Istanbul 2023

 Istanbul has over 200 cisterns left from Roman times.  The restaurant from our opening dinner was in one such cistern, which at one point was auto repair shop.   Basilica Cistern  serves as a tourist attraction and museum near Hagia Sofia  and the Blue Mosque.  The below ground room is filled with Roman pillars with walkways between them to allow visitors to roam the entire room.  Color changing lights illuminate the pillows in a regular rhythm.  There is probably 1-2 feet of water covering the floor which makes it very humid inside even though it is below ground.  They have seeded the room with sculptures I guess to make it more of  a museum.  It's all very interesting and well worth a visit. The hotel arranged a shuttle for the 5 Tulsans to transport to the airport for our flight home.  We arrived early so we could experience the Turkish Air lounge.  This may be the nicest lounge I have been in with fresh cooked fo...

 We finished our workshop (sort of , see my post for tomorrow) at  The Grand Bazaar .  While billed as a photography stop, the reality was we were all looking to buy something to take home for either ourselves or friends and family.  One shop in particular captured a lot of our money, selling beautiful scarves woven from both cashmere and silk.  As we entered the shop, the door closed behind us both to keep us and the air conditioning in.  Hospitality called for tea to be served while each of us browsed the shelves looking for the perfect color and feel.  I believe everyone walked away with at least one if not several of the lovely scarves. After lunch, we took the opportunity to pack (and buy another suitcase;-).  Speaking of suitcases, did you know you can actually buy a four wheeled, large one for just $13 in Istanbul?  Talking about a bargain and it will serve someone else well after we donate it to Goodwill upon our return home. We gathe...

 We had an early morning shoot with several models in Fener.  However, we were so exhausted (old age?) that we opted to sleep that morning.  There was a little something going around the group but it really wasn't anything major, just a feeling of being a little off. That being said, the extra sleep allowed us to soldier on for the rest of the day's activities. Class filled a large part of our afternoon.  Late in the day we returned to the river to take a site seeing cruise.  Much of the river we had already seen on the ferry.  What made this trip interesting was a pair of the passengers.  A lovely couple in wedding attire was taking the cruise as well.  Little did they know they would become models for our group!!!  They were quite cooperative but the light was really a little harsh.  So after the initial frenzy, they were mostly left alone to enjoy the water.  However, towards the end of the ride the light softened and they again ...

 As always, a group went out early morning to photograph the fishermen on the Galata Bridge.  There always seems to be a large group of people hanging their poles over the railing attempting to catch what appears to be fairly small fish.  I'm unsure if these are sold to markets or for their consumption but it seems to go on from early morning to late at night.  I had experienced this on my last trip to Istanbul so I went with the 'a little more sleep' option. We had a fairly long critique this morning after breakfast.  Speaking of breakfast, I fell into a routine of shakshuka (a slightly spicy tomato based sauce) scrambled eggs, tea, and warm pastries very early in our trip.  When you find something you like there's no need to explore further. There was a Turkiye breaksfast that looked interesting but entirely too big.  It was delivered on a large tray, filling it up to the edges.  Different dips, fruits, meats, and pancakes were on the one I saw ...

 Today was jam packed with activities all over the city.  We started by taking the efficient but crowded tram back to the Blue Mosque.  The women in our group were required to wear headscarves and anyone in our group with uncovered legs were loaned a quite lovely, not, skirt to put on over their clothes.  Architecturally, the soaring pillars and expansive domed ceiling are spectacular.  Mosques have little to no furniture in them but you are allowed to sit on the carpet covered floor.  A long wooden barrier separated the area open to the public from the worship area which held a few Muslims that were there for prayer and study.  We spent about an hour between the inside and the large courtyard exploring the site. We then split into two groups, one going to a nearby shopping area with the others returning to the hotel. When those that were shopping returned, we all headed out to our group lunch at  Pendeli Restaurant  in the nearby Spice Marke...

 We started the day with class and critiques.  As with other workshops, we’re asked to turn in photos from the trip.  This is my favorite part of the workshop because we get to see so many perspectives of the same location from our fellow photographers. Liza arranged for a private performance of the  Whirling Dervishes .  This is a religious, meditative ritual that involves music and robed men and twirling.  Marching into the theater clothed in black robes, the haunting music accompanied the circular marching and twirling.  There was a definite form to the dance with bowing and turning to a slow rhythm. At the completion of the ceremony, they all marched out in the same contemplative march that started the dance.  There’s no clapping as this would be akin to clapping after a sermon. After a fast lunch we walked to the  Topkapi Palace .  We were turned loose to wonder the grounds.  The Palace housed a Haram at one point  which w...