Today we visited Chora Church on our own. Chora means outskirts. This former church is located outside of the city walls of Constantine but inside the city walls built by Theodosus in 423. Devastated by earthquakes a couple of times and then rebuilt, it is one of the few churches that survived the 57-year devastation by Latins in the 1200’s. Mosaics depict the birth and life of Jesus date from the 12th century. The Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in this church led to the use of the same techniques in many churches and monasteries in Europe.
The outside of Chora Church would look like this …
Except like a number of other buildings in Istanbul, it is currently under restoration.
In the afternoon we strolled through some quaint neighborhoods in the Balat district.
Turkish delight or lokum is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, and hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel. They are tasty, but M&M’s are still my favorite.
We spent the afternoon in the Archeological Museum and saw these frescoes that lined the Ishtar gate in ancient Babylon (present day Iraq) built by King Nebuchadnezzar in 575 BC.
Large chains were first stretched across the Golden Horn waterway in 716 AD to prevent ships from coming in. This chain about 1 1/2″ thick was placed across the Golden Horn in 1453 by Genoese who were fighting Mehmet II. Overnight Mehmet rolled some ships on greased logs over the hill past the Galata Tower area. The next morning when the Genoese awoke, the ships were on the other side of the chain. Mehmet II conquered Constantinople and started the Ottoman Empire.
They told us that the museum holds the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great. However, we could only see a photo of it since it is … currently being restored.
For us working folks who can relate … HA!
Istiklal Boulevard is very active at night.
On some nights Galata Tower comes to life with a choreographed light performance that combines vibrant hues, intricate patterns, and dynamic animations.
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