container that the waiter cracked the top off before serving it to me. It was fun and delicious.

Since we were staying a great distance (13 km) from where we were and relying on public transportation, we began the return journey to the Asian side. That was the easy part. Finding the correct bus to take was another challenge, because they were all headed in the same direction differentiated only by a letter of the alphabet. We asked for help and got the right answer just as it started to rain. It was a much longer ride back due to rush hour traffic that lasts well into the evening. There were no designated bus lanes.

And thus, my first complete day in Istanbul, on this trip, came to an end. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Until next time.