need I say anything at all?  I am sure your imagination can paint a colorful enough story of this famed house of secrets.  

I will tell you though, that The Harem at Topkapi Palace at times, housed up to 300 concubines plus the royal family of the Sultan.  There are distinct apartments for the mum of the Sultan, his wives, the Harem Eunuchs, princes, and of course, the other ladies that dwelled within.  The structure itself is a labyrinth of sitting rooms and courtyards and passageways.  Only a very small portion of the Harem is open to the public, but what we saw was pretty spectacular.  Ornately inscribed rooms with plush furnishings and intricately paved walkways.  Fancy fountains to muffle whispers and golden walkways where Sultans would shower riches on all.  Pretty much something straight out of Westeros.

views from Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace was pretty amazing.  As the former house of Selim the Sot who died from drinking too much champagne, Roxelana a concubine and confidant of Suleyman the Magnificent, and numerous other powerful and crazy Ottomans, the Palace is a pretty cool place to check out.  The structure itself is incredibly beautiful and inside you will find diamonds as big as your hand along with other precious jewels in the Treasury, numerous opulent chambers, awesome views of the Bosphorous, and of course, the Sultan's Harem.  More on that to come....

spicy market

"You must go to the Spicy Market."  Maybe they meant Spice Market, but with thick accents and misconstrued pronunciation of all present vowels, it came out Spicy Market.  And spicy it was indeed.  

There are few places I enjoy wandering around more than a good market.  Piles of pepper, cascades of curries and chilies, green heaps of henna waiting to be painted on lovely ladies.  Thick, succulent cherries, and berries, and radishes and artichokes.  Soaked grape leaves drying in the sun.  Fish waiting to be fried, dates ready to be tasted, and handsome men yearning to sell you cheeses.

So many people going about their business in unison.  Neighbors greeting one another, hecklers heckling, tourists searching for saffron and exotic Russian curry.

Ramadan Kareem

Happy Ramadan everyone!  May your next month be peaceful and generous!

I thought it was only fitting to make a post about the Blue Mosque at the start of the holy month.  To me, the Blue Mosque is very stunning from the outside.  It is humongous and formidable in all its grey stone glory.  Upon entering the mosque, though, I was slightly disappointed.  While the blue and red and green designs are beautifully intricate, on the whole, I did not find the mosque as impressive as some others that I have visited (like this one).  Perhaps it was the sheer number of tourists passing through the mosque that made it feel less personal and grandiose, or perhaps we only saw a very small portion of the greater establishment, I dunno, but it was cool, though not my favorite of all time.  It was my mom's very first mosque visit though, so it was a historical moment!

and yes, the one time the girl who lives in Saudi doesn't carry a scarf with her, we go to a mosque... nothing says vogue like a blue bed sheet wrapped around your head

istanbul by night

I am not a night owl.  most of the time, I am in bed by 10pm.  perhaps a persistence fear of the dark and waking up tired has lingered since childhood?  or maybe a generations-old Puritanistic sense of responsibility?  I don't know, but on the seldom occasions where I do find myself out after dusk, I am amazed.  Things which were there during the day are now hidden in shadows, and that which was asleep has come out to play.

you can almost feel that static cling of excitement in the air.

delights of turkey