Izmir (Ephesus), Turkey

November 4, 2009

We arrived in Izmir today at 8:00am. We took a shore excursion to Ephesus from NCL since it was too difficult to do this one on our own. We were in a small group of 14 people in a minivan.

Ephesus is in the western part of Turkey, near the historical town of Selcuk. About 250,000 people used to live in this famous city where the most skillful artisans and wealthy merchants gathered together. Celebrations were held every year during April to honor Artemis. Thousands of people came from as far away as Jerusalem and Athens to attend.

After its decline, Ephesus was abandoned and forgotten for a long time. Over a century ago, excavations of this ancient city began.

The Fountain of Trajan

The fountain was erected in dedication to Emperor Trajan in the 1st century AD. It had two stories, with a pool of water cascading underneath the emperor's massive statue. Twelve statues of Venus, Starun, Dionysos and the successors of the Imperial Family, were also discovered here.

The Temple of Hadrian

The keystone of the arch has a relief of Tyche, the goddess of fortune. A relief of Medusa is found in the lunette over the entrance to the cella.

Terrace Houses

The terrace houses were used by the wealthy of Ephesus. Many of the houses were three stories tall and had inner courtyards. The rooms were decorated with frescoes and mosaics of mythological scenes. The houses also had hot and cold water as well as central heating.

Library of Celsus

This was the third largest library in the ancient world. It was built by Julius Aquila, in honor of his father, Celsus, the General Governor the of Province of Asia, in the year 135 AD. There used to be four statues symbolizing Justice, Virtue, etc. The niches in the walls were used for books. In front of the niches were low Ionian pillars, made into the shape of a table. An inscription at the northern end of the library in Latin, and another one at the southern end in Greek, are about Celsus and his son, Aquila. Celsus' sarcophagus lies in the crypt beneath the building.

View of the Library of Celsus from the Terrace Houses

After our guided tour of Ephesus, we were taken to a Turkish carpet showroom. It was interesting to watch the girls weave the rugs and learn about the process. The rugs were very beautiful, but not in my budget at this time.

Istanbul, Turkey

View of Istanbul from the Bosphorus

November 3, 2009

We only had the morning to finish our sightseeing. We bought tickets from Turyol for a Bosphorus River cruise. It was 7.50 Turkish Lira per person. It left at 11:00am and lasted an hour and a half. We found the cruise by the public ferries, at the Eminonu Port, close to the Spice Market.

The cruise went to the second bridge and then returned to where we had started. Along the way we saw the Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Ottoman Assembly Buildings, Ortakoy Mosque, Esman Sultan Yalisi, Beylerbeyi Palace and the Maiden's Tower. It was rainy and cold (again, 3 days in a row). It was nice to be out of the rain.

After the river cruise, we had to go back to the ship since we were leaving at 2:00pm. Istanbul was a very interesting city. I wish that I could have spent more time there, especially without the rain and cold! I also wish that I had taken more pictures. I blame it on the jet lag and the weather!

Istanbul, Turkey

November 2, 2009

The breakfast buffet in our hotel was incredible! Meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetable dishes, breads, cakes and cookies!

After breakfast we went to the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market. The Kapali Carsi, or "Covered Market," covers a huge area in the city center. It was the first shopping center ever built. During Byzantine times, the Grand Bazaar was the site of a busy market. Then the Ottomans arrived and it grew bigger and more diverse. The great location attracted traders, guilds, and manufacturers. Eventually the separate areas were connected and roofed to form one market. Shortly thereafter, the Grand Bazaar became the center for trade in the Ottoman empire.

The Grand Bazaar was very overwhelming, so we didn't stay long. Then we went in search of the Spice Market.

The Spice Market was built in the mid-17th century. Eventually it was taken over by merchants selling pharmaceuticals, herbs, spices, and medicinal plants.

We bough Turkish delight and "evil eye" bracelets here.

We went back to the hotel to check-out and headed for our ship, the Norwegian Jade.

Istanbul, Turkey

November 1, 2009

We arrived at Ataturk Airport and had to buy a VISA before we could go through passport control. It was 20 US dollars, exact change only. We had arranged with our hotel to be picked up. The driver pointed out a few sights on the way to the hotel.

We stayed at the Hotel Golden Horn Sultanahmet. We received a discount for booking 90 days in advance as well as paying the bill in Euros, instead of Turkish Lira. We had an interior room with twin beds. It was very small. After checking in our room, we headed off for some sightseeing.

We were within walking distance of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. We started towards the Blue Mosque first, thinking that it was the Hagia Sophia (jet lag). We were told it was closed for prayer, and if we wanted to look at some rugs.

We finally found the Hagia Sophia.



Hagia Sophia was built between 532 and 537AD by Emperor Justinian. It was the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople for 900 years. It was the greatest architectural achievement of the Byzantine Empire because of its marble and mosaics.

The Ottomans took Constantinople in 1453 and Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror converted it into a mosque. It remained a mosque for 5 centuries.

In the 1930's, during the early days of the Turkish Republic, it was converted into a museum.


Later that day, we went to the Blue Mosque.




The Blue Mosque was built between 1609-1616. The people of Istanbul call this the Sultan Ahmet Mosque. Travelers call it the Blue Mosque because of the mostly blue ceramic tiles used to decorate the interior.

Because it is still used as a mosque, we had to take off our shoes and cover our heads to enter.


We also visited Topkapi Palace. It was raining and very cold. I didn't get any pictures.

Topkapi Palace was built in the 1470's by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror as the administrative center of his empire. The large complex included offices, military barracks, a council chamber, and a reception center.

A century later, Suleyman the Magnificent turned it into the sultan's residence. Topkapi was the adminstrative palace for Ottoman sultans for more than 400 years. In the mid-19th century, a European style palace was built on the Bosphorous--Dolmabahce Palace.